Project - based Learning to Boost Speaking Skills in A2 Level Students

Developing oral communication remains one of the most persistent challenges for A2-level EFL learners in Ecuadorian public schools, particularly in socioeconomically vulnerable contexts where exposure to authentic language use is limited and teacher-centered practices dominate classroom instruction. This study examined the effectiveness of Project-Based Learning (PBL) as a communicative and experiential pedagogical framework for enhancing speaking competence among secondary students in Monte Sinaí, Guayaquil. Drawing on the principles of Communicative Language Teaching, the research employed a mixed-methods, quasi-experimental design that integrated a standardized oral proficiency assessment, a perception survey, systematic classroom observations, and semi-structured teacher interviews. Eighty first-year high school students participated in a six-week intervention in which collaborative projects were embedded into regular English lessons. The findings revealed consistent improvement in students’ overall speaking proficiency, accompanied by noticeable gains in confidence, engagement, and interactional behavior during communicative tasks. Students demonstrated greater autonomy, increased use of English for meaningful exchanges, and more active participation in project-related discussions. Qualitative evidence further showed that PBL fostered an environment conducive to sustained peer collaboration, authentic language use, and reduced anxiety during oral activities. Teachers highlighted the positive shift in learners’ willingness to speak and their capacity to negotiate meaning in real-time interactions. Overall, the study provides empirical support for the pedagogical value of PBL in resource-constrained EFL settings and underscores its potential to operationalize communicative principles through purposeful, student-centered tasks. The findings suggest that integrating PBL into Ecuadorian EFL programs can strengthen oral communication skills while promoting learner agency, motivation, and meaningful engagement with the target language.