Kết hợp dạy ngôn ngữ và phát triển kỹ năng nghề nghiệp cho sinh viên thông qua hình thức học tập sử dụng các bài tập lớn Integrating language and work skills th

1
VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST - GRADUATE STUDIES

PHẠM THỊ MINH PHƯƠNG

INTEGRATING LANGUAGE AND WORK SKILLS
THROUGH PROJECT-BASED LEARNING
– A CASE OF ENGLISH FOR TOURISM
(KẾT HỢP DẠY NGÔN NGỮ VÀ PHÁT TRIỂN KỸ NĂNG NGHỀ NGHIỆP CHO SINH
VIÊN THƠNG QUA HÌNH THỨC HỌC TẬP SỬ DỤNG CÁC BÀI TẬP LỚN – ÁP DỤNG
TRONG GIẢNG DẠY TIẾNG ANH DU LỊCH)

M.A. Minor Programme Thesis

Field: English Methodology
Code: 601410

HANOI, 2010


2

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST - GRADUATE STUDIES

PHẠM THỊ MINH PHƯƠNG

INTEGRATING LANGUAGE AND WORK SKILLS

THROUGH PROJECT-BASED LEARNING
– A CASE OF ENGLISH FOR TOURISM
(KẾT HỢP DẠY NGÔN NGỮ VÀ PHÁT TRIỂN KỸ NĂNG NGHỀ NGHIỆP CHO SINH
VIÊN THƠNG QUA HÌNH THỨC HỌC TẬP SỬ DỤNG CÁC BÀI TẬP LỚN – ÁP DỤNG
TRONG GIẢNG DẠY TIẾNG ANH DU LỊCH)

M.A. Minor Programme Thesis

Field: English Methodology
Code: 601410
Supervisor: Nguyễn Thu Lệ Hằng, M.A.

HANOI, 2010


6

TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATION ....................................................................................................... i
KNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................. ii
ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................... iii
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ..................................................................................... vi
Part I. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................... 1
1. Rationale for the study ................................................................................... 1
2. Aims and objectives ........................................................................................ 2
3. Scope of the study........................................................................................... 2
4. Significant of the study ................................................................................... 3
5. Method of the study ........................................................................................ 3
6. Organization of the study ................................................................................ 3
Part II. DEVELOPMENT ........................................................................................... 5

Chapter 1: LITERATURE REVIEW...................................................................... 5
1.1 An overview of ESP ............................................................................................ 5
1.1.1 Definition of ESP ............................................................................................ 5
1.1.2 Essential issues in teaching ESP ...................................................................... 6
1.1.2.1 Needs analysis ................................................................................................ 6
1.1.2.2 Methodology for teaching ESP ....................................................................... 7
1.2 The teaching and learning of English for Tourism as an ESP .......................... 8
1.2.1 English for Tourism as an ESP ........................................................................ 8
1.2.2 Challenges in teaching English for Tourism .................................................... 9
1.2.3 Towards an appropriate syllabus for English for Tourism................................ 10
1.3 Project-based approach and the learning and teaching of EfT ........................ 11
1.3.1 An overview of PBL ....................................................................................... 11
1.3.1.1 What is a project? ........................................................................................... 11
1.3.1.2 What is PBL? .................................................................................................. 11
1.3.1.3 Merits and challenges of PBL ......................................................................... 12
1.3.2 PBL approach and the ESP classroom ............................................................. 13
1.3.2.1 Rationale for implementing PBL in the ESP classroom ................................... 13
1.3.2.2 Process of project work ................................................................................... 15
1.4 Summary ........................................................................................................... 16
Chapter 2: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY .......................................................... 17
2.1 Background of the study..................................................................................... 17
2.1.1 The course ......................................................................................................... 18
2.1.2 The students....................................................................................................... 18
2.1.3 The teacher ........................................................................................................ 18
2.2 Research questions ............................................................................................. 18
2.3 Research approach ............................................................................................. 19
2.4 Participants ......................................................................................................... 19
2.5 Instrument .......................................................................................................... 19
2.6 Procedure of data collection ............................................................................... 20
2.7 Data analysis procedure ..................................................................................... 20

2.8 Summary ............................................................................................................. 21


