Enhancing Language Learning through PBL in an Aviation Engineering Class

English for specific purposes is a field of teaching and learning that focuses on English language skills in context. It bridges the gap between general language knowledge and specific communication skills to enable students to meet the demands of their future professional field. For instance, aviation maintenance engineering requires the knowledge of highly specialized terminology. By providing appropriate and relevant linguistic tools, ESP enables aviation students to successfully perform job-related tasks and become more professionally competent within the aviation industry. While ESP has a role in improving language learning, the student’s experience can be further enhanced by incorporating Project-Based Learning into the curriculum to make learning more meaningful through inquiry-driven, task-based, and problem-solving paradigms. One key advantage of ESP in this regard is its adaptability, which means it can be adapted into a functional course. According to Dudley-Evans and St Johns (1998): “ESP was, for example, very influential in showing how a communicative language curriculum could be turned into either a functional-notional syllabus or a task-based syllabus” (Dudley-Evans & St Johns, 1998). The purpose of this article is to demonstrate a PBL method used in an ESP class aimed at aircraft maintenance engineers. The project involves students assembling a model aircraft jet engine. The goal of the project is to help students develop adequate knowledge about aircraft jet engines by acquainting them with the names and functions of the engine’s parts and also teaching them about its complex operation. Moreover, the project trains students on how to log their in-class activities into a weekly log that tracks their progress. At the end of the project, students reflect on their experience by completing a questionnaire that evaluates the outcomes of their learning. This helps the instructor assess the effectiveness of the project on the student’s language learning.