Implementing TBLT and BELF in the business English classroom
Tasked-based language teaching (TBLT) and English as a business lingua franca (BELF) are approaches which have much in common. Both prioritize successful communication over linguistic accuracy, both require learners to rely on their own linguistic resources to negotiate meaning, and both encourage learners to be creative with language to get the job done. Many would argue that these features are highly desirable in a business English classroom, yet many teachers are still not entirely comfortable with implementing the approaches in their own classrooms. Challenges often cited include stakeholder expectations, the hegemony of commercial coursebooks and tests, and the lack of identifiable input.

As always, the session will be in three parts: plenary introduction, small group discussion, and plenary discussion. In the first part Evan Frendo will remind us of the key principles which lie behind the two approaches, look at some examples of how they might be used in the business English classroom, and discuss some of the challenges. In the second part we will split into small groups and share our own experiences of using the two approaches in our own contexts. Finally, we will reunite to share the highlights of our small group discussions. 


In celebration of the fact that this is our twentieth meeting, there will be no article to read beforehand. However, it would be useful if you could remind yourself of the principles behind TBLT and BELF beforehand and think about how they have influenced what you do in the classroom.
For information about Evan Frendo see https://communicationlights.de/who-we-are/