Abstract:

Russian educators seek to prepare students for a world with a fast-paced and team-based work environment. Project-Based Learning or PBL method is an instructional approach that gives students the opportunity to learn foreign language through engaging projects.

One of the benefits of PBL in EFL classroom is a foreign language acquisition, to acquire and produce second language at the limits of their comprehension. Learning second language unconsciously as opposed to consciously insufficient in Russian education. University students learn language in a variety of contexts and it could become the most challenging part of PBL if it is guided incorrectly by a facilitator.

With face-to-face instructions that Russian students feel comfortable with, it becomes a real problem for them to accept their educator in another role, role of facilitator. That means they are simply being funnelled information from their educators. The process to acquire second language is conscious.

The main objective of this study is to identify the effectiveness of teaching pragmatic competence with PBL for undergraduate students in Russia. An experimental study with 40 bachelor second-year students was conducted at MPGU (Moscow Pedagogical State University). To evaluate the effectiveness of instructions in PBL method students’ showcase E-Portfolio and rubrics were used as an assessment tool. The rubrics as evaluation tool with criteria and levels of achievement within the cycle of 8 pragmatics awareness-raising projects were implemented to evaluate teamwork and individual contribution to group task.

Digital students’ portfolio as a motivation tool, and as one of the teacher’s summative assessment instruments to capture students’ perception of their own learning were carried through entire experimental study. Despite the challenges inherent in adopting PBL method of learning, implementing strategies of this method were successful, adapting to Russian culture mentality.

Keywords:

PBL, project-based learning, Russia, foreign language, methodology, higher education, critical thinking, second language acquisition, English