Russian Dolls: using projects to learn about projects

Abstract

This article will discuss the development of a teaching unit designed for Initial Secondary Teacher Training (specialising in foreign languages) which not only exemplified the theory of project-based learning (PBL) for the students, but also involved the student-teachers in a hands-on experience, thus fully engaging them in the development of the necessary management skills to be able to implement PBL in their own future classrooms. The unit was designed to help shift student-teachers’ understanding of teaching approaches towards pedagogies that promote autonomous language learning and collaborative problem–solving. In this article, we consider how English language teachers can capitalize on the language learning benefits of project work, first, by examining the characteristics of project-based learning and, then, by presenting a case study designed for future foreign language teachers. Finally, we consider how this can be integrated into EFL training.