RAMIN YAZDANPANAH

United States

Exploring and Expressing

Culture through
Project-Based Learning

T
eaching in Vietnam recently, I had opportunities to work with
some amazing students and teachers. Being in such a position lent
itself well to cultural exchanges inside and outside the classroom.
However, it was clear to me, to my colleagues, and I believe to the
majority of students that there was a need to dig deeper—to move
beyond the cultural dos and don’ts and the comparisons of cultural
practices and behavior. As teachers, we must also support and motivate
students to reflect on and investigate how one’s own and others’ cultural
beliefs, attitudes, and norms are shaped. Additionally, being in an
English as a foreign language (EFL) context requires English-language
support and activities that motivate students to engage in English. This
article presents four lessons based on project-based learning (PBL) that
I used with EFL students in Vietnam and that other teachers can use
with students in their own contexts. The lessons focus on developing
students’ English proficiency, research and analytical skills, and their
ability to produce and present work collaboratively. Furthermore, these
lessons aim to create not only a successful learning experience but also
a more understanding and peaceful world.

DEFINING INTERCULTURAL- intercultural situations do I need to prepare

COMPETENCE EDUCATION my students for?” Having interactions with
foreigners was a relatively new phenomenon
According to Deardorff (2006), intercultural for the majority of my Vietnamese students.
competence is “the ability to communicate Additionally, many of them were preparing
effectively and appropriately in intercultural for jobs in the tourism industry or as English-
situations based on one’s intercultural language teachers themselves. They will
knowledge, skills, and attitudes,” as well as certainly need to develop their knowledge
“the awareness, valuing, and understanding of other people, cultures, and perspectives.
of cultural differences; experiencing other They will also need to articulate the diverse
cultures; and self-awareness of one’s own cultural practices of Vietnam (a country with
culture” (247). over 50 distinct ethnic groups), as well as
develop greater intercultural awareness and
In Vietnam, primarily teaching students competence with their future clients and
at a university, I had to ask myself, “What students. Considering these student-driven

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 As teachers, we must … support and motivate students
to reflect on and investigate how one’s own and
others’ cultural beliefs, attitudes, and norms are shaped.

goals helped me to better understand what more detail, it is important to be clear on how
intercultural competence means for my PBL is defined and how it can be applied.
students and how to structure intercultural
instruction within our courses and programs. UNDERSTANDING PROJECT-BASED
LEARNING
A major goal of intercultural-competence
education is to facilitate a shift in viewpoint The Buck Institute for Education, a leader
from a dualistic or ethnocentric perspective in the development and research of PBL,
of culture (i.e., seeing the world in terms of describes PBL as follows:
“my/our way is the best”) to a more culturally
ethnorelative understanding of seeing the Students work on a project over an
world (i.e., accepting that there are multiple extended period of time—from a week
ways of seeing the world and living life, as up to a semester—that engages them in
well as holding off negative evaluation of a solving a real-world problem or answering
cultural trait without further thought and a complex question. They demonstrate
inquiry) (Bennett 2004; Peterson 2011). their knowledge and skills by developing
Additionally, well-designed intercultural- a public product or presentation for a real
competence education should go beyond audience. As a result, students develop
surface knowledge—objective and observable deep content knowledge as well as critical
aspects of culture (e.g., food and clothing)— thinking, creativity, and communication
to deep culture, often understood as subjective skills in the context of doing an authentic,
underlying aspects of culture (e.g., attitudes meaningful project. Project Based
and beliefs of gender roles). These definitions Learning unleashes a contagious, creative
and goals of intercultural-competence energy among students and teachers.
education informed the design of the activities (Buck Institute for Education 2019)
we developed for our course and students.
Within English-language-learning contexts,
Importantly, my Vietnamese colleagues PBL has been shown to be a powerful method
and I wanted to get away from using only that enables the integration of academic,
paper-based assessment of our students’ social, and linguistic communication skills
understanding of intercultural communication with the application of real-world issues and
and awareness of other cultures. We felt contexts. However, research also reports
strongly that we needed to develop alternative conflicting perspectives by English-language
assessment methods that stimulate creativity learners on how they view the usefulness of
and encourage greater use of English both PBL activities toward their English-language
inside and outside the classroom. We decided development (Beckett and Slater 2005).
to design a project where students could With this said, it is clear that careful planning
build intercultural competence weekly and and scaffolding of PBL that integrates both
apply their knowledge, skills, and ability to intercultural and English-language-learning
real-world concepts that were geared toward goals are essential to the successful completion
their current and future academic, personal, of PBL activities in an EFL context.
and professional needs. The use of PBL helped
guide us to design pedagogically sound lessons The following framework describes the
and activities. Before I discuss the lessons in High-Quality Project-Based Learning