7
Chapter 3: THE PRACTICAL STUDY .................................................................. 22
3.1 Preliminary investigation ................................................................................... 22
3.1.1 Data presentation of the preliminary questionnaires ........................................... 22
3.1.2 Findings ............................................................................................................. 26
3.2 Intervention ........................................................................................................ 27
3.2.1 The design and aims of the travel guide project .................................................. 27
3.2.2 Procedure of the project ..................................................................................... 28
3.3 Evaluation ........................................................................................................... 29
3.3.1 Data presentation of the evaluation questionnaires ............................................. 29
3.3.2 Findings ............................................................................................................ 33
Chapter 4: DISCUSSION OF THE FINDINGS ..................................................... 35
4.1 Research question 1 ............................................................................................ 35
4.2 Research question 2 ............................................................................................ 36
4.3 Research question 3 ............................................................................................ 38
4.4 Summary ............................................................................................................. 40
Part III. CONCLUSION .......................................................................................... 41
1. Conclusion ..................................................................................................... 41
2. Recommendations ......................................................................................... 41
3. Limitations of the study and suggestions for further study......................... 42
REFERENCES ........................................................................................................... 44
APPENDICES


8
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
ESP: English for Specific Purposes

GE: General English
EFL: English as a Foreign Language
CLT: Communicative Language Teaching
PBL: Project-based Learning
HTTC: Hanoi Teacher Training College
EfT: English for Tourism

Part I: INTRODUCTION

1. Rationale for the study
From early 1960s, ESP, or English for Specific Purposes, has grown to become one of the
most prominent areas of EFL teaching today and gained a well-established position as a
component of applied linguistics research (Dudley-Evans & St Johns, 1998). As the word
“specific” suggests, the nature of ESP is different from that of general English in a sense that
ESP learners learn English for a certain professional or occupational purpose. Therefore,
teaching/learning ESP includes much more than the teaching of English through specific
materials and content. In fact, it combines the development of linguistic skills together with the
acquisition of specific information. Consequently, to ensure the success of ESP learning, the
materials should be wisely selected and adapted and learning activities should be carefully
designed, and more importantly, an appropriate teaching method should be adopted.
With regard to language learning approaches and methods, the concept of Communicative
Language Teaching (CLT) have been developed and adopted by a number of scholars since
1970s. Closely allied to CLT are a number of concepts which reflect certain types of learning
and teaching such as interactive learning, learner-centred instruction, task-based learning,
content-based learning, and cooperative learning (Brown, 2001). These variations of CLT prove
effective in many contexts as students can not only learn the language but also develop certain


9
personal and social skills through learning. Also originated from these learning types, Projectbased Learning is a “flexible methodology allowing multiple skills to be developed in an

integrated, meaningful, on-going activity”. As Thomas J. W (2000) summarizes, research on
PBL have shown clearly the benefits of PBL: (i) gains in student achievement, (ii)gains in
students’ problem-solving capabilities, (iii) gains in students’ understanding of the subject
matter, and (iv) gains in understanding relating to specific skills and strategies introduced in the
project. Given these merits and the nature of ESP, PBL will be an ideal choice for ESP teaching
and learning.
In the recent years, the ESP movement in Vietnam has been rapidly developing due to the
existence of diverse needs of the learners. Currently, all university students must learn the ESP
that suits their learning branches. For example, students at economics universities have to learn
English for commerce, while students from the Information Technology universities have to
learn English for IT. However, a lot of questions have been raised over the quality of ESP
teaching and learning at university as many students studying ESP show quite poor performance
on four language skills and a lot of graduates can not use ESP in their work. This results in an
unsolved problems that ESP teachers are encountering: How to design appropriate syllabus and
authentic learning activities to enhance ESP learning?
English for Tourism is a new ESP for a relatively new course in Hanoi Teacher Training
College, thus it is not surprising that both the administrators and the teachers are experiencing
some teething pains. In search of an effective teaching method, the researcher of this study, also
as a teacher of this subject, has formed a hypothesis that: “Project-based learning would help
students not only learn the language but also develop their future work skills” and this is the
reason why this study is carried out.

