This study triangulates multiple data sources and methods to build a consensus on the English-language tasks faced by graduates in their lives and careers as a practical basis for L2 program development. It addresses a problem similar to what West (1994) refers to as TENOR (Teaching English for No Obvious Reason). TENOR is problematic in that it frequently results in unfocused instruction, lower than normal learner motivation, and graduates who have no clear idea of what they have learned or who do not have the ability to use it for any functional purpose. Employment records, interviews and a sequence of surveys were used to build consensus on the L2 tasks faced by graduates over the 25-year period preceding the study. Results demonstrate that it was possible to identify and build consensus on task types common across workplace domains, and that, given adequate support, graduates could specify target tasks as a basis for organizing focused, goal-oriented instruction in a context where TENOR was the norm. The study is intended to provide a heuristic framework and procedures for future task-based needs analyses.
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