Currently my major research interest is the interface between different teaching procedures and activities, and students' language use and language learning. A particular interest is the nature of communicative repetition in language learning activities, and its role in language development.

My work has extended into oral second language learning, particularly the use of pedagogic tasks, the development of oral second language proficiency, dimensions of teacher talk, and classroom interaction. I am also interested in more general issues of language in education, such as language across the curriculum. A particular current interest of mine is the nature of communicative repetition in language learning activities, and its role in language development. I have directed funded research projects both in the UK and abroad. I welcome applications from potential research students interested in exploring aspects of oral second language proficiency and its development; tasks and their use in developing oral second language proficiency; teacher talk; oral language and learning; and oral language in the community.

My main publications are Tasks in Second Language Learning (co-authored with Virginia Samuda, Palgrave, 2008), Researching Pedagogic Tasks (co-edited with Peter Skehan and Merrill Swain, Pearson Educational 2001), Grammar and the Language Classroom (co-edited with Alan Tonkyn and Eddie Williams, Prentice Hall, 1994), and Speaking (OUP, 1987), and guest-edited a Special Issue on 'Tasks in Language Pedagogy' for the journal Language Teaching Research (2000). I co-edited the journal Applied Linguistics from 1998-2004, and am on the boards of Applied Linguistics, Language Teaching Research, and Language Teaching.

I am a member of a recently formed group, the Second Language Learning and Pedagogy Research Group.

Recent publications

BOOKS

Van den Branden, K., Bygate, M., Norris, J. (Eds.) 2009. Task-Based Language Teaching: Areader. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishers.

Samuda, V. & M.Bygate. 2008. Tasks in second language learning. Basingstoke: Palgrave

Bygate,M., P.Skehan, M.Swain (eds). 2001. Researching pedagogical tasks: second language learning, teaching, and assessment. London: Pearson.

ARTICLES AND CHAPTERS

Bygate, M. 2009.Teaching and testing speaking. In C.Doughty, & M.H.Long (eds) Handbook of second and foreign language teaching. New York: Blackwell, pp. 412-440.

Bygate, M. 2009.TESOL and linguistics: where's the connection? In J. Culpeper, F.Katamba, P.Kerswill and R. Wodak (eds.). English language and linguistics: structure and use. London: Routledge, pp. 642-655.

Bygate, M. 2009. Teaching the spoken foreign language. In K.Knapp & B.Seilhofer (eds) Handbooks in applied linguistics, Vol.5: Foreign language communication and learning. Berlin: Mouton De Gruyter, pp.401-438.

Bygate, M. & V.Samuda. 2009. Creating pressure in task pedagogy: the joint roles of field, purpose and involvement within the interaction approach. In A.Mackey & C.Polio (eds.) Multiple Perspectives on Interaction in SLA: Research in Honor of Susan M. Gass. New York: Routledge.

Bygate, M. 2006. Areas of research that influence L2 speaking instruction. In E.Uso-Juan & A.Martinez-Flor (eds) Current trends in the development and teaching of the four language skills. Pp.159-186. The Hague: Mouton De Gruyter.

Bygate, M. 2005. Oral second language abilities as expertise. In K.Johnson (ed.) Expertise in second language teaching. London: Palgrave

Bygate, M. & V.Samuda 2005. Integrative planning through the use of task repetition. In R. Ellis (ed) Planning and task performance in a second language.Amsterdam/New York:Benjamins.

Bygate, M. 2005. Applied linguistics: A pragmatic discipline, a generic discipline? Applied Linguistics.26/4: 568-581.

Bygate, M. 2004. Some current trends in Applied Linguistics: towards a generic view. AILA Review, 40th Anniversary Issue, 17: 6-22..

Bygate,M. 2001b. Speaking in TESOL. In R.Carter & D.Nunan (eds.) Handbook of TESOL. Pp.14-20. Cambridge: CUP

Bygate,M. 2001a. Effects of task repetition on the structure and control of language, In M.Bygate, P.Skehan & M.Swain Task-based learning: language teaching, learning and assessment. pp.23-48. London: Longman.

Bygate, M. 2001c. Spoken language pedagogy. In R.Kaplan (ed). The Oxford Handbook of Applied Linguistics. Pp.27-38. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Participation in recent conferences

Recent conference plenary talks include:

· Annual International Seminar, RELC Singapore, April 2005

· Inaugural Seminar: Second Language Learning and Teaching: the State of the Art, BAAL SIG for LLT, York, April 2005

· Annual Conference, Spanish Association for Applied Linguistics, Valencia, April 2004

· Annual Conference, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey January 2003

· Annual Conference, KOTESOL, Seoul, Korea, October 2002

· Annual Conference, Italian Association for Applied Linguistics, Verona 2002.

I have presented papers at the following recent conferences:

BAAL 2005 Language Learning and Teaching SIG Conference, University of York, UK.

1st Biennial TBLT Conference, 2005, Leuwen, Belgium.

AAAL 2006 Montreal, Canada.

BAAL 2006 Language Learning and Teaching SIG Conference, University of Southampton, UK.

2nd Biennial TBLT Conference, 2007, Hawaii, USA.

AAAL 2008 Washington, USA

BAAL 2008 Language Learning and Teaching SIG Conference, University of Greenwich, UK.

BAAL 2008 Annual Meeting, Swansea.

Current and previous experience

I was appointed Professor of Applied Linguistics and Language Education in the Department of Linguistics and Modern English Language in September 2003. Prior to that I had appointments at the Universities of Leeds (1994-2003) and Reading (1986-1994). For a period I was also Advisory Professor to the English Department of Hong Kong Institute of Education (2003-4).

My language teaching experience includes teaching EFL in France, Morocco and Brazil, and I worked in applied linguistics and TESOL teacher education programmes in Brazil and Peru.

Outside the Department, my current activities include:

Member of the International Consortium for Task-based Language Teaching.

Programme Chair for the biennial 2009 conference in Task-based Language Teaching (to be held at Lancaster, 13-16 September 2009).

Member of the Academic Board of Bell International.

I was BAAL Meetings Secretary from 1989-1995, and Publications Secretary from 1988-9, and from 2006-2009 was co-ordinator of the BAAL 'Language Learning and Teaching' Special Interest Group, which runs an annual conference in July.

And in 2008 I was elected President of AILA (Association Internationale de Linguistique Appliquee) for a 3-year term.