Globalization in the 21st century and rapid strides in technology have increased the need for communication in English as is has become a lingua franca. English is also needed as a tool to assist academic advancement, career promotion and information-seeking in general. Hence, good English reading comprehension ability and a sufficient vocabulary range are both vital for university students for these purposes. Therefore, educators have to take into consideration these improvements and attempt to apply various innovative approaches during the education process. Project–Based Learning (PBL) is an approved method that equips learners not only with the 21st century skills (critical-thinking, problem-solving, life–long learning skills, creativity, innovation, collaboration, real-life- setting communication skills), but also has remarkable effects on enhancing learners’ English language skills. The main purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between the implementation of PBL and elementary level EFL learners’ reading comprehension ability. The present study investigates whether learners’ reading comprehension ability and vocabulary skills improve with the application of PBL. Forty-five first year Faculty of Education students at Ishik University (Iraq, Erbil) participated in the study, in which the experimental group was taught reading comprehension using PBL methods, while the control group – without PBL. The results confirm that the measured variables (reading and vocabulary skills) showed a significant positive progress in the experimental group. The researcher indicates that reading and acquiring required vocabulary become more efficient and enjoyable for students, when PBL is implemented.

Project-Based Learning is an approach that is significantly different from the conventional English Language Teaching method. PBL has been advocated as an effective instruction that promotes the simultaneous acquisition of language, content, and 21st-century skills to EFL (English as a foreign language) and ESL context. In this study researcher’s attempt is to integrate PBL (Project-Based Learning) approach, which incorporates authentic, learning by doing, problem-solving, critical thinking and team working skills with ESP (English for specific purposes) courses. The study aimed to investigate whether the PBL projects assist EFL learners in acquiring department related literature and information in the English language and the effect of project work on learners’ ESP course academic achievement. The study was conducted at Tishk International University, formerly known as Ishik University, in Iraq-Kurdistan Region with 2 Engineering (Architectural and Civil engineering) and Business and Management departments’ students. A mixed-method approach was designed to make the authentic interpretation of gained results. Quantitative and Qualitative instruments were utilized to probe the effect of PBL in the ESP course of undergraduate Iraqi EFL learners. The findings of this study reveal that PBL had a significant positive effect on acquiring department-related vocabulary and information in English as well as learners’ ESP course academic achievement showed statistically significant increment.

Due to the importance of professional development in the improvement of teaching and education, and the importance of English as a language and subject of study in Erbil, this study focused on the needs for professional development of English teachers. The present study also investigated teachers' opinions about their needs for professional development. The study also attempted to explore other issues related to the professional development of teachers of English in Erbil such as benefits of professional development programs, state of professional development programs, stages of applying for professional development programs and problems in professional development programs. 36 English language teachers participated in a survey. The survey results demonstrated that a great number EFL teachers are aware of the importance of professional development. However, lack of resources and opportunities are some of the major reasons which prevent them to participate in professional development activities. The present study attempts to reveal what EFL teachers think about their professional development and what kind of difficulties they face in pursuing their goals.

Ethics reflect beliefs about what is right, what is wrong, what is just, what is unjust, what is good, and what is bad in terms of a person's behavior. Do ethical values differ based on gender? Do the ethical values differ based on education and age? The objective of this paper is to explore variances based on the factors of gender and education on the three ethical variables namely, 'Justifiable a man beating his wife', 'Justifiable Parents beating their children', and Justifiable violence against others'. The paper uses the primary data collected from the seventh wave of the world values survey especially taking the data (N=1200) of Iraq. Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal Wallis test are run to explore the variances based on gender and education respectively.The finding includes that there is significant variation exists between males and females and based on education. Another finding is for all categories of education (lower, middle, and higher), the mean values of the female are higher than the male which means that for females regardless of their education level 'parents beating children' is more justifiable than for males. The paper suggests some recommendations based on the findings.

In this era of globalization, which is marked by the usage of the Internet, English as the world's first language plays an important role in almost all spheres. It undoubtedly sets up new demands for English language acquisition (English teaching and learning), and for more professional, 21 st -century related English. This paper attempts to investigate whether the undergraduate EFL learners, PBL expert and PBL implemented school visits, before implementing PBL (Project-Based Learning), have a positive effect on students, and assist the formation of positive attitudes towards this style of learning. The study was conducted at TISHK International University, Faculty of Education with 22 first-grade students. The data were collected using pre and post-questionnaires and were analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics. The research reveals that interaction with a more knowledgeable person (MKP) or being enlightened by competent and motivated experts stimulates learners' interest in PBL and facilitates the PBL implementation process. The study also shows that the visualization of various, authentic and original specimens of PBL's projects activates the process of forming positive attitudes towards PBL.