Project-based learning (PBL), which has its roots in the work of educators in the early twentieth century, has made its way into the second language (L2) and foreign language (FL) classroom over the past two decades. This approach to teaching revolves around the use of large-scale project work or project-driven curricula and is often characterized by experiential learning, the gradual development of learner autonomy, an extensive time frame, a focus on problem-solving, a tangible end product, and reflection upon both product and process. Originally heralded in L2 education as a means to facilitate student-centered teaching, it has more recently been embraced as an approach to content-based instruction, project-oriented computer-assisted language learning, community-based language socialization, and the fostering of higher-level and critical thinking skills.

This edited volume brings together a collection of writings that unpack the theoretical underpinnings of PBL, explore the challenges of its implementation, investigate its employment in a range of L2 classroom contexts, and argue for a more substantial, not merely supplementary, role for PBL in FL and L2 curricula. Bookended by chapters that provide an overview of the theoretical foundations of PBL in language learning and propose methods for assessing PBL, the majority of readings presents research on and explores various applications of PBL in language teaching. These include, for example, photonovella or photovoice projects that promote critical consciousness among recently arrived refugees, project work specific to the needs of newcomers to North American public schools, global issues projects that explore the interdependency of the world's people and systems, simulation projects that allow learners to assume nonclassroom roles, awareness-raising multicultural projects in an ethnically and linguistically diverse primary school in Israel, and a gastronomical project in a university French class.

Despite the potential for PBL to contribute to the effective practice of L2 teaching, it occupies, at best, a supplementary role in language curricula. This collection is a first step, therefore, in compiling evidence from practice to suggest that PBL can be used as a primary pedagogical approach to address the varied social, cognitive, linguistic, and pedagogical needs of a diverse range of language learners.