Project-Based Learning (PBL) can be a highly effective approach to creating motivating and engaging language learning activities. Beyond language acquisition, it supports the development of a wide range of modern literacy skills, including collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, and digital literacy.
Despite its potential, PBL in my opinion remains underused in the ELT classroom. There could be a number of reasons for this.
Course books – PBL is rarely featured in course books. Traditional course books often focus on discrete language skills or grammar points rather than open-ended, interdisciplinary projects. As a result, teachers who want to try PBL need to design their own projects. This can feel daunting without a clear framework or prior experience.
Misunderstanding – Many teachers mistakenly believe that any lesson involving a project qualifies as PBL. However, true PBL is more than just assigning projects—it involves a structured process where students collaborate to solve real-world problems, create meaningful outputs, and reflect on their learning. It emphasises collaboration, inquiry, and critical thinking, rather than independent, isolated work.
Lack of Training – PBL is not typically a core component of pre-service teacher training in ELT. Most initial teacher training programs focus on lesson planning, managing classroom interactions, and teaching grammar or skills lessons, leaving little room to explore longer-term, inquiry-based methodologies like PBL. Without exposure to PBL principles and examples during their training, many teachers lack confidence in implementing it effectively.
Time Management – Traditional ELT pedagogy is built around compact lesson plans with clear, achievable objectives designed to be met within a single lesson. PBL, by contrast, requires a longer timeline, often spanning several weeks. This shift in thinking—moving from short-term goals to sustained inquiry—can be difficult for teachers accustomed to working in fixed lesson “chunks.”
Assessing Individual Contributions – Evaluating PBL projects can be challenging, especially when trying to assess each student’s individual contribution within a group activity. Teachers may struggle to develop fair and transparent assessment criteria that recognize collaboration while also rewarding individual effort.
Increased Workload – PBL requires thoughtful planning, from designing meaningful driving questions and real-world tasks to scaffolding activities and integrating assessment points. For teachers already managing a full workload, this extra effort can be a barrier to adoption. Without clear templates or institutional support, the perception of PBL as “extra work” can discourage its use.
So why use project based learning?
There are several powerful reasons for incorporating PBL into the language classroom. The benefits extend beyond language development, offering students opportunities to grow as learners and individuals. Here’s why PBL is worth considering:
Motivation – PBL is inherently motivating because projects are designed around real-world problems that matter to students. Instead of practising language in abstract contexts, learners apply it to scenarios that mirror challenges they might face outside the classroom. This relevance fosters engagement, as students see a clear connection between what they are learning and how it applies to their lives or future careers. For example, creating a marketing plan, organising a charity event, or addressing environmental issues can inspire students to fully invest in the project.
Critical Thinking and Collaboration – PBL encourages students to think critically as they analyse information, solve problems, and make decisions. These tasks often require higher-order thinking skills, such as evaluating evidence, synthesising ideas, and justifying choices. Additionally, PBL thrives on collaboration, giving students the chance to work together in groups. This collaboration builds teamwork skills, such as listening to others, sharing responsibilities, and resolving conflicts—key skills for both personal and professional success.
Real Language Use – In PBL, language use is purposeful and authentic. Students engage in a wide range of communicative activities, such as negotiating roles, conducting research, presenting ideas, and writing reports. They often need to adapt their language to different contexts, from formal presentations to informal group discussions. This exposure helps develop their functional language skills and builds their confidence in using English for meaningful communication.
Tangible Outcomes – One of the defining characteristics of PBL is that it culminates in a tangible outcome, such as a presentation, a product, or an event. These outcomes provide a sense of accomplishment for students, as they can see and share the results of their hard work.
Autonomy – PBL shifts the focus from teacher-led instruction to student-driven learning. By giving students the responsibility to plan, research, and execute projects, PBL fosters autonomy. Learners make choices about how to approach tasks, solve problems, and present their work, which helps them develop self-management and organizational skills. This autonomy not only empowers students but also builds their confidence in their ability to learn and achieve independently.
So how can AI help with this?
AI can be used to help you construct your PBL scheme of work and can also create a rubric to help you evaluate students’ participation in the project.
This is a prompt template from my ebook ‘AI-Powered Lesson Design for English Teachers’. You can copy the prompt and edit that parts in bold to customise it for use with your classes. You just need to decide on the topic, the type of project output you want the students to produce, and how much classroom time you want to commit to it.
In the prompt, I’ve asked it to structure the project based on the 7 design elements of the Gold Standard PBL. This is a great research-informed model for PBL to help teachers, schools, and organisations improve, calibrate, and assess their practice.
You can find out more about that here: https://www.pblworks.org/what-is-pbl/gold-standard-project-design
Prompt template
Act as an instructional designer who specialises in project based learning.
Design a project for ESL students based around the topic of [Add topic].
Structure the project based on Gold Standard PBL and include all 7 design elements.
Rules:
Include instructions for the teacher that guides them through the process of implementing the project.
The output of the project should be [State the type of output you want the students to produce].
The project should be suitable for [Describe the students].
The project should take no more than [Number of hours] each [Time period] for [Number of weeks].
Here’s an edited version of the prompt that you can try out to see the type of output the AI can produce for you.
Prompt example
Act as an instructional designer who specialises in project based learning.
Design a project for ESL students based around the topic of Sustainable Development Goal number 5.
Structure the project based on Gold Standard PBL and include all 7 design elements.
Rules:
Include instructions for the teacher that guides them through the process of implementing the project.
The output of the project should be a presentation.
The project should be suitable for teenage students.
The project should take no more than 1 hour each week for 6 weeks.
Don’t expect perfection from the AI, you may need to ask it to modify some things, and you may need to do some editing yourself and make some improvements, but this is a great way to get started, especially if you are new to PBL.
Once you’ve got your AI of choice to produce your project, then ask it to produce a rubric for evaluating the student’s input to the project. You can also ask it to produce a rubric based on the different levels of attainment you want to evaluate, e.g. pass, strong pass, fail, etc.
Give this a try and see how much time this can save you.
PBL has the potential to transform language classrooms into dynamic spaces where students engage more deeply, think critically, and collaborate meaningfully. While there are challenges, the benefits can be considerable. By leveraging tools like AI to simplify project design and assessment, you can integrate PBL more effectively into your teaching practice. So, with the willingness to embrace innovation, PBL can become a powerful tool for your students’ language development and their lifelong learning.
You can find out more about how AI prompts can save you time and help you develop a wide range of materials by doing my course ‘AI-Powered Lesson Design for English Teachers‘ or getting my book ‘AI-Powered Lesson Design for English Teachers‘.
Note: When you do the course, you get a copy of the book for free.
