The Role of Theory in Empirical L2 Research on Task-Based Language Teaching for Young L2 Learners

This forum will explore the extent to which theory has played a role in empirical research on Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) for young L2 learners and highlight opportunities that exist for future research. To begin, the most relevant theoretical entities to TBLT will be introduced. This theoretical background will set the stage for the subsequent section–– a review of three empirical studies on task-based learning with young L2 learners: Newton and Bui (2017), Zhu (2020), and Azkarai and Oliver (2019). Then, the three studies are discussed with regard to the role theory plays. Finally, some trends that come to light through the review of the studies are identified, and arguments are made vis-à-vis the need for more theory-driven, principled approaches to the empirical research on TBLT with children.