“Tell me and I forget. Show me and I remember. Involve me and I understand.” (Chinese proverb)
Project work is a means of communication and enjoyment based on the combination of theory and practice. A project is a piece of work where almost everything is made by the learners who work in groups to solve an authentic problem. Learners can choose the topic and the activities leading to a problem processing. Project work is suitable for all levels from beginner to advance. There can be involved all learners mixed in ability, confidence and experience. The projects are very creative. The authors of the projects collect information from a variety of sources, analyze and derive knowledge from it and then put everything together. It is based on students´ needs and interests. Teachers can help their students as guides or advisors, they should not direct or manage students´ work.
How to start? Teach your students how to do project work. Start with concrete, small-scale activities. Decide the presentation form and the criteria for its evaluation. Projects need to be seen or read so plan the last project session as a presentation.
Each project needs to be evaluated. You can prepare some comments on content, design, language work and also the final presentation. It can be discussed with all students from the class or group.