The use of Project- based Learning towards Intercultural Comunicative Competence in English Languaje Teaching.

Abstract

This work sought to determine the incidence of Project-Based Learning (PBL) methodology towards the Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) in English Language Teaching. At first, an adapted diagnostic test was carried out with students from fifth grade from the Corazón del Valle – San Antonio school, located in Tuluá, Colombia to identify the level of their intercultural communicative competence before the PBL implementation. The results indicated that most of the students had some intrinsic knowledge of the ICC. Afterward, the PBL assignment was set and the activities for a final product were established, for which the students developed a United Nations Committee simulation regarding peace, and learned and practiced the song “The more we get together”. Although, an observation and assessment rubric for the ICC was implemented in two stages; first, after the students diagnostic test was conducted; and then, when the students presented the project’s final product in a school event in front of the teachers, students, and some other community members. The final rubric, as well as the other instruments used along with this research, aimed to determine the incidence of Project-based Learning towards Intercultural Communicative Competence. Several students improved from basic to intermediate and high levels in such competence.