Project work as new technology in learning languages

Projects are used as effective means of improving their spoken and written English. They help the students to make progress in developing communicative skills. Project work is very motivating for a number of reasons. Firstly, it is very personal. The students are writing about their own lives- their house, their family, their town and so on. Secondly, project work is very active as students have to collect information, draw or cut out pictures, maps and diagrams, conduct interviews, etc. Lastly, project work gives a clear sense of achievement, enabling all students to produce a worthwhile product. It is, therefore, particularly suitable for the mixed-ability class. And project work is not just a rich learning experience in itself. Projects provide opportunities for students to use the language of the unit to write about their own lives. It might be achieved easily if project tasks are related to the same of each unit. Generally students find this kind of work to be interesting, useful and “such fun”. It is good to relax in groups sharing ideas. They get involved and they put in extra hours outside the class when previously the very mention of homework provoked outbursts of horror. It is necessary that students realize the importance of being informed. They are very ready to collaborate and they are much more fond of English. Although students tried to speak English throughout the project work in class this always works out.

Projects motivate students so much that it makes them not only work by themselves, but also be competitive in the use of language and what’s better in the communicative skills. The most outstanding aspect is to see students working actively. The most successful is to discover that the very slow ones are working with enthusiasm and took an active part in the project. Project work also helps to make a foreign language more relevant, because students write about the things that are important in their own lives. This not only enables them to rehearse the language and encourages them to explore and express their own culture.

Project work is very much in tune with modern views about the purpose and nature of education. It encourages the important educational values of initiative independence, imagination, self-discipline and co-operation, it helps to develop a cross-curricular approach, because students bring the knowledge they gain in other subjects into the English class. Project work helps to develop useful research and study skills, such as using reference sources. It also provides good opportunities for creative translation work, taking ideas from source material in leaflets, maps, interviews and presenting them in English. Lastly it provides a chance to practice in a motivating context that most difficult of skills-writing.

Projects gave teachers an insight into what the students find interesting. Projects consist of the collection and processing of purely factual information and projects that depend on students’ creative or imaginative abilities are preferable. One thing found about project work is that however badly it is managed, whatever blunders teacher make, the students always come back begging for more. It’s very important to explain to students the basic objectives and benefits of project work, so that they realize it to be not a lark, non-serious entertainment, or an excuse for the teacher to do as little as possible.

One of the problems teachers face with is how to curb over-ambitious plans, knowing when to let students get carried away and when to step in and control. Teachers role in the project is consultative but on the whole it might get a bit bored and seem redundant particularly if the class is an exceptional from the point of view of group dynamics. One may not try to be too directive. However most students prefer directive interventions from their teachers.

The key to successful project work is preparation.

• 1 .Preparing the classroom. Some basic materials and equipment (scissors, rulers, glue) are needed. Some reference books (a dictionary, a grammar book) are also necessary so that students can find or check words and expressions that they need.

• 2 .Preparing the students. Before starting any project it is reasonable to discuss with the students how to tackle it. What materials will they need? Where will they get them?, etc. If the project requires a particular kind of activity, such as an interview, a graph or a chart, make sure the students know how to do it. Remember too, that learning how to do project work must include learning what level of noise and general classroom discipline is acceptable. Project work is not an opportunity for students to do what they like.

• 3 . Planning the process. How much time to devote to projects should be worked out. Not all the work needs to be done in class time. Obviously, if the project is a group task, some of it must be done in class, but a lot can be done at home. One also need to choose the best form of presentation.

Projects take more time and they shouldn’t be planned at the end of term. It is reasonable to work with a reduced group as the time is the enemy for getting everything together. There are some difficulties at the very beginning of the project when it is presented, it is hard for students to understand the aim of the project. It is advisable to present number of options. Choose only one or two presentations each time. More will get boring. Some groups may work totally up from the teacher. This occurs due to their age and the training they receive at school. Students develop confidence in the manipulation of the language both oral and written. After they take over and organize the final product and they are very proud of the booklet they finally reduce. For students working in a non English paramount importance.

Providing students with lesson notes might work as good guide on project for them, and detailed guidance for teaching each activity as well. An important aspect of these notes is indicating where pair and group work can be usefully employed. The lesson notes indicate where you might use pairs or groups instead. In this way you can choose the most appropriate arrangement for your own situation. It colours the student’ attitude to things like grammar and vocabulary, as they know they will need these things for their projects.

• 1 .Project are a global, integrated form of communication. Language is only a part of the total project. So, it is not appropriate only to assess linguistic accuracy. As with creative writing, a wide-ranging profile kind of assessment is needed to give credit for content, research, creativity, neatness and clarity of presentation, effort, and so on.

• 2 .A project should be a product to take pride in, so don’t correct mistakes on the final project itself. It draws attention to the things that are wrong about the project over the things that are good. But feedback can still be given:

• a)    encourage the students to do a rough draft of their project. Correct this in your normal way. The students can then incorporate corrections in the final product.

• b)    if errors occur in the final product, correct them in pencil, on a separate sheet of paper or on a photocopy of the project.

If you follow these simple guidelines, you and your students will find project work a successful and rewarding way of learning English.