by Elisa Di Folco
As ESL teachers, we continually experiment with new ways to engage and motivate our students. We love to use our creativity to make lessons engaging and enjoyable so that language learning becomes an immersive experience—not just about memorizing grammar rules or completing tasks.
However, the challenge arises when students lack motivation and engagement because tasks feel repetitive or fail to reflect their real-life experiences. This has an impact on their performance, either on a lesson-by-lesson basis, or over the longer term.
I have been teaching in Spain in monolingual classes, primarily preparing students for Cambridge exams, particularly B1 and B2 levels. I’ve noticed that my students often lose motivation once they become familiar with exam tasks, perceiving them as robotic exercises rather than opportunities to contribute meaningfully. Their point is a fair one - a student who knows how to approach an exam task will score higher than one who is unfamiliar with the format, but once they have learned the strategy, the only improvements left to make are in their knowledge of English, which requires time and hard work. Practice is essential, but we need to avoid the outcome of our students suffering a kind of exam burnout.
So, how can we design interactive lessons where students feel motivated and engaged while preparing for exam tasks?
This study explores the integration of Project Based Learning (PBL) into language teaching for the Cambridge Main Suite of Exams.
Integrating PBL has made a substantial difference. I’ve noticed that students feel more motivated when working on a project because they contribute more to the task rather than simply following instructions. At the same time, they practice the skills required for exams like the B1 Preliminary, B2 First, and C1 Advanced.
Project Overview
The project idea was taken from a coursebook on stress, ending with a lesson on time management. Since the book suggested sharing advice on managing time better, I decided to turn the task into a more elaborate and collaborative project. This allowed the students to practice exam skills through a relatable and meaningful activity.
The students, teenagers aged 14–16 with a B2 level of English, were tasked with creating a series of time management tips to present to the class. The objective was to research and reflect on practical solutions for improving time management. Each group then presented their ideas, and the class voted for the best project.
Activity Stages
We began by introducing the topic through a group discussion about balancing school, homework, and extracurricular activities. The students reflected on their daily schedules and shared any challenges they faced.
Next, the students familiarised themselves with the relevant vocabulary and concepts through a listening task, followed by class feedback.
Research and Inquiry
Once the project’s aim was established, we started with a guiding question: “How can we help teenagers effectively manage their time and reduce stress in their daily lives?”
The students conducted research by interviewing classmates, reading articles, or watching videos. They took notes on their findings and compiled a list of practical tips and tools.
Brainstorm and Develop
At this stage, the groups decided on the format. We brainstormed a few ideas, such as creating an infographic, recording a short video, or writing a guide for their peers. The students were encouraged to be as creative as they wished. The element of competition motivated them to do well and to be original. We discussed the merits and obstacles associated with each of the possible outcomes before settling on the presentation format - though with an agreed amount of flexibility regarding what that presentation might look like (as you’ll see momentarily!).
Presentation and Feedback
On the third day, the students presented their projects. I noticed that this provided an opportunity for less confident students to step out of their comfort zones since they could choose their presentation format and prepare in advance.
Most of the presentations were creative and incorporated a personal touch. For example, one group created a short TikTok-style video showing funny ‘before and after’ scenarios of bad vs. good time management. Another group made an engaging infographic titled ‘5 Time Management Hacks Every Teen Needs’.
Part of the presentation also involved the students describing the work they had done, and the roles they had adopted in the preparation stages. This was less about presenting their work and more about reflecting how the project was approached (and including this will help make it easier for the teacher to assess each student’s work in the project, should you need to make an assessment).
Afterwards, the class voted for the best project.
Finally, in groups, the students reflected on the challenges they’d faced, the skills they’d improved, and what they’d learnt. This reflection stage was crucial, as it motivated the students to appreciate their peers’ efforts, promote self-evaluation, and build confidence.
How PBL Supports the Development of Exam Skills
1. Promoting Engagement and Motivation
PBL fosters engagement by anchoring learning to real-life situations – in this case, addressing ‘student life’ challenges, such as time management. The students view their contributions as meaningful and essential, which significantly increases their motivation. They were noticeably more invested than when presented with an exam-style task.
2. Enhancing Communication Skills
Throughout the project, the students actively develop their communication skills, which are essential for the speaking tasks in the Cambridge Exams:
- Brainstorming and Initial Discussions (Speaking Part 1):
While brainstorming, the students practiced talking about themselves, their routines, and their opinions. This activity aligns with Speaking Part 1, where students are expected to answer questions about personal topics and develop extended answers. - Collaborative Decision-Making (Speaking Parts 3 and 4):
As the students worked together to decide on material they would present, they practiced functional language for agreeing, disagreeing, and speculating. These skills are essential in Speaking Parts 3 and 4, where students must discuss and justify their choices or explore hypothetical situations.
3. Enhancing Language Skills Through Integrated Tasks
PBL naturally integrates language application into meaningful tasks, providing students with opportunities to develop and practice exam-relevant skills in a connected way:
- Reading:
The students analysed articles and blog posts on time management, improving their reading comprehension. Though not identical to exam tasks, these nonetheless would improve the students’ ability to read for gist (to decide if the text was relevant to their presentation) and detail (to decide what was worth incorporating). With sufficient preparation, the teacher could design texts that more closely resembled tasks found in the exam (for instance, by removing some sentences or paragraphs in the manner of the Gapped Text reading task). - Writing:
As part of their project, students write reports, captions, and short descriptions for their guide and presentation. These activities emphasize clear and cohesive language, preparing them for exam writing tasks like essays, articles, and reports. - Speaking and Presentation:
The final presentation gives students the chance to practice public speaking. They apply the skills needed to deliver structured, fluent, and engaging responses, which are essential for all parts of the speaking paper. Of course, it is essential that the students are not permitted to read from a script here - the speaking needs to be as spontaneous as possible, as no preparation time is offered in the Cambridge exams.
4. Collaborative and Exam-Specific Skills
In addition to language-based skills, the collaborative tasks that are so fundamental to PBL lead to the development of critical thinking along with the ability to interact with peers.
- Improve creative thinking and problem-solving: the project presented a “challenge”- to help young people with time management - therefore the students had to share ideas and think outside the box to find a solution.
- Increase collaborative learning: project learning implies working together, deciding roles, and agreeing on ideas. It promotes teamwork and interaction, precisely the skills that candidates need to succeed in the collaborative parts of the speaking paper.
- Time Management: managing deadlines in a PBL project also prepares students for the timed conditions of exams.
Conclusion
PBL is a powerful tool not just for general English classes but also for exam preparation. It allows teachers the flexibility to design activities tailored to specific exam tasks while exploiting topics of interest to students.
Through PBL, students become more motivated and engaged, as they feel empowered to take charge of their learning. For teachers, it offers variety in exam preparation lessons and creates opportunities to support students more effectively. Ultimately, PBL fosters creativity, collaboration, and confidence—key skills for success in both exams and real-life situations.
References
British Council (n.d.), TBL and PBL; two learner-centred approaches, available here: https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/professional-development/teachers/knowing-subject/articles/tbl-and-pbl-two-learner-centred
Grossman, P., Pupik Dean, C. G., Schneider Kavanagh, S & Herrmann, Z. (2018). Preparing teachers for project-based teaching. Phi Delta Kappan, 100, 43-48. Available here: http://ler.s3.amazonaws.com/Grossman+et+al+4_2019.pdf
Author Biography
I've been an ESL teacher since 2019, experienced in teaching VYL, YL and adults and Cambridge exams preparation. After working as a freelance journalist in London I started teaching because I was passionate about languages. Now I work at IH Cordoba and continue studying languages.