Task-Based Learning: What is a task?

Rod Ellis:
"Task is a workplan, involves a primary focus on meaning, involves real-world processes of language use, can involve any of the four language skills, engages cognitive processes, has a clearly defined communicative outcome"

A task...
1) Has one purpose: to learn L2 as users of it.
2) Has a perspective: it is a work plan aimed at involving the student in the use of meaning-centred L2.
3) It is authentic: it is a meaningful recreation of habitual or daily activities.
4) Mobilises skills: generally linguistic (oral).
5) Mobilizes cognitive processes: tasks can be cognitively more or less complex.
6) Produces a result: the task must produce a concrete result with linguistic content in L2.