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 Having interactions with foreigners was a relatively new
phenomenon for the majority of my Vietnamese students.

(HQPBL) that we used to design lessons PBL LESSON 1: CHALLENGING CULTURAL

to develop our students’ intercultural STEREOTYPES—VIDEO PROJECT
competence, English-language proficiency,
and academic skills. In planning and designing a project-based
lesson for our Intercultural Communications
FRAMEWORK FOR HIGH-QUALITY courses for third- and fourth-year university
PROJECT-BASED LEARNING students, my Vietnamese colleagues and
I first aligned the course objectives we
The Buck Institute for Education facilitated wanted to integrate into the project. The
the development of a framework for HQPBL objectives specified that students would
based on six criteria (High Quality Project be able to do the following: (1) apply
Based Learning 2018): intercultural-competence terms and theory,
(2) conduct research and identify quality
1 . Intellectual challenge and sources of information, (3) apply citations
accomplishment: Students learn to reference information presented, (4) use
deeply, think critically, and strive for objective language when describing people
excellence. and cultural practice, and (5) develop
English-language fluency and accuracy. The
2 . Authenticity: Students work on lesson we developed required students to
projects that are meaningful and discuss cultural stereotypes, conduct research
relevant to their culture, their lives, on the background of the stereotypes,
and their future. and apply their knowledge of the course
content and English language to challenge
3 . Collaboration: Students collaborate with the stereotypes. We also felt that a video
other students in person or online and/ project would motivate students more than
or receive guidance from adult mentors only paper-based assessment. The HQPBL
and experts. framework is used to illustrate how the
lesson was structured (High Quality Project
4 . Project management: Students use a Based Learning 2018).
project-management process that enables
them to proceed effectively from project Intellectual challenge and accomplishment.
initiation to completion. To reinforce and deepen students’
understanding of the concept of stereotypes,
5 . Reflection: Students reflect on their we used the Stereotypes and Generalizations
work and their learning throughout the Activity (see Figure 1). This activity provides
project. students with examples of stereotypes, along
with alternative examples of how to discuss
6 . Public product: Students’ work is culture and people in relative and objective
publicly displayed, discussed, and terms. This was our method to address the
critiqued. PBL criterion of having “students learn
deeply” and “think critically” (High Quality
Following are four PBL lessons applying Project Based Learning 2018). From an
aspects of this HQPBL framework that I English-language-learning perspective, this
used in Vietnam and recommend for use in activity also serves as an introduction to using
other contexts. adverbs of frequency to practice speaking in

