Get ‘em While They’re Young - Complex Digitally-Mediated Tasks for EFL Learners in Primary Schools - Academic paper

Oct 15, 2026

Suggesting complex tasks supported by digital media can be introduced in German primary English as a Foreign Language classrooms, the study outlines principles for teaching English in primary schools and positions Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) within Nunan’s (2004) framework. It then connects digitally-mediated tasks to communicative and playful approaches, clarifies complex task design in line with Hallet (2011), and reports an example developed and tested in a German primary setting. The paper argues that primary-level TBLT can motivate learners and bridge transitions to secondary form-focused instruction by building task-solving strategies and digital literacy.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages21

Reading Time53 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Setting the Ground: TBLT, Digital Media, and Primary Schools

Meaning-focused tasks and primary EFL

Bridging primary and secondary instruction with complex tasks

Adapting tasks for young learners via digital environments

Early digital media and fostering digital literacy

Get ‘em While They’re Young: Complex Digitally-Mediated Tasks for EFL Learners in Primary Schools Celestine Caruso University of Cologne Judith Hofmann University of Cologne Andreas Rohde University of Cologne Abstract We suggest that complex tasks can be introduced to learners as early as primary school level with the help of digital media in the form of different apps. As a theoretical basis, we will first outline the principles of teaching English in (German) primary schools. Secondly, we will look at the framework of Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) according to Nunan (2004) and explore how digitally-mediated tasks can be connected to this framework. Then, we will look at complex tasks as outlined by Hallet (2011) and present an example of a complex digital task for young English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners that we developed and tested in a German primary school classroom. It is suggested that TBLT at primary level is a motivating alternative to playful teaching techniques traditionally championed at primary level. Moreover, it may be a way of bridging the problematic gap between primary and secondary level as tasks can prepare young learners for the challenges they will face at secondary level. Résumé Nous suggérons que des tâches complexespeuvent être présentées aux apprenants dès l’école primaire à l’aide des médias numériques sous la forme de différentes applications. Comme base théorique, nous exposerons d’abord les principes de l’enseignement de l’anglais dans les écoles primaires (en Allemagne) . Ensuite, nous examinerons le cadre de l’enseignementdes langues basé sur les tâches de Nunan (2004) et nous étudierons comment les tâches à médiation numérique peuvent être reliées à ce cadre. Ensuite, nous nous pencherons sur lestâches complexes telles que décrites par Hallet (2011) et présenterons un exemple de tâche numérique complexe pour de jeunes apprenants d’anglais langue étrangère que nous avonsdéveloppée pour et testée dans une classe d’école primaire allemande. Il est suggéré que le TBLT au niveau primaire est une alternative motivante aux techniques d’enseignement ludiques traditionnellement défendues au niveau primaire. De plus, cette méthode peut être un moyen de combler le fossé problématique entre l’école primaire et secondaire, car lestâches peuvent préparer les jeunes apprenants aux défis qu’ils devront relever au niveau secondaire. Canadian Journal of Applied Linguistics, Special Issue, 24, 2 (2021): 187-207 CJAL * RCLA Caruso, Hofmann & Rohde 188 Get ‘em While They’re Young: Complex Digitally-Mediated Tasks for EFL Learners in Primary Schools Setting the Ground: TBLT, Digital Media, and Primary Schools The focus on meaning is a basic principle of tasks in task-based language teaching (TBLT) and a quality criterion for what constitutes a good task. Coincidentally, this focus on meaning, as well as other aspects of pedagogical tasks defined by Nunan (2004), such as learner-centeredness and the connection to the everyday lives of learners, is also at the core of communicative and playful teaching approaches, which are employed in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) in (German) primary schools. Despite the fact that there seems to be no official framework or agreement on what exactly TBLT in primary schools should look like,“teachers may have at least an implicit understanding of tasks and […] they may have used task-like activities for many years”(Dreßler, 2018, p. 121). Whereas primary school teaching of EFL can be characterised as meaning-oriented and playfully communicative, in secondary school, and especially in German grammar schools, the focus suddenly shifts from meaning and more towards forms. One way of bridging the gap between primary and secondary EFL teaching methods is by implementing the same task formats in both school types, and here, we suggest socalled complex tasks which are by definition problem-oriented (Hallet 2011), while at the

FAQs

How does the paper propose using complex tasks in primary EFL?

It proposes introducing complex, problem-oriented tasks from primary level using digital media apps, adapting task complexity to learners’ levels and needs.

What framework does the paper use to connect tasks and teaching?

It uses Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) according to Nunan (2004) and explains how digitally-mediated tasks can fit this framework.

Why does the paper claim complex digitally-mediated tasks help the transition to secondary school?

By preparing learners for later form-focused methods, the tasks can support meaning and communication while building task-solving strategies early.

Oct 15, 2026

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