maximizing the benefits of project work in a fl classroom

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B ü l e n t A l a n a n d F re d r i c k a L . S t o ll e rT U R K E Y A N D U N I T E D S T A T E S

HE IMPLEMENTATION OF PROJECT WORK DIFFERS GREATLY FROM ONE INSTRUCTIONAL

setting to another. In some settings, fairly non-elaborated tasks, confined to a

single class session, are labeled as projects. In other settings, elaborate sets of

tasks establish the process for completing the project and span an entire instruc-

tional unit; in settings like these, the benefits of project work are maximized

because students are actively engaged in information gathering, processing, and

reporting over a period of time, and the outcome is increased content knowledge

and language mastery. In addition, students experience increased motivation,

autonomy, engagement, and a more positive attitude toward English. Although

project-based learning presents challenges for teachers and students (Beckett

2002; Eyring 1997), most project-work proponents assert that the advantages

outweigh the disadvantages.

MaximizingtheBenefitsof

ProjectWorkinForeignLanguage Classrooms

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In this article, we focus on how English lan-guage teachers can capitalize on the contentand language learning benefits of projectwork. To explore the topic, we examine thecharacteristics of under-exploited projectwork, outline the features that maximize thepotential benefits of project work, and presenta case study of project-based learning. We con-clude with recommendations for English as aForeign Language (EFL) teachers and materi-als writers who want to integrate project-basedlearning into their own curricula.

Under-exploited project work

Numerous language educators incorporatewhat they call “project work” into their class-rooms, even though the lessons do not maxi-mize the full potential of project work. For ex-ample, in some settings, basic communicativeactivities used to help students get to know oneanother better and to promote conversationhave been labeled as projects. What often oc-curs in such settings is that students, when giv-en the chance, join groups with their friends.They complete their non-elaborated tasks in asuperficial way without much collaboration. Stu-dents socialize, but rarely assist each other withthe language and information-gathering de-mands of the task (if there are any demands).

In some settings, project work is merely asource of entertainment and a break from rou-tine classroom activities. Though projectsoften focus on challenging, real-world subjectmatter, students are often solely concernedwith the visual attractiveness of their projects,paying little attention to content and languagelearning. In these settings, teachers often rein-force this misdirected attention by assessingstudent projects according to their visualappeal, ignoring students’ gains in languageand content learning.

In other settings, students are constrainedin their ability to grow from their projects,either because of excessive teacher control orbecause of the absence of teacher feedback andguidance during the process. In settings char-acterized by too much teacher control, we findinstructors who dictate each step of the processwithout giving students any voice in definingthe project. Generally, such excessive controlinhibits students from taking responsibility fortheir own learning and developing a sense ofownership toward the project. In these settings,

students are rarely asked to provide feedbackon the project experience; thus, often the sameproject is incorporated into future instruction,with no modification, which usually results inthe same lack of student engagement. Anotherproblem occurs when repeating students influ-ence new students with their negative attitudestoward the project, further undermining thepotential of the project.

Project work can be more effective whenteachers relax their control, when students re-gard the teacher as a guide (Sheppard andStoller 1995), and when students provide feed-back on the experience so that projects can beimproved each year. A total relaxation of teach-er control, however, is not the solution to ateacher-centered project. In some cases, stu-dents are left alone and receive no guidance onthe language, content, or process demands ofthe project. Here, it seems, teachers have ig-nored both the process-based nature of projectwork and students’ need for support at differ-ent stages in the project. Finding the properbalance between teacher guidance and studentautonomy enhances the advantages of projectwork in the language classroom.

Project work that maximizes benefits

Projects that are structured to maximizelanguage, content, and real-life skill learningrequire a combination of teacher guidance,teacher feedback, student engagement, and elab-orated tasks with some degree of challenge.Generally, such projects are multidimensional.A review of numerous case-study reports(Allen 2004; Gardner 1995; Gu 2004; Ho2003; Lee 2002; Levine 2004; Papandreou1994; Tomei, Glick, and Holst 1999) revealsthat successful project-based learning:

• focuses on real-world subject matter thatcan sustain the interest of students

• requires student collaboration and, at thesame time, some degree of studentautonomy and independence

• can accommodate a purposeful andexplicit focus on form and other aspectsof language

• is process and product oriented, with anemphasis on integrated skills and end-of-project reflection.

