ABSTRACT
To promote links among theory, research, and pedagogy in Chinese second language acquisition and to understand the characteristics and conditions that lead to optimal instructional effects and learning opportunities in Chinese-as-a-second-language-classrooms, this chapter will provide an overview of research endeavors pertaining to classroom-based research with the focus on form-focused instruction and task-based language teaching. The section on form-focused instruction will synthesize research findings regarding the relationships between different instructional means (e.g., explicit or implicit) and learning outcomes in the areas of phonology, orthography, lexis, syntax, and discourse in a range of teaching contexts (e.g., face-to-face or computer-mediated). The section on task-based language teaching will summarize research findings related to the impacts of task conditions on learner output in terms of fluency, accuracy, and complexity; effects of pair work and peer collaboration on teaching and learning; and curriculum evaluations of task-based language teaching. The chapter will conclude with a discussion on the issues and concerns regarding research methodology and assessment instrument in classroom-based research, pedagogical implications drawn on research, and directions for future research.
