This study investigates the impact of PBL technique on higher education in teaching communication skills at Duy Tan University, a large private university in the center of Vietnam. The influences of the PBL method are explored via a case study approach involving semi-structured interviews and LIWC (linguistic inquiry word count) analysis with two lecturers of English who have taught speaking and writing skills for over three years and sixty-one non-English-majored freshmen. The study’s results suggest that PBL technique really makes students’ communication skills much better. We consider the impact of PBL approach contributes significantly to enhancing the university’s quality of teaching and learning communication skills. It is hoped that the new viewpoint on teaching communication skills through PBL activities will be applied widely in higher education in Vietnam.

IMPACT OF PBL (PROJECT BASED LEARNING) APPROACH ON HIGHER EDUCATION IN TEACHING COMMUNICATION SKILLS: A CASE IN VIET NAM