Developing English Communication Skills through Project-Based Learning: The Case of ENSAM Engineering Students

Abstract

This paper aims at examining closely English for Engineering Course and its impact on developing engineering students’ communication skills. The Instruction used is Project-Based Learning (PBL). Participants in the study (N=66, ages 20 to 25) are 4th year engineering students from the ENSAM engineering school (Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Arts et Metiers) –Meknès. The objective behind this analytical report is testing the usefulness of this pedagogical approach on students learning. The main question raised is the extent to which the three communication skills addressed by the course, i.e., sequencing, analyzing, and illustrating, have been affected by this teaching methodology. The data have been analyzed empirically, and the findings reveal that PBL has a positive impact on developing these skills. General conclusions and pedagogical implications are presented.