Project Based Learning in Teaching Communication Skills in English as a Foreign Language to Engineering Students

• Published in: International journal of emerging technologies in learning 2016-01, Vol.11 (4), p.153
• Main Authors: Kovalyova, Yulia Yurievna, Soboleva, Alexandra Vladimirovna, Kerimkulov, Argen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Academic discourse; Active Learning; College students; Communication; Engineering; Engineering Education; English as a second language; English as a second language instruction; Foreign language learning; Project-based learning; Russian language; Student Projects; Students; Teaching methods
• ISSN: 1863-0383; 1863-0383
• DOI: 10.3991/ijet.v11i04.5416

The aim of this paper is to consider project based learning as one of the most efficient and productive methods used in teaching English as a foreign language to engineering students of Russian technical universities. Special emphasis is put on communication skills to be mastered by future engineers through project based learning. It is of great importance to note that highly developed oral and written communication skills are valuable for engineering students wishing to become successful and competitive in the international arena. Hence, engineering students must be trained well to develop their communication skills in English in the field of professional activity, mainly in the science research area. An inter-disciplinary project designed on the basis of project based learning for the second year students of Tomsk Polytechnic University is reviewed in this work. The authors come to the conclusion that project based learning is an ideal teaching method since it allows engineering students to improve significantly their oral and written communication skills as well as apply the content knowledge in the field of their professional activity within the English language course.