2. Aims and objectives
As mentioned in the rationale, the study is aimed at exploring the benefit of project-based
learning in the teaching and learning of English for Tourism: whether or not this learning
activity would allow teachers to integrate language and students‟ work skills in their teaching.
The objective of the study is to work out the answers to the following research questions:
 What are the benefits of project work in learning EfT, as perceived by the teachers
and the students involved?

10
 How can work skills be integrated in the syllabus for EfT at the department of
Foreign Languages, Hanoi Teacher Training College, by means of PBL method?
 What are the suggestions for effective project work in learning EfT, as recommended
by the teachers and students involved?

3. Scope of the study
Due to time constraint as well as the author‟s ability and working conditions, the study is
limited to the following extents:
3.1 Participants:
 Students: One class of second-year English major students at Department of Foreign
Languages, HTTC. Their main field of study is English for Business and Tourism.
 Teacher: The team of English for Tourism staff consists of only 2 members including the
author of this study. Therefore, only one teacher can take part in the interview conducted for
the study.
3.2 Form of project-based learning method:
PBL can have numerous variations in practice but the one studied in this thesis is group
investigation and presentation.
3.3 Work skills:
Working in the tourism industry calls for a great number of skills. However, in this study,
only some most typical soft skills such as presenting, communicating, problem-solving and
group work skills, etc, are mentioned.

4. Significance of the study
The research, first of all, would enable the teaching staff at English Department, HTTC to
grasp the real situation of their students‟ language competence and needs in learning EfT. With
such a deep insight, they would be able to evaluate their current teaching method and thus make
necessary changes to improve the effectiveness of the teaching and learning of this subject.
Moreover, if successful, the study would prove that PBL is a suitable and effective method

and it would be introduced to other teachers at the college. Hopefully, PBL would be adopted
and implemented at larger scales with the purpose of developing students‟ future work skills.


11
5. Method of the study
This is a qualitative action research carried out in the researcher‟s own class at HTTC,
Hanoi. The data was collected from preliminary questionnaire and evaluation questionnaire for
students, semi-structured interview with another teacher from EfT team and the teacher’s notes
and diary. Data for the study was collected in the first term of the school year 2009 – 2010 and
then analysed by means of descriptive statistic devices and content analysis method. Hopefully,
with the combination of these instruments, the study would yield reliable findings.

6. Organisation of the thesis
The thesis consists of three main parts: Introduction which provides an overview of the
study, Development which is the main part and consists of 4 chapters, and Conclusion which
includes summary of the study, implication, limitations and suggestions for further study.
Four chapters in the main part are as follows:
1. Chapter 1: Literature review
In this chapter, various research on English for Specific Purposes in general and English for
Tourism in particular, as well as Project-based Learning approach is reviewed to provide the
theoretical background for the study.
2. Chapter 2: Research methodology
The methods and procedures of the study such as participant selection, data collection
methods, data analysis methods, etc, are presented in detail in this chapter.
3. Chapter 3: The practical study
Under this heading, the main stages of the study: Preliminary investigation, Intervention,
Evaluation are presented.
4. Chapter 4: Discussion of the findings
In this chapter, the findings from the evaluation questionnaires, the teacher‟s reflection and

teacher interview will be integrated and discussed so as to find out the answer to the research
questions.


12

PART II: DEVELOPMENT
Chapter 1: LITERATURE REVIEW
This chapter will briefly present a theoretical background of the study which includes an
overview of English for Specific Purposes, the teaching and learning of English for Tourism as
an ESP, and an overview of Project-based Learning approach.

1.1 An overview of ESP
1.1.1 Definition of ESP
ESP, or English for Specific Purposes, has become a vital and innovative activity within the
Teaching of English as a Foreign or Second Language movement (Howatt, 1984) since 1960s as
a result of the increasing recognition of the communicative role of English and its functional
styles. There are a great number of definitions approaching the nature of ESP as found in
literature, each of which may focus on different aspects.
Hutchinson and Waters (1987) see ESP as an approach rather than a product. In this sense,
ESP does not involve a particular kind of language, teaching material or methodology. This
suggests that „the foundation of any ESP course, undoubtedly, is based on learner needs or the
simple question: why does the learner need to learn a foreign language?‟ (pp. 18-19). The
answer to this question has raised the importance of needs analysis in ESP teaching and ESP is
then an approach to language teaching in which “all decisions as to content and method are
based on the learner’s reason for learning.” (p. 19)
Strevens (1988) proposes a definition of ESP which makes a distinction between four
absolute characteristics and two variable characteristics. He thinks that ESP consists of English
Language Teaching which possesses some certain absolute characteristics and variable
characteristics. Likewise, being aware of the current confusion among the ESP community,

