Effects of Project - Based Learning on Speaking Skills of Secondary School Students

The National Foreign Language Project and general educational program 2018 is a milestone in improving teaching and learning foreign languages in which speaking English is acknowledged as one of the most important and essential skills that must be practiced to help students communicate orally, which PBL mentioned in a lot of course books is considered as one of the alternative methods to improve students’ speaking skills. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of Project-based learning (PBL) on students’ speaking skills at Tay Son Junior High School and their attitudes towards the PBL method. The research was carried out in the school year 2021 - 2022 at Tay Son Junior High School in Da Lat city, in Lam Dong province. The quasi-experimental research was utilized with a mixed method for data collection including quantitative data and qualitative data. The data were collected from four instruments: pre-test and post-test, questionnaire, and semi-structured interview. The results showed that PBL was effective in the development of the students' speaking skills and it was revealed that the students who were educated by PBL had positive attitudes towards the PBL method. Moreover, it was also stated that PBL could bring a lot of advantages for students such as fostering soft skills and creating an enjoyable learning environment with student-centered learning. Key Words: Speaking Skills, Project Based Learning (PBL), Secondary School Students