The end result is often authenticity of experi-ence, improved language and content knowl-

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edge, increased metacognitive awareness,enhanced critical thinking and decision-mak-ing abilities, intensity of motivation andengagement, improved social skills, and afamiliarity with target language resources.

One way to maximize the potential bene-fits of project work is to follow the ten-stepprocess advocated by Stoller (1997) and Shep-pard and Stoller (1995). The ten steps aresummarized below.

Step 1: Students and instructor agree on a theme for the project

The students and instructor come to anagreement on a project theme. Because proj-ects range from structured, semi-structured, tounstructured in terms of the degree to whichthe teacher defines the project (Stoller 1997),instructors should identify ways (large orsmall) in which students can develop somesense of ownership toward the project.

Step 2: Students and instructor determine the final outcome of the project

With the nature and objectives of the proj-ect in mind, the students and instructor deter-mine the final outcome of the project (e.g.,bulletin board display, written report, debate,brochure, letter, handbook, oral presentation,video, multimedia presentation, theatrical per-formance). At this point, the students andinstructor negotiate the most appropriateaudience for their projects (e.g., classmates,other students, parents, program director, citymayor, a local business).

Step3: Students and instructor structure the project

After the theme and final outcome of theproject are determined, the students andinstructor work out project details that guidestudents from the opening activity to the com-pletion of the project. In this step, studentsconsider their roles, responsibilities, and col-laborative work groups. After negotiating adeadline for project completion, studentsreach a consensus on the timing for gathering,sharing, and compiling information, and thenpresenting their final project.

Step 4: Instructor prepares students for thedemands of information gathering

At this stage, the instructor prepares studentsfor the language, skill, and strategy demandsassociated with information gathering. Withstudent ability levels in mind, the instructor

prepares instructional activities for each of theinformation-gathering tasks. For instance, ifstudents will be conducting interviews togather information, the instructor may planactivities in which students have to form ques-tions, ask follow-up questions, request clarifi-cation, and take notes. If students are expect-ed to write letters, the instructor might reviewthe format and language of formal letters. Ifthey intend to conduct an Internet search, theinstructor may review search procedures andintroduce useful note-taking strategies.

Step 5: Students gather informationAfter practicing the skills, strategies, and lan-

guage needed for gathering information, stu-dents are ready to collect information usingmethods such as interviewing, letter writing,and library searches. Whenever possible, the in-structor brings in relevant content resources toget students started on their information quests.

Step 6: Instructor prepares students to compileand analyze data

At this stage, students need to master thelanguage, skills, and strategies needed to com-pile, analyze, and synthesize the informationthat they have collected from different sources.The instructor prepares students to do muchof this on their own through tasks thatinvolve, for example, categorizing, makingcomparisons, and using graphic organizerssuch as charts and time lines. Numerous train-ing sessions might need to be planned,depending on the types of information col-lected and the ways in which it was collected(e.g., taped interviews, brochures received inresponse to solicitation letters, library research,and note-taking).

Step 7: Students compile and analyze information

After engaging in teacher-guided prepara-tory activities, students are ready to tackle thedemands of compiling and analyzing the gath-ered information. Working in groups, stu-dents organize information and then discussthe value of the data that they have collected,keeping some and discarding others. The goalis to identify information that is critical for thecompletion of their projects.

Step 8: Instructor prepares students for thelanguage demands of the final activity

As in Steps 4 and 6, the instructor designslanguage-improvement activities to help stu-

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dents successfully present the final outcome ofthe project. Those activities may focus on skillsfor successful oral presentations, effective writ-ten revisions and editing, persuasive debates,and so forth. Some focus on form might begreatly appreciated by students at this point.

Step 9: Students present the final productStudents present the final outcome of their

projects, as planned in Step 2.