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 Stereotypes and Generalizations Activity
A. Background
Did you ever hear anyone say any of these things?
• You can’t trust people from [Country A].
• People from [Country B] are so smart.
• People from [Country C] are always late.
• People from [Country D] are fat.
• People from [Country E] eat dogs.
Are these statements completely true? Of course not! They are stereotypes—the automatic
application of information we have about a country or culture group, both positive and negative, to
every individual in it. This information is often based on limited experience with the culture,
so it is incomplete at best and completely wrong at worst. If you consider only stereotypes
when interacting with people, you are probably not seeing them for who they truly are.
What is the alternative? To start, you can talk to people from that culture or do research
to find more information. For example, you might ask, “What are the reasons that many
Vietnamese live with their extended families?” and “Do all Vietnamese live with their extended
families?” Finding answers to these and related questions can lead us to think more objectively.
To understand the world objectively, you must explore and understand the different
experiences and behaviors of people in a culture. Of course, people from a cultural group
can share certain values, beliefs, and behaviors, but you should not assume that these
behaviors apply to everyone. It is also important to understand why the behavior exists.
What are the historical, political, and/or financial events that shape the culture?
B. Activity
This exercise gives you practice in differentiating between stereotypes and thinking
objectively. Read each statement below and decide whether you think it is a stereotypical
statement (write “S” in the blank) or objective statement (write “O” in the blank).
1. ___ “Maria is from Country Q, so she will definitely be late.”
2. ___ “Many people in Country X value their family life, so it’s not surprising that Tim
still lives at home.”
3. ___ “Country Y is a violent country. Everyone carries a gun.”
4. ___ “Many people from Country Z trust their family to know what is best for them,
so they don’t mind arranged marriages.”
Figure 1. Stereotypes and Generalizations Activity

language that is more objective and relative. their own topics based on stereotypes they
We went over this activity with students have heard (or that they possibly have)
in class using a computer and overhead within their own and/or other cultures,
projector. genders, socioeconomic classes, ethnic
groups, and ideas. Before moving forward,
Collaboration. Group work is essential we had the student groups present their
in enabling all students to participate in topics to the class. This allowed the
meaningful and productive ways, especially instructors to provide feedback to ensure
with larger classes. We assigned students to that groups were on the right track. It also
groups of four or five at the beginning of the allowed their classmates to hear and—
semester. In their groups, students selected ideally—apply the feedback we provided.

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 Challenging Stereotypes: Presentation and Scoring Organizer
Stereotypes can come from limited or incomplete information about culture and lead
to both explicit and implicit biases towards others. One of the best ways to address this is
to research cultures and develop a deeper and more objective understanding of them. It is
also important that you do not stereotype when you are talking about your own culture.
In addition to providing your own perspective and experience, think of how other
people from different regions, ethnic groups, ages, and genders might view the topic.
Thinking about and providing a diversity of beliefs and practices can help present a more
accurate picture of society and culture, and not a stereotypical one.
Instructions: Complete sections A through D below and review the language-use
specifications in section F. Section E will be completed at the conclusion of the project.
A. Definitions (20 points):
❏ Provide a definition for each of the following terms.
1. stereotypes: ____________________________________________________
2. bias: __________________________________________________________
3. prejudice: ______________________________________________________
4. discrimination: __________________________________________________
5. racism: ________________________________________________________
B. Stereotypes and Information (30 points):
❏ Present three stereotypes. These can be about cultures (your own and/or other
cultures), gender, economic class, ethnic groups, ideas, etc.
❏ Provide information and examples showing that the stereotypes are not always true
and that the bias is not appropriate.
Stereotype 1: _____________________________________________________
Information and examples: _____________________________________________
Stereotype 2: _____________________________________________________
Information and examples: _____________________________________________
Stereotype 3: _____________________________________________________
Information and examples: _____________________________________________
C. Practice the Language of Objectivity (15 points): Write three example
sentences about a person with a different age or from a different region, ethnic
group, or gender.
❏ Use language such as some, sometimes, many, at times, rarely, etc.
❏ Do not use language such as never, always, all, everyone, etc.
Example 1: _______________________________________________________
Example 2: _______________________________________________________
Example 3: _______________________________________________________
D. Practice the Language of Reference (15 points): Write three sentences
containing a reference to your research on stereotypes and bias.
❏ Use expressions to reference where you learned the information, such as “According
to the website X, … ”; “According to my American friend X, … ”; “I learned the
following information from X, … ”; etc.
Reference 1: ______________________________________________________

