Short-Term Interdisciplinary Collaborative Learning in an EAP Context: A Micro-Level Exploratory Study
Author : Domna Karanadze, Inga Dolidze 29/06/2026
The aim of this study is to explore an interdisciplinary collaborative learning task for a short period in a B1-B2 English for Academic Purposes (EAP) classroom. The study is based on the interactionist second language acquisition (SLA) (Long, 1996; Gass & Mackey, 2007); task-based language teaching (Ellis, 2003; Skehan, 1998); and sociocultural theory (Vygotsky, 1978) and investigates if a structured four-hour intervention can produce observable interactional and linguistic outcomes.
Four undergraduate students from different fields of study were gathered as a team to complete a joint assignment where they had to design an eco-friendly travel plan for Tbilisi. Classroom observation, analytic rubrics, pre- and post-task comparisons, and analysis of language-related episodes were used to gather data.
Evidence shows that participation, interpretation, vocabulary, and fluency are enhanced. Student notes revealed more organization and coherence following collaboration. Although long-term acquisition is not asserted, it proves that short collaborative tasks can foster good conditions for pushed output and meaningful interaction in EAP contexts. Another aspect of the project is the suggestion that the composition of the interdisciplinary groups can overcome the issue of diversity in background knowledge and become a tangible resource for the classroom.
Keywords: Cooperative pedagogy, Academic English, Task-based instruction, Classroom research, Tbilisi, Georgia.
Article DOI: https://doi.org/10.55367/HNPO1405