Step 10: Students evaluate the projectIn this last, often neglected stage of project

work, students reflect on the language masteredand the subject matter acquired during the proj-ect. In addition, students are asked to make rec-ommendations that can be used to enhancesimilar projects in the future. It is during thisstage that teachers provide students with feed-back on their language and content learning.

Project work options

The details of project work are largely de-pendent on contextual factors, language pro-gram objectives, and available resources. Forinstance, in Turkey, at higher education levels,students of agriculture can engage in projectwork about soil erosion, which is a seriouscontemporary issue, with the goal of generat-ing possible solutions for deforestation inTurkey. Engineering students can preparewritten reports after investigating the advan-tages and disadvantages of a third bridge overthe Bosphorus in Istanbul; they might evensend their reports to interested officials. Stu-dents enrolled in a vocational school on thesouthern coast of Turkey might design a web-site that introduces their town, with an eyetoward attracting and building tourism in thearea (Hüseyin Yücel, personal communication,May 2004). Academic English-preparationstudents in their first year of university studiescan explore a self-selected topic related to theirmajors (reported orally to classmates and inwriting for their teacher) to prepare them forfuture studies (Semra Sadik, personal commu-nication, June 2004). Students majoring inphysical education may investigate reasons forthe limited numbers of Turkish athletes inrecent Olympic games. EFL students in theeastern part of Turkey might conduct a surveyaimed at determining the causes for lowfemale-student school enrollments, conclud-ing with suggestions, submitted to local offi-cials, for turning around the trend.

Students studying EFL in other countriesare known to focus their projects on issues spe-cific to their own countries, regions, and stud-ies. Italian vocational high schools, for example,have structured their curricula around topicsof relevance to students in various vocationalareas, resulting in brochures for tourists, travelitineraries submitted to travel agencies, schoolbanquet manuals, and many other real-worlditems. EFL students in Tunisian high schoolshave explored topics as diverse as mining andtraditional marriage practices as part of theirproject work, culminating in video presenta-tions of their findings. EFL students in Japanare surveying visitors at major tourist destina-tions—with note pad, tape recorder, and cam-era in hand—about topics of contemporaryinterest. In line with such practices, Brazilian,Costa Rican, or Malaysian students could con-duct projects with an environmental slant thatare aimed at convincing local or national gov-ernments to take necessary precautions to pro-tect local rain forests. (See Lee 2002, for adescription of a project involving the creationof a booklet that describes an environmentallysound home, with suggestions for environ-mentally sensitive lifestyles.) These examples,like those in Appendices 1 and 2, represent justa sampling of possible projects and outcomesthat can be integrated into EFL classrooms.

Project work: A case study

Here we showcase a real-world project de-signed for intermediate and high-intermediateEFL students enrolled in the English Prepara-tory Program, in the School of Foreign Lan-guages at Anadolu University, Eskisehir,Turkey. As part of this semi-structured project,defined and organized by both the teacher andstudents, students evaluate the effectiveness ofthe local tramcar system. As part of their datacollection, they interview experts from theuniversity, authorities from the city govern-ment, and residents of Eskisehir. They alsowrite formal letters to the city to request infor-mation and conduct library and Web research.At the conclusion of the project, students pre-sent results to students in the School of For-eign Languages as well as to guests from theuniversity and city government by means of apublic forum, reinforced by a bulletin boarddisplay with findings and recommendations.The principal goal of the month-long project


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is to give students a voice in reshaping theirtown and its tramcar system. By the conclu-sion of the project, students are able to do thefollowing:

• Gather pertinent information throughvarious data-collection techniques, suchas interviews, surveys, and library andWeb research

• Engage in critical thinking activities, par-tially through synthesis activities

• See improvement in their language skills

• Use English with more self-confidence

The project, structured following Stoller’s(1997) ten steps, is described below.

Step 1: Students and instructor agree on a project

The instructor conducts a lesson designedto raise students’ awareness of a local tramcarissue. This opening lesson, meant to encour-age students to participate in shaping publicopinion, elicits students’ attitudes toward pub-lic transportation, specifically tramcars, and

provides them with the vocabulary and lan-guage needed to participate in the project.

