The Use of Project-based Learning to Enhance Chinese Grade 10 Students’ English-speaking Abilities

Abstract

Chinese students have consistently demonstrated lower proficiency in oral English. Consequently, there is a need to focus on studying and improving their oral English skills. This research aims to investigate the efficacy of project-based learning (PBL) in enhancing the English-speaking abilities of Grade 10 Chinese students. Additionally, it seeks to determine the satisfaction levels of Grade 10 Chinese students with the implementation of the PBL method in oral English teaching. The study employed quantitative and quasi-experimental research methods, with a sample consisting of 32 students from Class 7, Grade 10, at Shanghai No. 1 High School in China. Research instruments included lesson plans, pretest, post-test, and a questionnaire. The data collected from these sources were analyzed using SPSS to conduct descriptive statistics and t-test analysis. The results revealed that students' average score in the post-test was 1.5 points higher than that in the pretest, with a significance value (P-value) of less than 0.0001. The research findings indicate that the project-based learning method effectively improves the English-speaking abilities of Chinese Grade 10 students. The questionnaire results further substantiate this conclusion, Furthermore, the average score for each questionnaire item exceeded 4, with a significance value (P-value) of less than 0.0001, demonstrating the satisfaction of Chinese Grade 10 students with the project-based learning method. To enhance the English-speaking abilities of Chinese students, it is recommended to promote the adoption of the PBL method across various regions of China, not limiting its application solely to English language teaching but also extending it to other subject areas.