Speaker
Description
Project-Based Language Learning remains an underexplored approach in ELT (Alan and Stroller, 2005). A project is defined as an extended task in which learners work together through a number of activities towards an agreed goal. The Gold Standard model outlines essential elements of Project-Based Learning, including sustained inquiry, student choice, and collaboration (PBLWorks, 2020). This model became the foundation for my classroom action research into peer teaching conducted in a university setting.
This talk explores students’ perceptions and my own observations of peer teaching in ESP topics within a project-based classroom and presents key findings from my research. I will present a framework for implementing student-driven projects, developed through my classroom action research. The key features of this framework are the integration of negotiated content (topics and activities) and peer teaching, where learners take on the role of ‘teachers’ by presenting a topic of their choice to their peers.
Participants will leave the session with practical ideas on how to address potential challenges in using peer teaching in project-based classrooms: issues such as learner confidence, peer teaching skills, and assessment strategies. This talk is relevant to educators teaching across various contexts, particularly in ESP university courses and General English classes for secondary and high school students.
I will finish by taking questions from the audience.
Biography
X works as a teacher at a language centre in Ho Chi Minh. She has been teaching since 2009, and has taught students of all life stages, across Eastern Europe, South America and Asia. In addition to her teaching role, she has worked as a coordinator (2020-2023) and a mentor, supporting international teachers. Her academic background is in TEFL, and she is currently studying an MA in Education. She completed her Diploma in English Language Teaching and Assessment (DELTA) with triple distinction in 2009.
Over time, her responsibilities have included designing syllabus, assessment development, creation of course materials, and delivery of teacher training sessions. She is interested in experimental practice and in expanding her experience by stepping outside her comfort zone. She enjoys collaborating with other professionals at all levels and engaging in reflective practice. Her areas of interest include project-based learning, differentiation, and assessment. She aims to contribute to research on project-based learning through her MA.
