Research questions:

1. Does PBL influence English language acquisition?
2. What skills can PBL support?

The objective of the study is to evaluate the impact of PBL on the improvement of students’ soft skills and English level.

Project-Based Learning (PBL) has been widely recognized as an effective instructional approach that enhances language proficiency, critical thinking, and research skills in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. The research study by Aghayani and Hajmohammadi (2019) specifically investigated the impact of PBL on EFL learners' writing skills, demonstrating significant improvements in writing proficiency, engagement, and collaborative learning.

It has been found that PBL can particularly contribute to the development of the following skills:

1. Language Proficiency

PBL promotes authentic language use, enabling students to apply English in real-world contexts (Mills, 2009). Moreover, the integration of PBL encourages students to practice all four language skills—reading, writing, listening, and speaking—through research, discussions, and presentations (Fragoulis & Tsiplakides, 2009). PBL facilitates a structured approach to writing, leading to notable improvements in organization, content, vocabulary, and grammar (Hidayati & Widiati, 2019). The study found that students working on PBL tasks demonstrated better coherence and cohesion in their writing, as they had to plan, draft, and revise their work systematically. PBL enhances students’ writing abilities by integrating real-world contexts and student-driven learning experiences. According to the study, students' mean writing scores significantly increased from 68.5 on the pre-test to 81 on the post-test (Praba et al., 2018). Numerous aspects of writing, such as organisation, word utilisation, grammatical accuracy, and topic development, all showed improvements. The results are consistent with earlier research by Ramírez (2014), which showed that PBL enables students to actively participate in the learning process while producing writing that is organised and logical.

2. Research skills
By encouraging students to conduct research, evaluate sources, and synthesise material, PBL promotes the development of research skills (Ratminingsih, 2015). Furthermore, by helping students navigate different research approaches, the PBL framework improves their capacity to critically assess data and make arguments supported by evidence (Affandi & Sukyadi, 2016).By requiring appropriate citation and source integration, this method not only enhances students' capacity for independent research but also fortifies their academic writing abilities.

3. Critical Thinking Development
Enhancing pupils' critical thinking abilities is one of PBL's main advantages. Students are encouraged to analyse issues, assess solutions, and formulate well-reasoned arguments by studying intricate subjects linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (Khalili & Ravand, 2017). Research-driven projects help students develop analytical skills that allow them to evaluate sources, gather information, and formulate strong arguments (Sadeghi, Biniaz, & Soleimani, 2016).

4. Increased motivation and engagement.

Because PBL empowers students to take charge of their education, a number of studies highlight its motivational benefits (Bilgin, Karakuyu, & Ay, 2015). According to the study, PBL participants were more motivated and involved than their counterparts in conventional learning settings. Increased self-confidence and a willingness to participate in conversations and written assignments were facilitated by collaborative learning and real-world relevance.

The choice of qualitative research to answer the given research question is underpinned epistemologically and ontologically by interpretivism and constructionism (constructivism) respectively. It is likely that any research and its findings are influenced and shaped by the researcher (Denzin & Lincoln, 2008). In addition, qualitative research advocates a “naturalistic set of methodological procedures” (Denzin & Lincoln, 2008, p.35) which is very important in our research. A case study is an appropriate design because it is clear for wide audiences (Cohen, Manion & Morrison, 2011) which can strengthen its external validity. Other advantages of applying a case study are its ability to explore unique features of the case and the ability of one researcher to undertake it (Yin, 2009). This is especially important for this research because the research is aimed at exploring the efficiency of the subject (Global Perspectives and Project Work) which is a unique subject in Kazakhstan. This subject is taught only at Nazarbayev Intellectual schools. The sampling is purposeful and convenient as the site has been chosen as I work there and due to the necessity of grade-11 students to submit a research project as part of their final assessment. Total sampling included 97 students of grade 11 for all of whom English is the 3rd language. This study is longitudinal, lasting 9 months. The first 2 terms (September-December) were dedicated to teaching students how to conduct research. We taught them hot to choose a topic, develop research questions, select credible sources, write a literature review, select data collection methods and collect data with the help of interviews and surveys. 1 term (January-March) students are writing up their research. The topic of the individual research projects of the students are related to Sustainable development goals. A focus group interview coupled with in-depth individual interviews with the students are planned to be conducted in March as soon as the students submit their projects. The interview question will be aimed at finding out students’ perceptions on benefits and challenges of GPPW especially in term of improving their English proficiency and skills mentioned in the lit review above. I am also planning to compare the students assessment marks in English the students had before working on research projects and after it.

The research is still going, the results will be ready by the end of the term in March. However, even at this stage it is noticeable that students writing skills have improved in terms of the level of vocabulary used in their writing.

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