This paper describes an approach to teaching the production of a basic literature review (LR) for an undergraduate student-generated research project. The students are freshmen in the second level of a two-part communications programme in the Petroleum Institute in Abu Dhabi. The programme has a team-based, project-based learning dynamic. Average class size is usually 20 students. All students are native Arabic speakers. The programme focuses on the development of a primary research project culminating in a written recommendations report and a multi-media presentation. Students have already produced a source summary as part of their work on the first level of the course and are now building on that knowledge to produce a basic and simple literature review for their report. The LR is a challenge for students anywhere and ours are no exception. An additional hurdle for them of, course, is that they are not native speakers of English (Hidalgo and Razo 2014). All tasks on our programme have a written task description (TD).Students are expected to read, discuss and annotate these to develop an understanding of the task before the class. As teachers are aware that not all students may do this (Benassi and Busket 2012, p108), the TDs are sometimes used as a teaching/learning tool. The paper explains how the author uses the TD as part of a learner-centered and innovative approach to teaching the LR. Exit interviews with students indicated a high level of satisfaction with the approach.