STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS PROJECT-BASED LEARNING 2.0 IN AN ESP COURSE

Abstract

Technological advances, particularly Web 2.0 tools, have been applied widely in courses of English for Specific Purposes (ESP), and ample research has been conducted to discuss the use of these modern tools in ESP classes. Nevertheless, very few studies have dealt with the implementation of Web 2.0 in project-based learning (PBL) practices. To obtain more insights into this issue, this paper aims at exploring learners’ attitudes towards a web 2.0 project in a course of English for Tourism. Specifically, learners were inquired about their perceptions of how the project impacted their language, knowledge, skills and learning motivation. The study adopted an action research cycle in ten weeks and data collection instruments included students’ written and oral reflections as well as questionnaire. It is found that in general, the learners acknowledged positive effects of the project 2.0 on all surveyed areas, especially when it came to vocabulary, writing, specialized knowledge, IT skills and motivation from external sources. The findings of this study are hoped to contribute to the literature of PBL with web 2.0 and facilitate teachers and learners when integrating PBL 2.0 in their courses.