Is a TRULY task-based curriculum possible? - Claudia Fernandez

2025-09-19

Want to move away from 1:1 and build your teaching business? Book a free 1:1 with us to see if we can help. From beginner to intermediate in 9 months: yes, it's possible and Claudia Fernandez tells us how. Claudia runs her Spanish program at the University of Illinois-Chicago using a task-based curriculum. One result was bringing fifteen A1 students to intermediate over 9 months. She shares her story and how others can do the same. At the University of Illinois-Chicago, Claudia is a Clinical Associate Professor, where she directs the Spanish Basic La...

Want to move away from 1:1 and build your teaching business? Book a free 1:1 with us to see if we can help.

From beginner to intermediate in 9 months: yes, it's possible and Claudia Fernandez tells us how.

Claudia runs her Spanish program at the University of Illinois-Chicago using a task-based curriculum. One result was bringing fifteen A1 students to intermediate over 9 months. She shares her story and how others can do the same.

At the University of Illinois-Chicago, Claudia is a Clinical Associate Professor, where she directs the Spanish Basic Language Program using a task-based curriculum. Her research and teaching focus on task-based language teaching, materials development, and classroom-based language acquisition. She is an award-winning educator, published author, and active contributor to both national and international professional organizations in the field of language education.

In this episode, we dive into:

Implementing task-based language teaching from scratch
Why there is still pushback against TBLT
Mindset shifts every institution needs
Aligning tasks with assessments
Claudia’s experience of helping students go from absolute beginner to intermediate in 9 months
Effective task design
How learners acquire grammar through input-based approaches
Instruction habits that get in the way of learning
How to create needs analyses in task-based learning

FOR MORE FROM CLAUDIA FERNANDEZ:

1. Connect on LinkedIn

2. Her university page

3. Her publication on moving from grammar to proficiency-driven programs

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