TEACHING ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND CULTURE THROUGH PBL AT THE TERTIARY LEVEL

Abstract

Abstract. Research has shown that language and culture are closely related (e.g., Brown, 2007; Kramsch, 1998; Kuang, 2007; Savignon & Sysoyev, 2005) and are best acquired together (Schulz, 2007). This paper aims to demonstrate how project-based learning (PBL), one of the main innovative approaches in the current educational landscape, can be useful for teaching culture in the English language classroom at the tertiary educational level. PBL is a teaching approach in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging, and complex question, problem, or challenge (Kingston, 2018). According to different studies in the field (Kavlu, 2017), this approach can be more engaging and motivating for English language learners than traditional methods. First, the language is being used for an authentic purpose, which gives the language relevance. Further, learners develop content knowledge as well as critical thinking, creative thinking and communication skills. This study will focus on the implementation of PBL in the English language classroom in different degree programs: Primary Education, Infant Education, Hispanic Philology and Humanities. Students created an authentic final product that explored cultural aspects of English-speaking countries in combination with different subjects such as geography, history, literature and economy. The findings are based on a questionnaire that measures tertiary students’ motivation levels and expectations in relation to this pedagogical framework. Keywords: Project-based learning, English culture, English language, foreign language, tertiary education