Dudley-Evans (1997) proposes an extended definition in terms of absolutes and variable
characteristics by improving Strevens‟ definition substantially.
On the whole, each of these definitions has both validity and weaknesses; thus it would be
hard to find a satisfactory definition of ESP. However, in general, most of these authors have
come to an agreement that an ESP course would have the following features:


13
1. It is purposeful and aimed at the successful performance of occupational or
educational roles by an individual or a group.
2. It is based on an analysis of the students‟ needs and is tailor-made to meet these needs.
3. It may differ from another language course in its selection of skills, themes, topics,
situations, functions, language and methodology.
1.1.2 Essential issues in teaching ESP
1.1.2.1 Needs analysis
The five key stages in ESP teaching include needs analysis, course (and syllabus) design,
materials selection (and evaluation), teaching and learning, and evaluation. Among these, needs
analysis is the very first and perhaps the decisive factor in the success of any ESP courses.
According to Johns, while teaching ESP, “all language teaching must be designed for the
specific learning and language use purposes of identified groups of students.”(Johns, 1991,
p.67) Teaching ESP is therefore determined by different - professional/ occupational, social and
other - needs of the learners. In Nunan‟s view, needs analysis is the initial process for the
specification of behavioral objectives. It is from these objectives that detailed aspects of the
syllabus such as functions, topics, lexis and structures are derived. Dudley-Evans and St John
believe that it is the “corner stone of ESP and leads to a very focused course” (p.122). Likewise,
in a definition of ESP course, Hutchinson and Water (1987) state that ESP is an approach to
language teaching which aims to meet the needs of particular learners. Richards (1984) also
points out the significance of NA as follows:
“Needs analysis serves three main purposes: it provides a means of obtaining wider input into the
content, design and implementation of a language program; it can be used in developing goals,

objectives and content; and it can provide data for reviewing and evaluating an existing program.”
(p.5)

Dudley-Evans and St John in their “Development in ESP” (1998) suggest that needs analysis
can be done through a variety of means such as pre-course information questionnaires,
structured interviews, observation, analysis of authentic texts, discussion, and record-keeping.
These suggested methods have their own strengths and weaknesses but if utilized appropriately,
they can provide useful and reliable data for the process of needs analysis. Hopefully, with a
smooth beginning, the whole ESP course will run successfully.


14
1.1.2.2

Methodology for teaching ESP

With respect to methodology for teaching ESP, it still remains a controversy as there are
different, even quite contradictory, arguments about this. In fact, it is not easy to offer a specific
methodology for ESP teaching and thus a number of different arguments are generated.
Martin (1992) considers task as the basic unit of ESP curriculum and methodological
organisation. In his view, tasks are the purposive activities within situations which “involve
people undertaking communication work for a purpose” (p.189). Task may range from simple,
brief accuracy-focused language exercises to complex, lengthy simulation activities such as
group problem-solving or decision-making (Breen, 1987). Therefore, tasks can be very useful in
language learning. It can‟t be denied that the idea generated by Martin could be really valuable
to ESP teachers in the sense that in ESP classrooms, tasks can be devised and used as an
efficient tool to promote learning.
Another aspect of teaching methodology that is also commonly touched upon by linguists is
the combination of language and content in ESP teaching. Generally, the ESP teacher has a
good knowledge and command of how language is used in different situations but is not an

“expert” in the students‟ specialist field. Brennan M. and Naerssen M. in “Language and content
in ESP” (1989) highlight the importance of combining language and content in ESP teaching
and suggest a solution that ESP teachers should coordinate closely with the content teachers
through both formal and informal channels of communication. Similarly, Coleman in his
“English teachers should attend” (Issues in ESP: p.x) focuses in particular on the question of
establishing the necessary degree of cooperation with the content teacher for whose instruction
the ESP course is a preparation.
In summary, the discussion of some linguists‟ arguments about ESP teaching methodology
can be of great help in guiding the ESP teachers to choose an appropriate method for their own
teaching context. Two important points that ESP teachers should bear in mind are: the
combination of language and content in teaching and the use of various tasks of different levels
of difficulty especially those that reflect the learners‟ specialist world. These ideas are quite
clearly reflected in course book design as it can be noticed that most ESP course books are
designed under such approaches as content-based, task-based, situational, or the combination of
these approaches.