The instructor asks students where they liveand how they travel to school. To facilitate thisinteraction, the instructor creates an overheadtransparency with a grid that lists differentforms of transportation, including tramcars.The instructor fills in the grid with students’initials or tally marks to indicate who useswhich forms of transportation. After filling inthe grid, the instructor asks students to work insmall groups, ideally with at least one studentwhose hometown has tramcar transportation.Students are asked to discuss the effectivenessof their hometown public transportation. Ahandout providing relevant vocabulary and alist of possible questions guides students ingroup discussions (see Figure 1).

Follow-up activities are useful to guide stu-dents in comparing the advantages and disad-vantages of the Eskisehir tramcar system withthe systems of other cities. At the conclusionof group discussions, each group reports its


FIGURE 1: EFFECTIVENESS OF HOMETOWN TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM

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most important finding, most worrisome dis-covery, and any similarities discovered abouttramcar systems in other cities.

The instructor then asks students to take afew minutes to fill in a semantic feature analy-sis grid that juxtaposes different features ofthe local tramcar and bus systems (see Figure2). Then students are asked to brainstorm theadvantages and disadvantages of the Eskisehirtramcar, considering factors such as the loca-tions of their homes, routes, and tramcar sta-tions (see Figure 3).

After students complete these activities,the instructor elicits suggestions for improv-ing the quality of Eskisehir public transport.The instructor asks students to judge whetherit is possible to implement the solutions thatthey have put forward. Next, the instructortells students about a project that will helpthem improve their English and might also

improve the local tramcar system. Finally, theinstructor introduces the essentials of the proj-ect, giving students the opportunity to fine-tune the project so that they develop a senseof ownership.

Step 2: Students and instructor determine thefinal outcome of the project

The teacher proposes that students reportthe results of their investigation, with sugges-tions for improved public transportation: (1)in a letter to the local government, (2) at anopen public forum with invited guests, and(3) on a bulletin board in Anadolu Universi-ty’s School of Foreign Languages. Students areencouraged to include the following in theirbulletin board display: a copy of a letter sent tothe Eskisehir municipality requesting a mod-ified tramcar system that caters to the needs ofuniversity students, written reports, pho-tographs, and transcripts of interviews with


FIGURE 2: SEMANTIC FEATURE ANALYSIS GRID

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE TRAMCAR SYSTEM IN ESKISEHIR?

Pros Cons

FIGURE 3: GRID FOR BRAINSTORMING ACTIVITY

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students, community members, and universi-ty experts.

Feedback on this preliminary plan is solicit-ed from students. At this stage, students arealso given the opportunity to define their var-ied audiences for the letter, public forum, andbulletin board display. For instance, besidesthe Foreign Languages School director, teach-ers, and students, they decide who else toinvite from the university governing counciland the Eskisehir municipality.

Step 3: Students and instructor structure the project

At this stage, students help to structure theproject. To do so, they consider questions suchas:

1. What information is needed to conductan examination of the local tramcar system?

2. Where and how might pertinent infor-mation be found?

a. Who will be interviewed to deter-mine public opinion? To identify theviews of experts on public trans-portation? To ascertain the views ofthe local government?

b. What information might be foundat the library? On the Web? At theCity Hall? At public transportationstations?

3. How will information be gathered,compiled, and analyzed?

During these deliberations, students decideon their primary roles and responsibilities. Forinstance, students determine who will conductinterviews; take photos; do library and Websearches; draw graphs, pictures, and charts;finalize the bulletin board display; and makeopening remarks, present data, and entertainquestions at the open forum. While determin-ing roles, the students’ majors are taken intoaccount so they can be assigned roles mostclosely aligned with their interests and abilities.For instance, students from the fine arts depart-ment might be responsible for the layout of thebulletin board display, journalism students canconduct oral interviews, aspiring Englishmajors can write letters soliciting information,and math majors can compile statistics. To bal-ance the workload, students can pair up withothers to offer assistance at different points in

the project. With the deadline for the final out-come in mind, students reach a consensusabout the sequencing of project tasks.