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 Reference 2: ______________________________________________________
Reference 3: ______________________________________________________
E. Conclusion (10 points):
1. Explain why it is important to challenge stereotypes, biases, and prejudice, as well as
to think and speak objectively:
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
2. Describe what you learned from this project:
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
F. Language Use (grammar, pronunciation, fluency) (10 points):
❏ Consistently uses correct grammar tense
❏ Speaks clearly, with pauses after each sentence
❏ Pronounces final consonants (e.g., final /s/ and /ed/)
❏ Uses appropriate word and sentence stress to emphasize keywords

Figure 2. Challenging Stereotypes: Presentation and Scoring Organizer

Project management. As teachers, we transparency on how they will be graded,

can be guilty of providing directions for an and helps ensure that they will meet all the
activity or project and then leaving students requirements of the project.
to figure out the rest on their own, an
approach known as the sink-or-swim method. Authenticity. The graphic organizer in Figure 2
However, for students to produce high-quality is important to ensure that students select
work, teachers must provide support in quality topics related to stereotypes that will be
managing the project. Providing students with relevant and meaningful to their understanding
guidelines is important in any activity, but of the world and others. This real-world focus
particularly in PBL. If we want our students helps students realize that they can apply this
to strive for excellence by producing quality information to their interactions with others
work, we as teachers need to make our outside the classroom. We stressed to students
expectations as clear as possible. With this in the necessity of conducting research to develop
mind, we provided a graphic organizer for a deeper and more objective understanding of
students to review and complete as a group others, as well as citing where they gathered
and send to their instructor (see Figure 2). their information. It was evident that research
This graphic organizer informs students skills—including applying proper citation—
of project requirements for organization, was an area that our students needed to
language, grammar, and application of develop. The graphic organizer reinforces this
the course objectives. In addition, it gives point. We required students to submit their
students ideas on how they need to organize organizers for feedback before moving forward
their presentation on stereotypes, gives to the production stage of their projects.

Stereotypes can come from limited or incomplete

information about culture and lead to both
explicit and implicit biases towards others.

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 Reflection. Before students began working on where they could ask questions and talk
their own projects, we provided them with a with us and other students about how their
model showing how the final video product projects were developing, was a more
might look. The first semester we conducted effective use of class time than holding
this project, I created a model myself. This class presentations.
helped students see what was expected of
them, and we could analyze how the model We also provided students with a free, easy-
met the project requirements. Additionally, it to-use online video software, Adobe Spark.
was useful for me as the teacher to understand We took time in class to show students a
the process of doing the project. I was able video tutorial on how to use the software
to identify areas of the project that could be and how to sign up for a free Adobe Spark
challenging for the students and address these account. We also wanted students to be able
areas early on. In the second semester, we to publish, share, and comment on one
were able to show student-made models from another’s final video projects. We created a
the previous semester. This is ideal, as students course Facebook group page at the beginning
can better relate to the style and content of of the semester that we frequently used as a
their peers. It also sets a high bar of quality course learning management system and had
that students can attempt to meet and surpass. students post their final video projects there.
If for some reason teachers are unable to That made it easy for teachers and students to
create and provide their own model prior to post comments in the form of feedback and
the course, I suggest searching the web to find questions.
a model that they can present to students.
Student Reflection and Feedback
Another important aspect of reflection is At the end of the course, we distributed a
feedback from the instructor. We required survey asking students to provide feedback
students to submit their outline by email on the project-based lesson. Following are
before making their videos. The idea was to comments from two students that I feel
make sure students were on the right track summarize the experience of the majority of
with meeting project requirements and to the class:
provide support as needed. Students were
also required to resubmit their outline before Student 1: For me, the final project is very
being allowed to continue to the next step of significant and meaningful. It is not [only]
creating their videos. the way I and my friends in class show what
we learned from subject from my teacher, but
Public product. My colleagues and I agreed it also shows our knowledge about cultures
that having students create a video project around the world. Furthermore I can practice
would allow greater creativity and learning my speaking skills and studying myself about
of intercultural terms and concepts. We also culture which I didn’t know before.
felt that completing video projects would be
less intimidating for students than presenting Student 2: I got more information about a
in front of the class, thus enabling them to new concept: stereotypes. Actually, I sometimes
focus more on language use and accuracy. used it on unknown person. But after I searched
Having students create and submit their about stereotypes on the internet, I knew that
work through video also allowed time in it’s wrong when stereotyping someone. So I
class for group work on the project and for try not to stereotype, not to evaluate someone
receiving support from the teachers and too [Link] this assignment I found
peers. Classroom presentations often take stereotypes not only inVietnam, but also in
a large amount of class time and frequently other countries.
allow only a small number of students to
participate. We felt that having students As can be seen from these comments, Student 1
work in groups in class with our support, felt the project allowed her to demonstrate