15
In practice, what classroom tasks or activities should be employed to promote ESP learning,
and content/subject learning in particular? Dudley-Evans and St John suggest two particular
examples of subject learning approaches that have been adopted in ESP situations: case study
and project work. These authors point out the main difference between case study and project
work: in the former, the resource materials which generate language and skills development are
often given to students while in the latter students have to do this by themselves. Thus, in a
project “the degree of involvement and ownership is much higher” (p. 195) and obviously,
“project work can be very rewarding” (p.195). The issue of project work and its use in language
teaching will be dealt with in details in later parts of the thesis.

1.2 The teaching and learning of English for Tourism as an ESP
1.2.1 English for Tourism as an ESP

ESP is often divided into EAP (English for Academic Purposes) and EOP (English for
Occupational Purposes). Further sub-divisions of EOP are sometimes made into business
English, professional English (e.g. English for doctors, lawyers) and vocational English (e.g.
English for tourism, nursing, aviation, etc). At the early development stage, ESP generally
referred to EAP. Recently, English has become really necessary to obtain a job, get promoted
and perform effectively in the world of work. Accordingly, this demand has generated the
incursion of a new linguistic branch within the field of ESP, namely, English for Occupational
Purposes or EOP (Dominguez & Rokowski, 2005). EOP can be defined as “the portion of the
curriculum which prepares students for gainful employment in occupations ranging from lowskilled to sophisticated jobs in technical fields” (Anthony, 1997, p.56).
Among the many vocational and professional areas that go to make up the world of English
for Specific Purposes, or more specifically EOP, English for Tourism must surely be one of the
most attractive since all of us are tourists on countless occasions throughout our lives. In other
words, tourism is a popular and familiar field in people‟s daily life. Therefore, EfT is somewhat
different from other ESP branches in a way that the type of English used in this field is not too
“specific”. In English teaching, EfT teachers can bring their own real experience and opinions to
the language classroom.


16
In the field of English for Tourism, there have been a few studies mostly focusing on the
analysis of the required skills and needs in workplace, adequacy and appropriateness of
instructional materials and strategies, and involvement of students in the procedure of syllabus
design. However, as regard the teaching of EfT as an ESP, it seems that little has been done to
work out an effective approach to enhance the development of EfT students‟ future work skills.
This research, in an attempt to try out a solution to improving the teaching and learning of EfT,
will focus on supplementary activities for EfT learning. Before that goal can be achieved, a
thorough analysis of problems in teaching this subject should be done.
1.2.2 Challenges in teaching English for Tourism
The first challenge that EfT teacher often face is the lack of background knowledge about
tourism industry. Most teachers of English for Tourism have little, if not no, knowledge about

travel and hotel industry, nor do they have experience of working in this field. This is
understandable as most of them are just the General English teachers who have to shift to the
role of an ESP teacher. This causes great difficulties for them when getting accustomed with the
terms or specific notions in the field. For example, even though the teachers have to work with
students on facilities in a five-star hotel, many have never been in such hotels and enjoyed such
facilities. Therefore, they cannot even tell the differences between a suite and a luxurious room.
To overcome this challenge, some specialists have suggested that there should be some kind of
cooperation between ESP teachers, or EfT teachers, and the content/subject teachers or even the
tourism companies (Afzali K. (2009) ; Cubo B. N (2008)). Yet in reality, few EfT teachers have
time to do so and even when they try that, it appears ineffective.
The second drawback in teaching EfT is limited access to appropriate published teaching
materials. Though, at first glance, the materials appear quite abundant and could cover the
complexities in nature of the field. However, upon carefully investigating the materials, it turns
out that the available material can only cater for the needs of training courses aimed at those
already employed in the sector. For those who teach English in one of the numerous tertiary
education establishments offering an initial qualification of a broader nature, the published
course books may soon prove to be of only limited value. The reason is that most of those are
too job-specific; thus, they reduce ESP to a specialised foreign language phrase book (Walker
R., p.19). Furthermore, with regard to linguistic features, most books are designed at elementary