Step 4: Instructor prepares students for information gathering

At this stage, the instructor prepares stu-dents for the upcoming language and skilldemands of the information-gathering stage ofthe project. These lessons train students toconduct interviews (e.g., forming a question,posing follow-up questions, requesting clarifi-cation and/or elaboration) and introduce themto the standard parts of an interview: politeopening, body, and thank you (see Lee, Li, andLee 1999, for more details on the various stagesof an interview). The instructor might helpstudents determine the level of language for-mality and content of the questions to be askedof different interviewees. Mock interviews canbe conducted with classmates, family mem-bers, teachers, or other language students oncampus. Audiotaped mock interviews can bereviewed in class for appropriateness, polite-ness, pronunciation, stress, and grammar.

For students who are responsible for writ-ing formal letters, the instructor introduceswriting conventions associated with formalletter writing by means of model letters. Stu-dents write several drafts of their letters, fol-lowed by editing and revision activities thatexamine levels of formality, formatting, andlinguistic accuracy. Guided peer-feedback ses-sions represent effective ways to encouragestudent collaboration and writing practice.

For students who are going to use the Weband library to gather relevant information, theinstructor initiates brainstorming sessions inwhich students consider the best ways tosearch for information in these venues. As partof this preparation, the instructor may intro-duce students to relevant search engines orwebsites on mass transit.

Step 5: Students gather informationAfter practicing the skills, strategies, and

language they need for gathering information,students are ready to conduct informal inter-views with students and local residents ofEskisehir. Students who are to conduct formalinterviews make appointments and conductinterviews with experts. (The instructor mayneed to help students find equipment neededfor interviews, such as tape recorders.) Stu-


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dents gathering information by means of let-ters of inquiry draft their letters, solicit feed-back from classmates and the instructor, andthen send out their letters. Students who areto conduct library and Web searches moveahead. Throughout this stage, the instructormonitors students’ progress, making sure thatthey are on the right track, giving them feed-back on their language use throughout.

Step 6: Instructor prepares students for compiling and analyzing data

After data have been gathered, studentsneed to compile, evaluate, and synthesize therelevant information. The instructor preparesstudents for this vital stage of the project byusing model transcripts, letters, lists, and gridsto illustrate different categorization, evalua-tion, and interpretation techniques. This is agood time to introduce students to conversa-tional gambits that they can use with eachother to negotiate the meaning and relevanceof gathered data, such as “I see your point,but…” and “Don’t you think that…?”

Step 7: Students compile and analyze information

After students have been introduced totechniques for compiling and analyzing data,they are ready to organize and synthesize theirown data. Groups of students discuss the valueof their data, discarding that which seemsinappropriate and organizing and then evalu-ating that which seems particularly valuable.Students discuss the best ways to present rele-vant data to their varied audiences.

Step 8: Instructor prepares students for the final activity

At this stage, the instructor prepares stu-dents for the language, skill, and contentdemands presented by the final written displayand oral presentation. A simulation of theopen forum provides opportunities to workon fluency, pronunciation, intonation, andconversational gambits that will contribute tothe flow of the event. (See Mach, Stoller, andTardy 1997 for a related discussion.) Studentswho are not actually involved in the publicforum might be assigned different roles for thesimulation, such as a representative from themunicipality of Eskisehir, representatives of theuniversity governing council, or the directorand teachers of the School of Foreign Lan-guages. These students could be directed to

anticipate what kinds of questions the actualaudience might ask about the bulletin boarddisplay. At the conclusion of the simulation,the class can brainstorm about challenges thatmight be encountered during the actual openforum, such as irrelevant questions, hard-to-understand questions, and public resistance tofindings and suggestions. In addition, possiblesolutions to these challenges can be discussed,including a list of possible questions andresponses, back-up visual displays, and con-versational gambits to ask for clarification. Adiscussion of open-forum logistics (e.g., roomset-up, invitations to audience members,videotaping) would be appropriate as well.

