Task-based instruction, which emphasizes authentic communication and holistic language learning opportunities, has been a prominent topic in Asia for both researchers and teachers. Still, relatively few studies have addressed vocabulary acquisition from a task-based perspective, notwithstanding second language learners' need to acquire thousands of words to deal with various language uses. In this paper, the teaching procedure and empirical data will be presented to showcase how 27 Hong Kong learners benefited from a combination of an authentic task and written vocabulary exercises in terms of receptive and productive retention of the target words. The results indicated that such a combination yielded better immediate and delayed retention than a purely communicative approach; however, form recall remained the most difficult type of word knowledge irrespective of the treatments. This highlights the value of traditional elements such as written exercises in task-based instruction.Second language (L2) learners must learn thousands of words to deal successfully with a range of language uses, and for long this has been one of the greatest hurdles facing learners in acquiring English. Even the most gifted learners need no less than one year to acquire 1,000 words, and the time required can be much longer for average learners (Nation & Chung, 2009). It is not surprising then, that both teachers and learners are eager to know what can foster such acquisition. A strategic plan about how to handle vocabulary is necessary, and programmes overemphasising communication or authenticity may fall short in this regard.While educational policies in Asia have heavily favoured task-based instruction (also referred to as task-based language teaching, henceforth referred to here as TBI) and other communicative, holistic approaches in the last decade, whether such pedagogical approaches are effective with respect to L2 vocabulary learning is still open to question. As pointed out by Laufer (2005), they cannot always assure learners of a wide and repeated coverage of new words. In contrast, traditional written vocabulary practices are fairly effective in improving both receptive and productive acquisition (Folse, 2004(Folse, , 2006Laufer, 2003). Although some advocates of TBI may proscribe exercises, considering them decontextualized and repetitious, it is worth exploring if a combination of TBI and numerous vocabulary practices can enhance the retention of words in terms of quality, quantity, and duration.

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