Closing the loop between theory and praxis: New models in EFL teaching

This article will discuss the development of a teaching unit designed for initial secondary teacher training (specializing in foreign languages). The unit not only exemplified the theory of project-based learning (PBL) for the student-teachers but also involved them in a hands-on experience, thus fully engaging them in the development of the necessarymanagement skills to be able to implement PBL in their own future classrooms. The unit was designed to help shift student-teachers' understanding of teaching approaches towards pedagogies that promote autonomous language learning and collaborative problem solving. We consider how English language teachers can capitalize on the language learning benefits of project work by first examining the characteristics of PBL and then by considering how this approach can be integrated into EFL training. © The Author 2010. Published by Oxford University Press; all rights reserved.