Abstract

Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) remains a prominent approach in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) pedagogy due to its emphasis on meaning-focused interaction, purposeful communication, and learner engagement. In Chinese higher education, where spoken English is increasingly valued, TBLT is often regarded as particularly suitable for speaking instruction. However, recent scholarship also indicates that the practical use of TBLT is shaped by local realities rather than by pedagogical theory alone. Against this background, this review addresses two questions: (1) What major challenges have been identified in recent studies on the implementation of TBLT for EFL speaking instruction (2) What pedagogical implications can be drawn from the existing literature for Chinese higher education? The paper aims to synthesize recent and relevant research on TBLT and EFL speaking to clarify which implementation problems recur most consistently and why they matter for tertiary English education in China. Adopting a focused thematic review design, the study draws on targeted keyword searches, reference checking, and citation tracing to examine selected peer-reviewed research. The analysis identifies four recurring areas of concern: classroom feasibility and the management of task-based speaking, tensions between communicative speaking and assessment practices, participation and affective conditions of task performance, and institutional conditions shaping the uptake of TBLT. Taken together, the reviewed studies do not reject TBLT but instead call for adaptations that is responsive to local teaching conditions. Accordingly, this review argues that a more sustainable use of TBLT in Chinese higher education requires closer alignment among task design, speaking assessment, learner support, teacher preparation, and institutional conditions.