THE PROJECT-BASED LEARNING APPROACH IN TEACHING ?NGLISH AT THE TERTIARY LEVEL OF EDUCATION: CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE.

Project-based learning has become an inevitable part of teaching English since it is regarded as a contemporary educational concept that enables the purposeful use of language. The main aim of the paper was to investigate the effectiveness of the use of this approach for improving the English language, which was done in the following ways: 1) by assessing the test results concerning language systems (vocabulary and grammar) and skills (reading, listening, speaking, writing), before and after the use of the project-based learning approach, and 2) by mapping students' attitudes concerning the usefulness of this approach for improving language systems (vocabulary and grammar) and skills (reading, listening, speaking, writing). The quantitative research was conducted on a sample comprising 30 first-year students at the Department of English Language and Literature at the Faculty of Philosophy in Kosovska Mitrovica. The data were gathered by means of the upper-intermediate English tests and a designed questionnaire. They were analysed by applying adequate procedures for statistical data analysis of the SPSS 20.0 program. The results indicate the successful use of project work for improving the English language. In this respect, they provide the basis on which to justify its relevance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]