1. Erica Harris, Ursala McCormick & Julie Vorholt
Academic English Studies (AES)
Lewis & Clark College
TESOL Convention
March 27, 2014
Developing Projects Related to
Your Course's Textbooks

2. Overview
• Introductions & Procedure (10)
• Project 1 (10)
• Project 2 (10)
• Further examples (10)
• Design your own project (50)
• Plenary discussion/Q & A (15)

3. Introductions
Who we are...
About our program..
Lewis & Clark College
• Small liberal arts undergraduate school
• Portland, OR
Academic English Studies (AES) program ~100 students
• Low-Intermediate entry level
• Intensive English language program
• Emphasis on academic language skills and content-
based learning

4. Literature Review
Project-based Learning (PBL):
• Theoretical basis.
• Motivates students.
• Motivation = key element in language learning (Fidaoui,
Bahous, & Bacha, 2010; Gilmore, 2011).
• Students’ motives should be connected to goals
(Rubenfeld, et al., 2007).
• Uses authentic materials.
• Projects illustrate the integration of language,
technology, and media (Dooly & Masats, 2010).

5. The Process:
Thinking Outside the Textbox
1. Notice the gap!
2. Commit to developing a project.
3. Reflect on your knowledge as a teacher and what you
want your students to learn.
4. Brainstorm ideas based on your context and student
learning objectives.
5. Determine feasibility and choose the appropriate
project.
6. Decide how it will be assessed and develop the
assignment guidelines.
7. Implement!

6. Project 1
Type of Class: Communications
Level: Intermediate
Objectives: Public speaking skills, Team building, Learning
the process of designing a product or service, Present in a
poster session
Text: Four Point 1: Listening and Speaking Intermediate
Chapter Topic: Business: The World of Entrepreneurship
Schedule (how far into the semester): near the end of our 6-
week summer course

7. Project 1 Cont.
Overview of project: Unit 3 “Business: The World of
Entrepreneurship:”
1. characteristics of an entrepreneur
2. developing a company
3. analyzing a new business
Details of project (timeline): 3 week unit
Introduction
Guest
Speaker Vocabulary
Shark Tank
clip
SWOT
Analysis
Impromptu
Speeches Assessment
Group Project:
New Business
Venture
Presentations
& Poster
Session

8. Project 1 Cont.
Examples:
• Guest speaker: entrepreneur
• TV show: Shark Tank
• Project: New Business Venture
• Presentations & Posters
Assessment:
• Unit Test (45% of grade)
• New Business Venture (35% of grade)
Reflection:
• Very positive responses (survey); engagement & motivation
• “I like this lecture style, of a group project and watching a video
related to the lecture. “
• “I liked listening to others’ presentations and I also improved my
own speaking skills, so this is a good opportunity.”

9. Project 2
Type of Class: Seminar/Communications
Level: Advanced Speakers
Objectives: Research, Use APA citations, Learn to make
graphic posters, Present research in front of large group
Texts: Human Ecology & Omnivore's Dilemma
Chapter Topic: They have a few choices
Schedule (how far into the semester): Introduce at Midterm
(about 8-9 weeks into a 16-week semester)

10. Project 2 Cont.
Overview of project and details:
• Students are assigned partners based on topic interest.
• Develop a research question and use at least 5-7 sources.
• Write an annotated bibliography exploring the question.
• Organize and design a poster that is both creative and informative.
• Present their poster with LC undergraduate students.
• Write an extended research paper changing the initial research
question into a thesis statement.

11. Project 2 Cont.
Timeline: The students are given around 5 weeks to work
on this project.
Examples: To be shown.
Assessment: This project is worth 15% of their grade and is
assessed based on the objectives given.
Reflection: This project has been very successful in the
past. It gives students the opportunity to research, be
creative, and participate with undergraduate native
speakers.

12. Further Examples
• Low Intermediate Level: story PowerPoint project
• Intermediate Level: Pamphlets for communication
• Multiple Levels: iMovies
• Intermediate Level: Creating commercials for products
• Advanced Level: Creating orientation resources for
other students

13. Design Your Own Project
Level Skill Topic Textbook
Beginning Reading &
Writing
Stories of
Immigrants
Q: Skills for
Success, Book 1
Low-
Intermediate
Listening &
Speaking
Media Studies Lecture Ready 2
Intermediate Listening &
Speaking
Elections &
Student
Government
Four Point: L. &
SP. 1
(Intermediate)
High-
Intermediate
Reading &
Writing
Sustaining
Planet Earth
Making
Connections 3
Advanced Content-based Perceptions of
Nature
Human Ecology

14. Design Your Own Project
Work in small groups (4-5 people):
1. Create groups, quick introductions, choose roles (10)
• Roles: timekeeper, recorder, reporter/presenter
2. Scan and survey the text (5-10)
3. Brainstorm project ideas (10)
4. Choose your project (5)
5. Develop assignment guidelines, assessment tools
(15-20)

15. Design your own project
Class:
Level:
Unit/Chapter topic:
How much time given:
Details/End product:

16. Plenary Discussion
Q & A

17. References, Literature Review
Dooly, M., and D. Masats. 2011. Closing the loop between theory
and praxis: New models in EFL teaching. ELT Journal 65 (1):
42-51. doi: 10.1093/elt/ccq017.
Fidaoui, D., R. Bahous and N. N. Bacha. 2010. CALL in Lebanese
elementary ESL writing classrooms. Computer Assisted
Language Learning 23 (2): 151-68. doi:
10.1080/09588221003666248.
Gilmore, A. 2011. 'I prefer not text': Developing Japanese learners'
communicative competence with authentic materials. Language
Learning 61 (3): 786-819. doi: 10.1111/j.
1467-9922.2011.00634.x.
Rubenfeld, S., L. Sinclair and R. Clément. 2007. Second language
learning and acculturation: The role of motivation and goal
content congruence. Canadian Journal of Applied Linguistics 10
(3): 308-22.

18. Textbooks, with Publishers
Level Skill Publisher Textbook
Beginning Reading &
Writing
Oxford University
Press
Q: Skills for
Success, R. &
W., Book 1
Low-
Intermediate
Listening &
Speaking
Oxford University
Press
Lecture Ready 2
Intermediate Listening &
Speaking
University of
Michigan Press
Four Point: L. &
SP. 1 (Intermed.)
High-
Intermediate
Reading &
Writing
Cambridge
University Press
Making
Connections 3
Advanced Content-based Earthscan Human Ecology