| Abstrakt: |
During recent years, EFL oral communication instruction is faced with challenges to reconsider replacing traditional and teacher-centered approaches by authentic and student-directed learning methods. The present study incorporated project-based language learning methodology in an EFL communication course in an Iranian university during one semester and elicited students’ perceptions regarding its practicality, efficiency, advantages, and disadvantages at the end of the course. To serve that end, 20 students who had enrolled in the course and collaboratively created the video clip projects during the term were invited to participate in two separate but identical semi-structured focus group interviews at the end of the course and the interview data were analyzed inductively to evaluate the efficiency of the projects from student perspectives. Overall, the findings indicated that the approach was welcomed by the learners, who expressed favorable attitudes towards incorporation of this innovative instructional method into the course as it improved their communication skill as well as other skills such as interpersonal, autonomy, planning, organization, time management, team working, creativity, imagination, and giving and taking criticism skills in a supportive, friendly, and exciting environment. Drawing on the positive views expressed by the participants, it can be concluded that L2 practitioners should regard this approach as a viable alternative or a complement to the teacher-centered methods currently performed in EFL oral communication courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
