EIL based on research creation-projects that facilitate English learning and intercultural revitalization for Ecuadorian communities through the arts

Abstract

UAProyectKids is an EFL community outreach action research project based on the creation of artistic and pedagogical material for learning the English language from Ecuador’s local intercultural experiences. It was implemented at an art’s public university in Guayaquil, Ecuador, where students from different artistic careers take English classes in order to graduate with a B1 level, but also to engage in transdisciplinary practice and creation with this foreign language. A collaborative methodological approach was used to determine how students should create these pedagogical resources while practicing their English in the process of creation throughout the semester. Results were measured by formative examinations and other instruments to record students’ perceptions on project based learning and collaborative sessions from the pedagogical innovation strategy.
 Furthermore, inter institutional cooperation and feedback enabled students to improve the quality of their projects, which included final products such as vocabulary flashcards, illustrated tales, audio books, and animated short films. Moreover, organized field trips to different communities and schools in the coastal and highland regions of Ecuador were able to guarantee the replication of the creative model for practicing English from relevant intercultural contexts that were worked with community members and children. This article is a must-read for any teacher or researcher interested in knowing about project-based learning experiences and its applications in the EFL field. It is also intended for institutions seeking to implement pedagogical innovations that help students awaken their collaborative learning by paying it forward to other learning communities.