Task-Based Language Teaching and Its Impact on Indonesian Students’ Speaking Proficiency and Learning Motivation

Abstract

Developing English speaking proficiency in Indonesian EFL classrooms requires instructional approaches that provide meaningful opportunities for communication while sustaining learners’ motivation. This study examined the effect of Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) on Indonesian students’ English speaking proficiency and learning motivation. A quantitative quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design was employed with 60 Indonesian students divided into an experimental group (n = 30) and a control group (n = 30). The experimental group received task-based instruction through information-gap activities, problem-solving tasks, role plays, collaborative projects, and presentation tasks, whereas the control group received conventional English instruction. Data were collected using a speaking proficiency assessment covering fluency, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and interaction, and a motivation questionnaire measuring interest, effort, persistence, perceived relevance, and engagement. The findings showed that the experimental group achieved a substantial improvement in speaking proficiency, increasing from M = 64.13 to M = 78.47, compared with an increase from M = 63.87 to M = 69.20 in the control group. Learning motivation also increased from M = 67.43 to M = 81.17 in the experimental group, compared with M = 66.97 to M = 71.83 in the control group. Posttest differences were significant for speaking proficiency, t(58) = 6.50, p < .001, d = 1.68, and motivation, t(58) = 6.40, p < .001, d = 1.63. The study concludes that TBLT effectively strengthens both communicative performance and motivational engagement.