17
level while students nowadays often enter university with quite a high level of English
proficiency. Therefore, the use of these books can be highly demotivating for the tertiary
students especially the more serious ones.
The last difficulty is inappropriate approach in course book design in most publications
on Tourism. This limitation, to some extents, is connected with the second one in the sense that
most published materials are of little value for tertiary students. Most are written under a single
functional approach, which seems to be mostly helpful to the vocational workers such as a
receptionist, a waiter, or a tour guide who need the minimum language needed to survive in a

first job or on industrial placement. In fact, students of tourism need more than just the common
expressions employed in the field; they need to widen their background knowledge about wider
issues of tourism; get to know about “the genres and discourse patterns used in the targeted
professional settings” (Cubo N.B, p. 287); and develop their learning as well as future work
skills. Just like any other ESP branches, EfT requires an integrated syllabus which can help
students to develop multiple skills.
1.2.3 Towards an appropriate syllabus for English for Tourism
In “Development of students‟ English for Special Purposes Competence in Tourism Studies
at Tertiary Level” by Luka I. (n.d), a thorough analysis of theoretical literature concerning
different syllabus types, their advantages and disadvantages was done in order to choose the
most appropriate syllabus for an ESP course for tourism students. A conclusion was drawn out
that the integrated syllabus should be designed. Topical syllabus was chosen as the leading
syllabus and situational, task-based and process syllabus was used as the supplementary ones.
The use of topical and situational syllabus ensures its content correspondence to the
requirements of the tourism industry. The elements of the task-based syllabus help to develop
students‟ communication skills, creative thinking and problem-solving skills, but the elements of
process syllabus enable its innovative approach as the content teaching-leaning methods and
teaching aids are selected in cooperation between students and an educator. (pp 3-4)


18
1.3 Project-based approach and the teaching and learning of English for Tourism
1.3.1 An overview of PBL
1.3.1.1

What is a project?

Numerous authors have approached the definition of project by identifying the features and
structure of project work.
Carter and Thomas (1986, p. 196) characterized project work with three features referring to

the venue, the inter-disciplined characteristics and students‟ autonomy: i) it takes place outside
the classroom; ii) is cross-curricular and; iii) allows learners to set their own targets as they
proceed.
Thomas (2000) cited Jones, Rasmussen, & Moffitt (1997) and Thomas, Mergendoller, &
Michaelson, (1999) to provide a definition of projects:
“projects are complex tasks, based on challenging questions or problems, that involve students in
design, problem-solving, decision-making, or investigative activities; give students the opportunity to
work relatively autonomously over extended periods of time; and culminate in realistic products or
presentations” (p.1)

From these definitions, it can be concluded that projects have two essential components: a
driving question or problem that serves to organize and drive activities and culminating
product(s) or multiple representations as a series of artifacts, personal communication or
consequential task that meaningfully addresses the driving question. (Brown & Campione,
1994)
1.3.1.2

What is Project-based Learning (PBL) approach?

A number of definitions of PBL can be found in literature. According to Harris & Katz
(2001), project-based learning is an instructional method centered on the learners. Instead of
using a rigid lesson plan that directs a learner down a specific path of learning outcomes or
objectives, PBL allows in-depth investigation of a topic worth learning more about. Bransford &
Stein (1993) see PBL as a comprehensive instructional approach to engage students in sustained,
cooperative investigation. Donna, M. & Duzer, V. C. (1998) defined PBL as “an instructional
approach that contextualizes learning by presenting learners with problems to solve or products


19
to develop” (p.1). Accordingly, the essential feature of project-based approach is a tangible

result such as a product or a solution to a defined problem.
Rooted in constructivism, constructionism and cooperative/collaborative learning, projectbased learning has very strong theoretical support for successful achievement. However, it is
also very important to note that PBL is not a pure constructivist model but a combination of
multiple methods of instruction. Nowadays, PBL can be found under such names as project
method, project approach, project-based instruction, knowledge in action, learning by doing, or
experiential learning.
1.3.1.3

