Differentiating Task Repetition from Task Rehearsal

Asking second language (L2) learners to repeat the same or slightly altered tasks is a common practice in task-based language teaching (TBLT). Prior research suggests that, when properly designed, task repetition can induce natural re-occurrence of a task interesting to learners, hence less fatigue and boredom than dry rehearsal. Repeating a task has also been associated with heightened L2 performance in previous studies. What remains inadequate in the field, however, is an ill-defined construct of task repetition as it appears to be often construed synonymously with task rehearsal. This chapter is a response to Bui’s (Processing perspectives on task performance. Benjamins, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, pp. 63–94, 2014) call to differentiate rehearsal from task repetition as two different constructs, with the former involving learners’ awareness of future performance and the latter shunning such forewarning. Then a mini-meta-analysis of prior task repetition and rehearsal studies is presented to tease out the differentiating effects of the two constructs on L2 complexity, accuracy, lexis and fluency performance. Based on the patterns identified from the available information in those studies, theoretical and pedagogical implications are discussed.