博士生英语课应用任务型语言教学的案例研究的中期报告IntroductionThismidtermreportpresentstheprogressofacasestudyontheapplicationoftask-basedlanguageteachinginanEnglishcourseforPhDstudents.Theobjectiveofthestudyistoinvestigatetheeffectivenessoftask-basedlanguageteachinginenhancingthestudents’Englishlanguageproficiencyandimprovingtheiracademicwritingskills.ThestudyisconductedatauniversityinChina,andtheparticipantsaretenPhDstudentsfromdifferentdisciplines.LiteratureReviewThetask-basedlanguageteachingapproachisalearner-centeredapproachthatfocusesontheuseoflanguageinmeaningfultasksoractivities.EllisandShintani(2014)arguethattask-basedlanguageteachingiseffectiveindevelopingarangeoflanguageskills,includingvocabulary,grammar,pronunciation,anddiscourse.Theapproachalsoprovidesstudentswithopportunitiestodeveloptheircriticalthinking,problem-solving,andcommunicationskills.Byengaginginauthentictasks,studentsaremotivatedtouselanguageformeaningfulpurposes,whichenhancestheirmotivationandconfidenceinusingthelanguage.MethodologyThestudyisconductedinthreephases:pre-test,treatment,andpost-test.Inthepre-testphase,theparticipantsaregivenalanguageproficiencytestandanacademicwritingtasktoassesstheircurrentlevelofEnglishlanguageproficiencyandtheiracademicwritingskills.Inthetreatmentphase,theparticipantsreceivetask-basedlanguageinstructionthatisdesignedtoenhancetheirEnglishlanguageproficiencyandacademicwritingskills.Theinstructionincludesavarietyoftasksandactivitiesthatengagethestudentsinmeaningfullanguageuseinthecontextoftheiracademicstudies.Inthepost-testphase,theparticipantsaregiventhesamelanguageproficiencytestandacademicwritingtasktomeasuretheeffectivenessofthetask-basedlanguageinstruction.ResultsThestudyisstillinprogress,andtheresultsofthepre-testphaseareyettobeanalyzed.However,initialobservationssuggestthattheparticipantshaveadiverserangeofEnglishlanguageproficiencylevels,withsomestudentshavingverylimitedproficiency.Thewritingtasksalsorevealvariationsintheparticipants’academicwritingskills,withsomestuden