Merits and challenges of PBL

* Merits of PBL
The benefits of PBL are numerous and well-documented and the main ones can be listed as
follows:
 Increased motivation - As members of a group, learners feel less intimidated and become
personally involved in the project.
 Integrated skills - At certain steps in carrying out the project, some or even all four skills
are integrated and improved.
 Autonomous learning is promoted as learners become more responsible for their learning.
 There are learning outcomes - the ends of the projects are tangible and this can add more
motivation to students‟ learning.
 The tasks are authentic and therefore, students‟ learning is connected with real world
activities.
 Interpersonal relations are developed through working as a group.
 Content and methodology can be decided and negotiated between learners and the teacher
so learning is more learner-centered.
 A break from routine
 A context is established which balances the need for fluency and accuracy
(Adapted from Haines, 1989)
* Challenges of PBL
Though PBL is considered a profitable learning strategy, its implementation faces several

challenges as projects are complex endeavors involving many different activities. In fact, there


20
still exists a lot of criticism concerning the successful use of project-based instruction. Beckett
G. H. & Slater T. point out that according to Eyring (1989)‟s study, the students from the project
class appeared to be “dissatisfied with the project approach to teaching ESL because they did
not think that these tasks were worthwhile pursuits in ESL classes” (p. 109) A similar finding
was also uncovered in Beckett (1999) and Moulton and Holmes (2000). The reasons for student
dissatisfaction with the PBL are quite complex, reflecting potentially different philosophical,
cultural and linguistic beliefs held by the teacher and the students.
As for the students, a number of difficulties have been reported in Thomas (2000). The first
and most prevalent challenge is their lack of necessary skills to conduct a scientific study such as
initiating inquiry or generating meaningful research questions, managing complexity and time,
analyzing data and developing a logical argument to support claims. Another challenge to
students is access to technology and needed materials and the last difficulty pointed out by those
studies reviewed in Thomas (2000) is ineffective groupwork, or the failure to work
collaboratively with other members in their groups.
The teachers, likewise, encounter a number of difficulties during the implementation of the
project method which are described quite clearly in Marx et al. (1997). These include time
allocation, classroom management, balance of control, support of student learning, technology
use, and assessment. Obviously, projects are often long-term activities and they may take longer
than anticipated and classroom management will become much more complicated. In addition,
the PBL method places emphasis on enhancing students‟ autonomy in making their own
decisions; therefore, it can also be high-risk in maintaining control of the class. Teachers must
be able to decide how much, when, and where they should control over students‟ learning.
Furthermore, given the complex nature of project work, designing methods of assessment isn‟t
an easy task.
In brief, designing a PBL course is such a highly demanding pedagogical task and
challenges are unavoidable for both teachers and students. However, as long as the teacher

makes careful planning and is flexible in his/her teaching, project work can bring learners
challenging but exciting and meaningful experience.
1.3.2 PBL approach and the ESP classroom
1.3.2.1

Rationale for implementing PBL approach in ESP classroom


21
Since the mid-seventies, as ELT has espoused principles of learner-centered teaching,
learner autonomy, the negotiated syllabus, collaborative learning, and task-based learning,
English language educators have explored and exploited the tradition of project work and it is
now part of the curriculum in many contexts. Numerous advantages of using project work in the
English language classroom are well-documented in literature. Fried-Booth (1997) feels that
project work within ELT has gained currency in recent years as a way of encouraging students
to use “real life” language in authentic situations. Zakari K. in his article “Incorporating project
work into the classroom” points out some advantages of using project work in an ELT
classroom as follows:
 Motivation is increased
 All four skills are integrated
 Autonomous learning is promoted
 Tasks and language input are authentic
 Interpersonal relations are developed
 Content and methodology are negotiated
Fried-Booth in her “Project work” also describes in details the “layer approach” to show
that “project work can provide a useful way of integrating the four skills” (Fried-Booth, 1986,
p.8). She explains that however long or short the project may be, it will pass through certain
stages of development, each of which involves some or even the combination of all language
skills. The initial stages of the project, for example, may provide learners with an opportunity to
develop speaking and listening skills rather than reading and writing. However, once the project

is under way, the learners will use all four skills simultaneously. She also points out that project
work helps to “bridge the gap between language study and language use” (p.7). Therefore, it
can be a valuable means of extending the communicative skills acquired in the classroom.
Beckett G. H and Slater T. in their article “The Project Framework: a tool for language,
content, and skills integration” believe that “project-based instruction is a valuable way to
promote the simultaneous acquisition of language, content, and skills” (ELT Journal Vol 59/2
April 2005: 108) They even introduce a methodological tool called “the Project Framework”
which is influenced by Mohan‟s Knowledge Framework (Mohan: 1986) with the purpose of
showing students the language, content and skill development occurring through project work.