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 Having students present their work to others who are
not their classmates is a key component to PBL.

her knowledge about other cultures and in other schools, to community clubs and
her English speaking skills. Student 2, organizations, etc.). If time allows, students
meanwhile, felt that the project helped her can present their posters more than once and
to develop and apply research skills that in in more than one location. This repetition
turn changed how she views others—a shift allows students to further reflect on their
from an ethnocentric to a more ethnorelative performance, build language and presentation
perspective. skills, develop expertise, and connect with the
community.
PBL LESSON 2: CHALLENGING CULTURAL
STEREOTYPES—POSTER PRESENTATION PBL LESSON 3: TEENS TALK!

A lower-tech alternative to the video This lesson was inspired by American Teens
project is to have students develop poster Talk!—an archive of audio interviews with
presentations, which are a way for students U.S. American teens, accompanied by
to share their work and do not require written transcripts and discussion questions,
students to have access to computers or the that is available on the U.S. Department of
Internet. Instead, students present their State’s American English website (https://
findings on poster board and use images [Link]/resources/
from magazines, photos, and/or drawings american-teens-talk). The following
to illustrate their project. Students present describes the lesson using the HQPBL
their findings through explaining the framework.
information and illustrations on their posters,
through role play, and possibly through Authenticity. American Teens Talk! proved
answering questions, from the audience. to be an excellent resource for developing
Poster presentations also allow students listening comprehension, vocabulary
to rehearse and prepare by presenting to knowledge, and greater awareness of the
their classmates first. The familiarity of the multicultural society of the United States.
classroom and classmates enables students to Because the interviews are conducted with
build confidence, reflect on what needs to be U.S. American teens, listening to them
modified, and receive feedback on content, serves as an excellent activity that captures
language, and presentation skills. students’ attention. In our case, it also
motivated students to reflect on, inquire
Having students present their work to about, and share their own background and
others who are not their classmates is a key daily life.
component to PBL. One suggestion is to
have students present to others, but within Intellectual challenge and accomplishment.
their own classroom. This often helps lower I chose several American Teens Talk! interviews
the anxiety that students might feel about that I felt the students would find interesting
giving presentations. Teachers can coordinate and that would be appropriate for their
with colleagues to invite students from other language level. Because of limited time, I
classes or possibly invite other faculty and focused on one interview with a Vietnamese
staff. If possible, students can also present American teenager. I could see that the
their posters outside the classroom, perhaps students were interested in her life and the
on campus or in a welcoming and safe space fact that she and her family continued a
within the community (to younger students number of traditional Vietnamese customs in

