Task-based language teaching was brought in as a means to manipulate the form-meaning balance in language instruction. Tasks could really focus on one or both of these aspects. To do so, Task-based language teaching has many means like pre-task, mid-task and post-task activities. Planning time is such a pre-task activity that helps focus the attention of learners on particular aspects of language learnt.
Givon (1979) says that there are two modes of speech: syntactic and pragmatic. Pragmatic speech is basic, and is a characteristic of unplanned speech. Syntactic speech is more organised, grammatical, syntactically structured, elaborate in morphology. Planned speech is a characteristic of syntactic speech. This mode leads to more stretching of interlanguage when learners attempt challenging syntax, leading to language development.
Therefore, planning time is argued to be beneficial to language learning.