22
In the previous parts of the thesis, it has been pointed out that an ESP course requires a
methodology that allows the combination of language, subject matter, and communicative skills
necessary for the learners‟ specialist field. Obviously, taking a constructivist point of view,
project work should be incorporated into the ESP class in general and EfT class in particular.
However, teachers should bear in mind that project work is not a “replacement for other
teaching methods” but rather “an approach to learning which complements mainstream
methods and which can be used with almost all levels, ages and abilities of students” (Haines,
1989, p.47).
1.3.2.2 Process of project work
Project work is multi-staged and the division of stages may vary from researcher to
researcher. Stoller (2002) divides the process of project work development into five stages:
Selection of topic and idea generation, organisation of ideas and identification of areas of
enquiry; research and information gathering; compilation and analysis of information;
publication, presentation and evaluation of project. Hedge (1998) gives very clear guidance on
how to carry out a practical project which include six stages: orientation; preparation and
planning; implementation; collation; presentation; and reflection. Within the context of English
language teaching, I take Diana Curtis‟ view which divides the project into three phases:
orientation and planning; research and implementation; sharing results.

Phase 1: Orientation and planning
According to Curtis (2001), this phase involves initial discussion of a topic in certain groups.
All students are involved by brainstorming, sharing ideas related to the topic, making the final
decision. During this phase, new issues and topics that are appropriate for language learning
may arouse (Moss & Van Duzer, 1998) and it is these ideas that help them to study the language
better. Gallacher (n.d) proposes some guidelines that teachers can use to help their students work
out their plan:


What they want to include in the project



What form it will take



Who will be responsible for what



An idea of the time it will take to introduce each part of the project



Any material or resources they might need


23
Phase 2: Research and implementation

After making the final decision on the project topic and working out a plan for the project,
students move on to the next phase. This phase involves mostly such activities as research,
fieldwork, sessions with experts and various aspects of gathering information, reading, writing,
drawing, and computing (Curtis, 2001). This is an important stage for language learning and
skill development as various skills will be needed for the completion of the project. Although
students work mostly on their own or in their group, the teacher must be aware of and perform
their role as an instructor, a consultant, a facilitator, and even a group member. He/She must
decide on when, where and how much he/she should support the students. This support, in Moss
and Van Duzer‟ s view, may take the form of language structures and skills, problem-solving
strategies, and methods for developing plans (Moss and Van Duzer, 1998).
Phase 3: Sharing results
This is the final phase occurring when students have accomplished their project and it can be
in the form of group presentation or disseminating the results in the larger community (Moss
and Van Duzer, 1998). Hedge (1998) uses other terms, presentation and reflection, and makes a
clear distinction between these two ways of sharing results. Students will „listen‟ to others
presenting in the former and „read‟ other writing in the latter. However, these authors and some
others such as Curtis (2001), Gallacher (n.d) share a belief that the most common way of sharing
results is the presentation of the project to an audience. This is the last but not least important
stage as students, by giving their own presentation, can improve their presentation skills and, by
attending other groups‟ presentation, can learn a lot from others.
The teacher, again, plays an important role as it is he who will make a summary and
comment on the presentation. By doing so, he will help enhance students‟ process of language
learning and knowledge widening. What‟s more, an evaluation will be made by the teacher after
the presentation of the project and this is one of the main sources of motivation for students.
1.4 Summary
This chapter has highlighted the key issues in teaching ESP and EfT as well as project-based
learning approach. The literature review shows that PBL, having quite a lot of potential benefits,
can be an effective approach in teaching ESP in general, and in teaching EfT in particular. A
thorough review of the benefits of PBL also strongly supports the hypothesis that project work