Teachers’ and Students’ Viewpoints of implementing Project-based Learning in Teaching and Learning Legal English at Higher Education Institutions in Vietnam

Legal English is a specialized branch of English for Specific Purposes that focuses on the language used in legal contexts. It involves understanding and using legal terminology, drafting legal documents, interpreting legal texts, and engaging in legal reasoning and advocacy. Therefore, teaching and learning legal English present unique challenges, as it requires linguistic proficiency and an understanding of legal concepts and practices. This study explored project-based learning activities (PBL), which was particularly relevant to legal English because they provide a practical framework for applying language skills in authentic legal tasks. The cross-sectional study employed the mixed-methods approach with the researcher-made survey questionnaire for 385 teachers and semi-structured interviews with 86 students in English as a foreign language country. The participants expressed their viewpoints on implementing PBL activities to teach and learn legal English. Overall, the teachers and the students had similar perspectives by favouring the practical implementation of PBL activities in teaching and learning legal English to modernize and align with global standards. The comparative analysis of teachers’ and students’ viewpoints indicates that project-based learning activities help learners use legal English in contextually meaningful ways, bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application. Thus, institutions should invest in teacher professional development, providing training on PBL design, assessment, and facilitation. Additionally, implementing PBL activities encourage teachers to reform their pedagogical practices. Whistle, students should be equipped with guidance and support to help them develop the skills needed for successful PBL participation

Teachers’ and Students’ Viewpoints of implementing Project-based Learning in Teaching and Learning Legal English at Higher Education Institutions in Vietnam Keywords:

project-based learning , legal English , Higher education institutions , viewpoints , student-centred approach