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 Vietnamese Teens Talk! Activity
Part 1. Having a conversation is like playing tennis or badminton, using questions and
answers. After asking a question, you need to listen to your partner’s answer so you can
ask an appropriate follow-up question. Let’s practice! A
1. First, write an answer to the following question:
“What have you been doing this week?”
Example answer: “I’ve been going to school and playing outside with friends, mostly.”
Your answer: ____________________________________________________
2. Pass your answer to your partner. He or she will write another question,
based on your answer.
Example question: “What are you doing in school?”
Your question: ___________________________________________________
3. Give your question to your partner. He or she will write a response.
Example answer: “We just finished our end-of-grade tests. School ends in two weeks.”
Your answer: ____________________________________________________
4. Keep your paper and write a response to this question:
“Is there anything that you would like to say to students in other countries?”
Your answer: ____________________________________________________
Vietnamese Teens Talk! Recording
Part 2. Now you will make your own Vietnamese Teens Talk! recording. Here’s how:
1. Practice your conversation with your partner. Help each other with grammar,
pronunciation, and vocabulary. Try to sound as natural as possible.
2. Record. When you are ready, use a phone to record your conversation. Hold the
microphone close and record in a quiet place. Re-record if you aren’t happy with the
first recording.
3. Photo. After both of you have recorded, take a photo of each other individually and
together.
4. Share.* Email me the photos and audio recording. We will share your recordings and
photos with one another and students around the world.
* Note: Social media allows information to be shared easily with others, which can be beneficial. However, teachers
should be aware of privacy and confidentiality concerns in sharing student photos and audio recordings on the
Internet. It is recommended to explicitly discuss guidelines with students, perhaps have them sign waivers or
contracts, and give them the option not to have their personal information and/or photos posted.

Figure 3. Vietnamese Teens Talk! activity

the United States. I have observed that many Collaboration and project management.
of my EFL students have a rather limited and I created an activity that modeled American
narrow perspective of who U.S. Americans Teens Talk! to help the students create their
are, what we look like, and how we live. own interviews; I appropriately named the
The diversity of teenagers in American Teens activity Vietnamese Teens Talk! (see Figure 3).
Talk! helps to widen and deepen students’ The activity aims to help students develop
understanding of the diversity of U.S. their ability to create their own interview
Americans. questions and practice interviewing each

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 I created an activity that modeled American Teens Talk!
to help the students create their own interviews;
I appropriately named the activity Vietnamese Teens Talk!

other using the questions. The majority of courses. We used YouTube as a resource to
our students had smartphones to audio- search for commercials and modeled the
record and take photos of each other, so assignment in class.
I saw this as an opportunity for students
to actually be encouraged to use their Intellectual challenge and accomplishment.
smartphones in the classroom. They were This activity can promote greater media
certainly happy to oblige! literacy and consumer consciousness, essential
skills in the twenty-first century. Commercials
Public product. The students completed the in the students’ first language can be analyzed
assignment out of class and emailed me for themes in their first culture, while
their audio and photo files, which I then commercials in English can be used for analysis
posted on the following blog: https:// of cultural themes in other countries, as well
[Link]/. Students as the English language. Both approaches can
were able to listen to their own interview work in the EFL classroom, depending on the
recordings and share them with friends goals of the course and the level of the students.
and family if they desired. I observed that
students who did not submit their Authenticity. Students are inundated with
recording before the deadline submitted advertisements in print, digital, and video media.
them after I shared the blog page with Building greater media awareness through
them. I think that seeing the recordings developing analytical skills is critical to students
and photos published on a webpage as consumers and producers of content. Many
motivated other students to complete the of my students actually sell products online
project, as all students did eventually themselves and know the power and value of
submit their recordings. [Link] activity is more relevant now
than ever, and explaining how to apply these
Reflection. One of the most valuable aspects of skills in the world outside the classroom can
this PBL activity is that it encouraged students certainly boost interest and motivation.
to practice and engage in speaking English
outside the classroom. This is something Collaboration and reflection. We created
that can be difficult for teachers to motivate a group page on Facebook as a platform for
students to do in an EFL setting, particularly students to post, describe, and comment.
in places where there are not many English- Following are the instructions for the
language speakers to engage with. commercial-analysis assignment:

PBL LESSON 4: ANALYSIS OF Instructions: This week, analyze and post a link
COMMERCIALS AND CULTURE to an online commercial on our Facebook group
page. Provide answers to the following questions:
Analysis of cultural themes in commercials
is a fun way for students to build greater • What cultural values, norms, and practices
awareness of cultural values, norms, and are in the video?
practices within diverse societies. My
colleagues and I used this assignment several • How are these cultural values, norms, and
times throughout the school year in various practices used to advertise the product?

