This research paper explores the effectiveness of Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) in enhancing the reading skills of English as a Second Language (ESL) learners, specifically focusing on the framework proposed by Jane Willis. Reading, being a core receptive skill, often becomes a passive exercise in traditional classrooms; however, Willis’s TBLT model offers a structured approach—comprising pre-task, task cycle, and language focus—to make reading a dynamic and goal-oriented process. The study investigates how meaningful tasks related to a text can motivate learners to process information more deeply and improve their comprehension strategies. Through an analytical lens, the author evaluates how the TBLT framework encourages learners to move beyond literal understanding to critical engagement with the text. The research addresses common classroom challenges in implementing Willis’s perspective, such as time management and the necessity for appropriate task design tailored to the proficiency levels of ESL students. By examining the synergy between task performance and reading sub-skills like skimming, scanning, and inferencing, the study provides practical insights for language practitioners. The findings suggest that when reading is integrated into a communicative task cycle, students demonstrate higher engagement and better retention of linguistic structures. The paper concludes that Jane Willis’s perspective remains a vital pedagogical tool for fostering autonomous and proficient readers in modern ESL contexts.

Keywords: TBLT, Reading Skills, Jane Willis, ESL Learners, Task Cycle, Language Pedagogy, Reading Comprehension.