Fostering Intercultural Communicative Competence and Student Autonomy through Project-Based Learning

Abstract

In today’s internationalized learning environment, intercultural communicative competence is deemed insufficient for students. Academic mobility presents challenges and opportunities due to language, culture, and learning background differences. The number of international students in Ukrainian universities is increasing. The efficacy of project-based learning in foreign language acquisition is recognized and incorporated into the English language syllabus in Ukraine. The current study investigates the effectiveness of project-based activities in English classes at Ukrainian University for improving students’ intercultural communicative competence and autonomous learning. It included seven university English language teachers and five groups of 59 students from various cultural backgrounds. Classroom observation and case study design were carried out to describe how the teachers and students used project-based learning. This research will provide new perspectives on the effective incorporation of project-based activities in English classes to boost students’ communication confidence to collaborate with diverse cultural groupmates and develop autonomy in learning. The study revealed that project-based learning allowed students to interact with the target content, focusing on long-term memory and promoting attitudes about education. Several advantages of this technique over traditional methods of improving international communicative skills and increasing confidence in language acquisition were highlighted by teachers and students. It engaged students in collaborative and cooperative language learning, improved their digital literacy, and promoted student autonomy. Thus, the project-based learning approach is highly recommended for educational use by teachers and students and should be encouraged in universities.