Discussions of the bulletin board, with anemphasis on presentation of information, lay-out, visual appeal, clarity, and peer editing(that focuses on mechanics, grammar, level offormality, cohesion) are appropriate at thispoint.

Step 9: Students present final productStudents are now ready to mount the bul-

letin board display and participate in the openforum, representing the final outcomes of theclass project. (Videotaping the open forumfacilitates meaningful feedback in the finalstage of the project.)

Step 10: Students evaluate the projectThis last stage of the project serves multiple

purposes. On the more traditional side, teach-ers provide students with feedback on theirlanguage, content, strategy, and skill use, usingthe videotape of the open forum as one meansof interactive evaluation. Less traditional, butequally valuable, are the opportunities stu-dents will have to: (1) reflect on the language,skills, and strategies that they have mastered toconduct the project; (2) consider the contentthat they have learned to complete the project;(3) contemplate the impact of the project; and(4) offer suggestions for improved project-work assignments for future classes.

Conclusion

We have showcased the details of one proj-ect designed for an EFL setting. Although thetramcar theme itself may not be transferable toother settings, because of its very local rele-vance, basic features of the project could easilybe transferred to other EFL classrooms. Thesetransferable features, in the form of recommen-dations for EFL teachers and materials writers


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who attempt to integrate project-based learn-ing into their own curricula, appear below.

• Devise projects with students’ immediateand future language needs and contentinterests in mind, while at the same timeremaining vigilant of institutional expec-tations and available resources.

• Specify language, content, task, skill, andstrategy learning objectives in line withstudents’ needs and institutional expec-tations to maximize the benefits of the project.

• Strive to engage students in all stages ofthe project. Begin by giving students thechance to structure parts of the project,even if those contributions are small,with the aim of building a sense of stu-dent ownership and pride in projectengagement.

• Design and sequence tasks with greatcare. Make sure that (1) skills are inte-grated to achieve real communicativepurposes, (2) students are obliged to usevarious strategies for meaningful aims, (3)critical thinking is required for successfultask completion, and (4) students areheld accountable for content learning.

• Integrate tasks that require both inde-pendent and collaborative work. Helpstudents reach agreement about differentteam member responsibilities. Studentsshould view each other as single links ina chain that unite, through exchanges ofinformation and negotiation of meaning,to produce a successful project outcome.

• Be sure to plan an opening activity thatpromotes students’ interests, taps back-ground knowledge, introduces impor-tant vocabulary, and builds up expecta-tions for the final activity.

• Take advantage of Steps 4, 6, and 8 toprovide explicit instruction so that stu-dents not only improve their languageabilities but also excel in the informationgathering, processing, and reportingstages of the project.

• Allow time for feedback at the conclu-sion of the project and at other criticaljunctures as well.

We close by directing readers to Appendix 3for a list of questions for teachers to consideras they assess the viability of projects for their

classrooms and develop actual projects for andwith their students.

References

Allen, L. Q. 2004. Implementing a culture portfo-lio project within a constructivist paradigm.Foreign Language Annals 37 (2): 232–39.

Beckett, G. H. 2002. Teacher and student evalua-tions of project-based instruction. TESL Cana-da Journal 19 (2): 52–66.

Eyring, J. L. 1997. Is project work worth it? Wash-ington, DC: Education Resources InformationCenter. ERIC Database ED407838.

Gardner, D. 1995. Student-produced video docu-mentary provides a real reason for using the tar-get language. Language Learning Journal 12:54–56.

Gu, P. 2004. Tech view: Leaving the bathtub tomake waves. Essential Teacher 1 (4): 32–35.

Ho, R. 2003. Project approach: Teaching. 2nd ed.Washington, DC: Education Resources Infor-mation Center. ERIC Database ED478224.

Lee, I. 2002. Project work made easy in the Englishclassroom. Canadian Modern Language Review59 (2): 282–90.

Lee, M. M. T., B. K. W. Li, and I. K. B. Lee. 1999.Project work: Practical guidelines. Hong Kong:Hong Kong Institute of Education.

