We’re All Advanced Beginners Here
When a seasoned teacher meets TBLT for the first time.
The first time I realized I was an advanced beginner was in 2020. I was part of a community for English teachers led by Learn Your English, a membership focused on reading for professional development. We were reading Rules, Patterns, and Words (by Dave Willis) together when I first came across TBLT—Task-Based Language Teaching.
Up to that moment, I knew PPP and Dogme (though I didn’t realize there was a name for all the digressions and language development happening in my reactive teaching lessons). And I knew them well. I was already a seasoned teacher. What’s more, my ego liked to remind me that I was a C2 Proficiency holder. What could be more advanced than that?!
But reading Rules, Patterns, and Words opened up a whole new world. Terms like pre-task, task cycle, and post-task were completely new to me. It was challenging, especially because I’ve always had a penchant for grammar (I still do, actually). It was hard to accept that the main goal of a lesson could be something as simple as performing a real-life task, like explaining to an immigration officer why you're visiting their country.
I felt like a beginner… perhaps because I really was one. A beginner who struggles to make sense of things. I remember revisiting that book many times before I finally understood what task cycle meant. It was also hard to visualize because, at the time, I only worked with private students, so the reporting stage felt especially unclear to me. Eventually, I put a lesson together and put it to the test.
Like a good beginner, I had to do the same thing over and over. Sometimes it worked; sometimes it didn't. Part of me felt inexperienced (my ego curled up in the fetal position). And that was when I realized I was an advanced beginner. Despite all my knowledge and experience, I simply had no idea how to go about TBLT with confidence.
But that moment—uncomfortable as it was—marked a turning point. It made me wonder: how many of us are actually advanced beginners? We attend conferences, collect certificates, read the right books. We know things. We put courses together. But when it comes to doing something differently (something that truly requires rethinking our practice), we hesitate. We struggle. We go back to the book. We consider giving up. We find excuses not to try.
Maybe that’s the nature of teaching: we’re always mastering and unmastering. Learning and unlearning. Just when we think we’ve figured it out, something (a method, a student, a question) exposes a blind spot we didn’t know we had. And we're back to square one.
I like a good challenge, so I ended up designing a TBLT task as a result and after a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. I used a piece of authentic material from the now-extinct WestJet magazine. I’d actually stolen the magazine from a plane on a flight to Canada—there were just so many interesting texts I thought I could use in lessons! The funny part is that when I swiped it, I had no idea what TBLT was. I just knew there were so many possibilities with that material.
So yes, I was an advanced beginner back then. Maybe I still am. Maybe we all are.
And maybe that’s not a flaw—it’s the job.
If you're curious, I still have that first TBLT lesson. Want to take a look? Guess the topic!
If you would like to devote time to your development, here's how I can help you:
Workshop: Applying Dogme ELT to Exam Preparation
1:1 sessions
Sessions fully customized to meet each student's specific needs (exam preparation, writing, speaking, language development, etc).
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Language for Cambridge Exams
This course delves into grammar and vocabulary using texts provided by Cambridge as input. However, exam practice isn’t limited to these texts. The lessons will also focus on how to make the most of authentic materials—what to read and how to read it effectively.
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Road to C2
A course designed to guide learners through the final stages of language proficiency, helping them achieve mastery at the C2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). This course focuses on developing complex ideas and critical thinking while refining advanced language skills, including nuanced grammar usage, sophisticated vocabulary, and advanced speaking and writing techniques. Learners will engage in a variety of activities based on authentic materials, such as articles, videos, and real-world scenarios, along with practice tests to track their progress.