A Review on Project Based Learning in Enhancing English Writing Skills

• Published in: Forum for Linguistic Studies
• Main Author: Chao C.; Abdul Rahman N.A.; Soon G.Y.
• Format: Review
• Language: English
• Published: Bilingual Publishing Group 2025
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85215310827&doi=10.30564%2ffls.v7i1.8106&partnerID=40&md5=cbd5b959632707aabab3fda46a534252

Writing is a complex skill requiring cognitive, linguistic, and creative capacities, particularly challenging for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. This review explores the effectiveness of Project-Based Learning (PBL) in enhancing English writing skills, emphasizing its potential to address common challenges faced by learners. PBL promotes active engagement, critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity through real-world, student-centered tasks. By integrating interdisciplinary approaches and authentic materials, PBL fosters practical language use and improves linguistic competencies, including grammar, vocabulary, and organizational skills. The review synthesizes findings from studies conducted in various educational contexts, highlighting the multifaceted benefits of PBL. Research demonstrates that PBL significantly enhances students’ writing skills, including their ability to structure ideas coherently and apply genre-specific conventions. It also supports the development of essential 21st-century skills, such as problem-solving, time management, and teamwork. Furthermore, PBL has been shown to increase learners’ confidence and motivation, transforming writing tasks into meaningful and engaging experiences. While PBL presents notable advantages, challenges such as time constraints, resource limitations, and the need for teacher training remain. Addressing these barriers requires strategic implementation, adequate teacher preparation, and the use of clear project guidelines. Despite these challenges, the evidence supports PBL as a transformative pedagogical approach for enhancing writing skills. This review underscores the value of integrating PBL into EFL instruction to prepare learners for academic and professional communication demands while fostering linguistic proficiency and critical life skills. Copyright © 2025 by the author(s).