Levine, G. S. 2004. Global simulation: A student-centered, task-based format for intermediateforeign language courses. Foreign LanguageAnnals 37 (1): 26–36.

Mach, T., F. L. Stoller, and C. Tardy. 1997. A gam-bit-driven debate. In New ways in content-basedinstruction, eds. D. Brinton and P. Master,64–68. Alexandria, VA: TESOL.

Papandreou, A. P. 1994. An application of the proj-ects approach to EFL. English Teaching Forum32 (3): 41–42.

Sheppard, K., and F. L. Stoller. 1995. Guidelinesfor the integration of student projects in ESPclassrooms. English Teaching Forum 33 (2):10–15.

Stoller, F. L. 1997. Project work: A means to pro-mote language and content. English TeachingForum 35 (4): 2–9, 37.

Tomei, J., C. Glick, and M. Holst. 1999. Projectwork in the Japanese university classroom. TheLanguage Teacher 23 (3): 5–8.

BÜLENT ALAN earned his MA in TEFL atBilkent University, Ankara, Turkey. Heteaches and coordinates reading courses atAnadolu University, School of Foreign Lan-guages, in Eskis,ehir, Turkey. He also teach-es in the Distance ELT BA program there.FREDRICKA L. STOLLER is a Professor of Eng-lish at Northern Arizona University,Flagstaff, Arizona, where she teaches in theMA-TESL and PhD in Applied Linguisticsprograms. In 2002–2003, she was a Ful-bright Senior Lecturer at Bilkent Universityin Ankara, Turkey.


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Project-work topics fall into a wide range of categories, including the six below.Although topics are essentially limitless, the key to effective project work is theselection and definition of topics that will sustain student interest and engagementfor the duration of the project. Final outcomes of projects (see Appendix 2 for somepossibilities) should vary in response to curricular objectives and student needs.

1. Mainstream class subject matter: Project-work topics can complement themes coveredin mainstream classes.

a. The pros and cons of a new bridge over the Bosphorus in Istanbul (architecture, cityplanning, engineering)

b. Theories of the demise of dinosaurs (natural history, biology)

c. The art of mummification (ancient history)

d. Impressionist artists (art, art history)

e. The causes of contemporary human migration patterns (history, civic education, anthropology)

f. A mock election (civic education)

2. Vocational topics: Project-work topics can be connected to students’ vocational interests.

a. The promotion of regional tourism (tourism)

b. A holiday menu for people with various dietary needs (food services and catering)

c. Adjusting to a new job: Guidelines for new service workers (retail and service work)

d. Dental problems: What’s a tourist to do? (dental technology)

e. Advances in computer technology (computer technology, mechanics)

f. Trends in teenage buying (business)

3. Sociopolitical issues: Project-work topics can be tied to students’ sociopolitical interests.One good starting point for developing projects with sociopolitical overtones is the set oflessons found in Language and Civil Societies and Language and Life Sciences <http://exchanges.state.gov/forum/journal>.

a. Gender roles

b. Rights of the handicapped

c. In defense of human rights

d. Fighting crime in urban areas

e. Drug trafficking at the international level

f. Freedom of speech and press

4. General human interest topics: Project-work topics can be linked to general human inter-est topics, dependent largely on students’ ages, maturity levels, interests, and concerns.

a. Animal communication

b. Sports and youth

c. Population growth

d. Famous individuals

e. Stem cell research

f. Family album

5. Local issues: Project-work topics are often informed by local issues.

a. Deforestation

b. Profiles of minority groups

c. Mining: Pros and cons


AP PE N D I X 1 | PROJECT-WORK TOPICS: SOME OPTIONSMAXIMIZING THE BENEFITS OF PROJECT WORK… • Bülent Alan and Fredricka L. Stoller

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d. European Union membershipe. New monetary systemsf. Economic crises and solutions

6. Global issues: Project-work topics often are defined by global issues that are of interest tostudents.

a. International terrorismb. International efforts to fight air, water, and noise pollutionc. International efforts to turn global warming aroundd. AIDS, malariae. Civil warsf. Water shortages

Brochure Oral presentationClass newspaper or wall newspaper Pin and string displayBulletin board display PosterDebate Research paperGraphic display ScrapbookGuide book SimulationHandbook Survey reportInformation packet Theatrical performanceLetter Video or filmMaquette WebsiteMultimedia presentation Written report

PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS: Before planning a project for your students, be surethat you can answer questions such as these.

