Understanding learning in the context of English for Specific Purposes from the perspective of third generation activity theory

Abstract

While tasks are used in many areas of English for Specific Purposes (ESP), research into the use of tasks in ESP contexts is limited. In this lecture, I show that viewing task-based learning in ESP contexts from the perspective of third generation activity theory can help understand learners’ perceptions and the way that these perceptions influence task processes and outcomes. By examining how a group of business majors at a university performed a series of tasks in the form of business meeting role-plays, I illustrate how the process and outcome of a task are shaped by the conflicting motives of the learners and their multiple identities brought by the task. I also show that the pedagogical and professional aspects of ESP tasks can give rise to various goals and influence learners’ task orientation. While most task-based research conducted within the cognitive tradition aims to show clear-cut and consistent effects of task design features on linguistic outcomes, I argue that the relationship between task features and task outcomes is not straightforward. Instead, the outcomes of a task are determined by the interplay between the learner and the sociocultural contexts pertinent to the learning situation, which, in the study reported in this lecture, encompasses the activity system of the classroom and that of the business world in the minds of the learners. The implications of the findings from the study for third generation activity theory, task-based research and ESP pedagogy are also discussed.