Teaching EFL Skills Based on the Task-Based Approach: Insights from Albania

Abstract Building upon the initial exploration, this comprehensive research article meticulously investigates the effectiveness of the Task-Based Learning (TBL) methodology as a potent instrument for cultivating significant and lasting learning outcomes within the specific environment of English language education at a prominent university language center located in Tirana, Albania. Acknowledging the far-reaching and transformative impact of the pandemic, which necessitated an abrupt transition to virtual education platforms, the study undertakes a critical and nuanced examination of the multifaceted obstacles that arose during this significant pedagogical shift. Grounded firmly in David Ausubel's well-established theory of meaningful learning, the investigation rigorously emphasizes the indispensable significance of learners' existing prior knowledge structures and the crucial influence of a favorable and receptive learner attitude as foundational elements in the intricate process of effectively incorporating and internalizing new information. The empirical findings of this detailed study reveal a noteworthy and statistically significant discrepancy in students' intrinsic motivation levels and their observed procedural performance in task completion. This critical observation serves to underscore the pressing and undeniable need for the widespread adoption of innovative, engaging, and distinctly learner-centered instructional strategies that can effectively address these identified disparities. While the research outcomes strongly and consistently indicate that TBL holds substantial promise and considerable potential for fostering heightened levels of student engagement, cultivating a greater sense of autonomy, and ultimately bolstering learners' self-efficacy in language acquisition, its successful and consistent execution is demonstrably and significantly constrained by the deeply ingrained and persistent prevalence of traditional teachercentered pedagogies.