• How will my students benefit from project work in terms of language improvement (read-ing, writing, speaking, listening, vocabulary, grammar), content mastery, study skills, real-life skills, strategy use, etc.?

• How will project work assist me in satisfying program objectives? Which program objec-tives are likely to be met by project work?

• Is project work best incorporated into my course by integrating it into an existing instruc-tional unit or by creating a separate stand-alone project?

• Does my classroom setting—defined by student needs, student abilities, time factors,available resources, and program expectations—lend itself best to a structured project(defined and planned entirely by the teacher), a semi-structured project (defined andplanned by the teacher with students), or an unstructured project (defined and planned bystudents)?

• Which specific language skills, if not all of them, should be given priority to best meet stu-dents’ current and future needs?

• How much time, in and out of class, can I allot for project work? How will this time allo-cation impact my planning? Realistically, what can the class accomplish in the time that isavailable?


AP PE N D I X 2 | FINAL OUTCOMES OF PROJECTS: SOME POSSIBILITIESMAXIMIZING THE BENEFITS OF PROJECT WORK… • Bülent Alan and Fredricka L. Stoller

AP PE N D I X 3 | CHECKLIST: QUESTIONS TO ASK WHILE PLANNINGMAXIMIZING THE BENEFITS OF PROJECT WORK… • Bülent Alan and Fredricka L. Stoller

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• How might Stoller’s ten-step framework (summarized in this article) need to be adaptedfor my teaching situation?

PROJECT PLANNING: While planning a project for your class, pose the following ques-tions and make every effort to find answers to them.

• What project-work topics are likely to (1) sustain student interests, (2) increase studentmotivation, and (3) ensure meaningful student engagement?

• What can I do to give students a voice in the selection of the project-work theme, the des-ignation of a project outcome, and the process of the project (even if I have structured theproject myself)? In other words, what can I do to ensure that students develop a sense ofownership in the project?

• How can the project be designed to build upon (1) what students already know, (2) whatthey are already able to do, and (3) what they want to learn?

• What resources are readily available for the project theme (in print, on the Web, on video,from different people/organizations, etc.)? What resources might I, myself, collect to sharewith students? What resources will students be able to access on their own in a timelyfashion?

• Which elaborated tasks will help me meet program objectives and assist students in com-pleting the project in a satisfactory manner?

• How can I structure elaborated tasks so that they lead to an authentic experience and crit-ical thinking?

• What activities can I incorporate into the process of project completion that will increasestudents’ metacognitive awareness?

• How will I assign student work groups? Should I group students who are similar or dif-ferent in language ability, motivational level, etc.? Should I let students form groups of theirown or should I assign students to groups?

• How can I structure the project so that it is both sufficiently challenging and manageableat the same time?

• What language and content-learning demands are inherent in Steps 5 (information gath-ering), 7 (information compiling and analyzing), and 9 (information reporting)? How can Ibest prepare students for those demands in Steps 4, 6, and 8?

• What grammar points stand out as being particularly relevant in Steps 5, 7, and 9? How,and at what point(s) in the project, can I focus explicitly on form so that students can prac-tice relevant grammar points in a meaningful way?

• How can I structure the project so that there is a proper balance among teacher guidance(and feedback), and student autonomy and collaboration?

• How can I structure the project so that students are engaged in meaningful and purpose-ful integrated skills?

• How can I conclude the project so that students have the opportunity to reflect on theirimproved language abilities and the content that they learned as a result of the project?How can I solicit honest feedback from students about the project-work experience sothat I can use their insights to assist me in future planning of projects?


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