THE PROJECT-BASED LEARNING IN CLASS OF SPANISH FOR PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES

Abstract

With this workshop we would like to present the principles of project-based learning in second languages and how to implement it when teaching foreign languages. Moreover, we would like to share our experience in using this method in two parallel courses at the Leuphana Universität in Lüneburg and the Technische Universität Berlin, both located in Germany. Our idea to collaborate in the creation of educational materials which could be suitable to our needs arose in 2011. We were looking for a new teaching strategy to enable students to feel completely involved in situa-tions in which they could make practical use of the language, going beyond the limits of the classroom by car-rying out a project. At the same time, we could not forget the fact that we teach a language course for special purposes, with all what this implies: developing all four major skills, paying special attention to the specific vocabulary and creating virtual rooms to learn so that this process could be continued after the classes. With the passage of time, we have been able to confirm that this working model enables us to achieve most of the objectives of the University Curricula in a much more efficient way.