Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) is a second language (L2) teaching methodology that emphasizes the completion of authentic, real-world tasks. The role of grammar instruction within the task cycle remains a point of discussion. TBLT is often argued to primarily foster the acquisition of implicit, rather than explicit, L2 knowledge. This is considered less favorable for the teaching of morphologically complex languages such as Lithuanian, which features complex grammatical categories like case. The present paper seeks to examine these claims. Eighteen adult L2 Lithuanian learners participated in an experimental study. One group (n = 8) completed a task version with a strong focus on grammar, the other (n = 10) without. Although the results did not reveal significant treatment differences in gains in explicit case knowledge, the findings suggest differences that could divert developmental patterns related to case and paradigm selection, which may inform future task and test design.
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