Abstract
This paper looks at task‐based learning from the learner's point of view. Both first and second language (EFL/ESL) are considered within a Vygotskyan psychosociological framework, together with that of a systemic‐functional approach to language. It will be argued that if task‐based learning is to be understood, then perhaps it should be best considered with reference to theories which foreground the psycho‐socio‐linguistic aspects of language development within a coherent framework.