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 • Does the commercial influence you and and requirements clear and to make
other people to buy the product? Why or grading easier later. Also provide a
why not? model example and analyze it as a class.

Project management and public product. 5 . Allow students to choose their own
To make this assignment a project-based topics. It is fine to provide examples and
lesson that could be completed in a options, but encourage students to think
relatively short time and with low-tech of other topics on their own.
resources, students can create their own
print advertisement on posters. Students 6 . Make sure students designate roles and
then present their advertisements, share work in their groups. Students
explaining the cultural values that the should make clear what each person
advertisement is based on to connect with contributed.
and influence the advertisers’ audience.
Selected advertisements can target the first 7. If using multimedia, students will
culture or a foreign culture. If time and need guidance. Take time in class to go
resources allow, students can also produce, over how to use technology and any
record, and edit a video advertisement in multimedia tools. Keep in mind that
groups. I recommend that students first use some students will be more proficient at
a storyboard to plan the video and receive using technology and can serve as group
feedback from the teacher. Students can leaders in this area.
then act out their commercial, video-
record it in English, and post it online to 8 . Technology is not a requirement for
share with the class and others. PBL. A lower-tech option is to have
students prepare posters.
ADVICE FOR PLANNING AND
IMPLEMENTING PBL ACTIVITIES 9 . Provide feedback throughout the
process in class, on outlines, and/
Planning and scaffolding of PBL is essential to or through a graphic organizer. This
ensure clarity and a successful experience. approach saves time in grading later
The following advice is based on my and tends to lead to higher-quality
experiences with implementing project-based projects.
lessons in the EFL classroom:
1 0. Think of ways that students can share their
1 . The course and English-language goals and work with peers and with others outside
rationale of the project should be clear to their class. Sharing work in this way can
teachers and be made explicit to students. increase motivation and the quality of
projects. The classroom (or another space)
2 . Teachers can and should collaborate in can be set up for mini-conferences, and
the design and implementation of PBL. students can share projects with peers and
This way, teachers can support students other invited guests.
and each other throughout the process.
CONCLUSION
3 . PBL can be a new method of learning
and evaluation, so patience in the process Successfully implementing PBL takes time,
is important. Sufficient time should be patience, and careful planning, but the
given in and outside class for students to potential results make it all worthwhile.
prepare. We must move beyond comprehension
of terms and language exercises from the
4 . Support students for success. Provide textbook and instead seek ways to challenge
an outline and rubric to make the goals students by engaging them in real-world

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issues that are authentic and collaborative. 62–77. Newton, MA: Intercultural Resource
If we want students to think critically and Corporation.
communicate effectively in an increasingly Buck Institute for Education. 2019. “What is PBL?”
[Link]
interconnected and globalized world, they
Deardorff, D. K. 2006. Identification and assessment
will need such skills to thrive. PBL can be of intercultural competence as a student outcome of
challenging to implement, but with proper internationalization. Journal of Studies in International
planning and reflection, you can develop Education 10 (3): 241–266.
effective, manageable, and motivating learning High Quality Project Based Learning. 2018. “The
experiences in your classroom. Learn from framework for high quality project based learning.”
the process and keep refining your project- [Link]
based lessons with each class. The results of Peterson, B. 2011. Cultural intelligence: A guide to
your efforts can have a wide-reaching and working with people from other [Link], ME:
positive impact on the lives of our students Intercultural Press.
and our world.

REFERENCES Ramin Yazdanpanah, PhD, is an ESOL educator who

served as an English Language Fellow in Vietnam in
Beckett, G. H., and T. Slater. 2005. The project 2017–2018. He is the founder of Full Circle Language
framework: A tool for language, content, and skills Learning and Teaching Services. He is committed
integration. ELT Journal (59) 2: 108–116. to facilitating personal growth and professional
Bennett, M. J. 2004. Becoming interculturally development through language learning and cultural
competent. In Toward multiculturalism: A reader in exchange.
multicultural education. 2nd ed. Ed. J. S. Wurzel,

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