Introduction to the Action-oriented Approach

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What is action-orientation? 🧠

The action-oriented approach takes task-based learning to a level where the class and the outside world are integrated in genuine communicative practices that emphasize learner agency. The action-oriented approach promotes the organization of learning through realistic, unifying scenarios, which span several lessons and lead up to a final collaborative task/project.

Action-oriented scenarios are usually developed through steps which involve communicative activities of reception, production, interaction, and the mediation of concepts and/or communication, often inspired by CEFR descriptors. The final phase of the scenario is a culminating task involving the collaborative production of an artefact or performance.

Learners decide how to accomplish the task/project; teachers provide language input, resources, and support to class, group or individuals as required.

There is a focus on learners’ agency and authenticity of materials, topics and practices. Learners may use sources in various languages and work in a plurilingual way. Self-assessment of results with selected descriptors is quite common.

  1. To have a first idea of the action-oriented approach, please watch an 8-minute video by clicking on the link:The action-oriented approach (2022: Council of Europe).
  2. Once you have watched it, please read this brief infosheet on action-orientation.


Now that you have an idea of the concept, you can decide to explore more on the action-oriented approach and on practical applications by going to Action-oriented Approach in Practice.

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