Comparative Effects of Task-Based Language Teaching and Generative AI–Assisted Instruction on Pragmatic Competence and Interactional Fluency Among Advanced EFL Learners
Keywords:
Task-Based Language Teaching, Generative Artificial Intelligence, Pragmatic Competence, Interactional Fluency, English as a Foreign Language, Communicative Competence, AI-Assisted Language Learning, Advanced EFL LearnersAbstract
Purpose: The present study aimed to compare the effects of Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) and Generative AI–Assisted Instruction on pragmatic competence and interactional fluency among advanced English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners.
Methods and Materials: This study employed a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest control group design. The participants were 90 advanced EFL learners selected from private language institutes in Isfahan, Iran, during the 2025–2026 academic year. Following proficiency screening through the Oxford Quick Placement Test, participants were randomly assigned to three groups: Task-Based Language Teaching (n = 30), Generative AI–Assisted Instruction (n = 30), and a Control group receiving conventional communicative instruction (n = 30). The intervention lasted 12 weeks, with two 90-minute sessions per week. Data were collected using a Pragmatic Competence Assessment Battery and an Interactional Fluency Rating Scale. Pretest and posttest scores were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA), followed by univariate ANCOVA and Bonferroni post hoc comparisons.
Findings: The multivariate analysis revealed a statistically significant overall effect of instructional group on the combined dependent variables (Wilks’ Λ = .364, p < .001, partial η² = .598). Significant group effects were observed for pragmatic competence, F(2,84) = 54.83, p < .001, partial η² = .561, and interactional fluency, F(2,84) = 49.27, p < .001, partial η² = .531. Bonferroni comparisons indicated that both experimental groups significantly outperformed the control group on pragmatic competence and interactional fluency (p < .001). Furthermore, the Generative AI–Assisted Instruction group achieved significantly higher posttest scores than the Task-Based Language Teaching group for pragmatic competence (MD = 6.47, p = .003) and interactional fluency (MD = 5.22, p = .007).
Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that both Task-Based Language Teaching and Generative AI–Assisted Instruction effectively enhance pragmatic competence and interactional fluency among advanced EFL learners. However, Generative AI–Assisted Instruction produced significantly greater improvements across both outcomes, suggesting that adaptive AI-supported learning environments provide particularly powerful opportunities for developing advanced communicative competence. The results highlight the pedagogical value of integrating artificial intelligence technologies into contemporary EFL instruction to support authentic interaction, personalized feedback, and pragmatic language development.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Mehri Farzaneh; Nasrin Bahojb Ghahvechipour, Maryam Shirinzarei (Author)
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