Saturday 5:45 - 6:35 PM
Magnolia B 
Reconsidering The Theoretical Basis for EFL Project-Based Learning

Using projects in the EFL classroom has been an alternative approach familiar to increasing numbers of teachers in the past few years. However, many articles and presentations on projects neglect to look at the historical precedents for project work in the writings of John Dewey earlier this century. 
This paper will briefly survey some of the considerations that Dewey described as background for project work and then show how the presenter has used projects in his classes in universities. Using project-based work in EFL raises basic pedagogical questions of assessment and of students learning citation practices. A larger question is the degree to which students in Japanese universities are ready to adapt to the process-based approach to education which is a fundamental part of projects. The presenter will give examples of dilemmas and solutions which have arisen from project-based work in his classes.