Integrating Project-Based Learning in Preparing Students' Interpersonal Communication Skills on Speaking Courses in Indonesia

Abstract

Interpersonal communication competence plays a crucial part in the educational interaction space, as it directly impacts the behaviour of students who require a straightforward communication flow. This study aims to analyse the integration of project-based learning (PjBL) in preparing students' interpersonal communication skills in speaking courses in Indonesia, the proficiency of students' interpersonal communication skills, and the challenges of achieving them. The design of this study was a cross-sectional survey conducted in May 2023, involving 315 college students from six English Study Programmes at six universities across three provinces. Data were collected using questionnaires and interviews and were then analysed with the assistance of Jeffreys Amazing Statistics Program. The total number of interviewees was 60, with 10 from each university. The data indicate that the interpersonal communication profiles of the 315 respondents fell into the Medium category (mean = 3.26), and the most common obstacle (mean = 4.6) in achieving interpersonal communication skills on a speaking course is a difficult-to-understand speech partner's accent. This finding has implications for college students, as these interpersonal communication skills should be strengthened through PjBL and communicative competence understanding. Both micro and macro components of communication competence are essential for English learners and speakers. Syntax, morphology, semantics, and phonology are all areas where micro components perform. The three macro components also strongly contribute to the achievement of communicative competencies, including discourse competence, sociolinguistics, and communication techniques. These two components are essential for creating a more dynamic and enactive educational interaction space and are mutually reinforcing.