Tracing the Influence of John Dewey’s Experiential Learning Philosophy on Hands-on Approaches in English Language Teaching

Abstract

The research article investigates the foundational influence of John Dewey’s experiential learning philosophy on the evolution of hands-on approaches in English Language Teaching (ELT). While David A. Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory (ELT) provides a structured, cyclical model of learning, this article argues that Dewey’s principle of learning by doing implies learning through experience, which serves as the epistemological foundation for contemporary communicative and task-based pedagogies (Dewey, 1938; Kolb, 1984). Employing a qualitative methodology that integrates historical analysis and systematic literature synthesis of indexed sources, the study traces the theoretical and pedagogical continuity from Dewey to modern ELT approaches, such as Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT), Project-Based Learning (PBL), Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), and Gamification. The findings reveal that these approaches embody core experiential constructs such as experience, reflection, interaction, and application; thereby reinforcing learner-centred pedagogy. The study contributes a conceptual framework positioning Deweyan philosophy as the foundational driver of experiential practices in ELT and offers implications for curriculum design, teacher education, and future research.