ABSTRACT
In the 1980s, and largely as a reaction to perceived shortcomings in structure-based approaches to language teaching, the notion of TBLT began to be promulgated. Chapter 2 focuses on the theoretical rationales for TBLT as a “logical development” to CLT. The chapter begins with a presentation of three cognitivist models of second language acquisition (SLA): (1) the input hypothesis, or, “it’s all about the language learners receive”; (2) the output hypothesis, or, “it’s all about the language learners create”; (3) the interaction hypothesis, or, “it’s all about the language learners share.” Interaction is further discussed from both a cognitive and a sociocultural perspective, two complementary theoretical standpoints through which to view the processes of SLA. Taking the theoretical perspectives presented in this chapter into account, the chapter concludes with an initial theoretical discussion of the task construct, mapped onto the three theoretical concepts of input, output and interaction: a task has a goal which requires processing input, creating output and interacting with others to meet it.
