Content-based Language Teaching

Qian ZHANG_TE891_Summer 2017

Michigan State University

Content-based Language Teaching, often known as Content-based Instruction (CBI), is a teaching

approach that involves the use of a second language to learn or practice the content or subject matter.
The focus of CBI is more on the content than on the language. Students are focused on learning
about a topic that interests them from a serious subject to a daily experience. The target language,
rather than native language, becomes a tool for learning new content. This is thought to be a more
natural way of developing language ability and is popular among second language teaching
programs.

The features of CBI can be summarized as the following four aspects. First, CBI supports
contextualized teaching and learning. It makes an assumption that learners learn best when they are
given language in a meaningful, contextualized form with the primary focus on acquiring
information. Richards & Rodgers (2001:207) also mentioned that “people learn a second language
more successfully when they use the language as a means of acquiring information, rather than as an
end in itself”. When we design a CBI lesson, we should bear in mind that we need to fill classrooms
with real and meaningful communication. Also, CBI builds on learners’ background knowledge and
previous experiences. The context CBI creates should be made connection with learner’s knowledge
and experiences, which will make learning more motivating and engaging.

Second, CBI requires comprehensible and authentic materials or information (as a way of
“comprehensible input”) for learners (Krashen 1982). Learners are exposed in a large amount of
language context in a CBI lesson. Thus, information delivered through real life context or connected
with their background knowledge is easier for learners to grasp well. Based on what content or which
skill teacher wants to enhance, related instructional media are included in the classroom to support
comprehensible learning.

Third, CBI sees language as an integration of several skills. Learners develop knowledge by using
target language as a tool and engage in multiple language-dependent activities. Their linguistic
abilities are improved in the target language. For example, classroom activities require them to
interpret input actively and present them to the whole class, which improve learners’ ability of
listening and speaking. At the same time, learners need to search information through several
resources and present it to the class logically and briefly. Such skills as searching information,
organizing and summarizing ideas, etc. are enhanced during the process of learning. Moreover, CBI
works on the integration of different purposes. It combines learners’ purpose of academic learning
and language acquisition together. Take the Chinese immersion program as an example, it requires
the students to gain knowledge of math, social studies, science as well as acquire Chinese.

Finally, although CBI focuses on content, learners’ communicative competences are still one of the
teaching goals, which are developed during the process of learning. Languages are not learned
through direct instruction but acquired automatically in a CBI class. It is more like the way we
acquire first language and more efficient for learners to develop language competences.

Advantages of CBI

CBI is more motivating than traditional grammar-focused instruction. Students are motivated to learn
the materials which are based on topics that they find interesting and relevant to their lives. Students
can use the language to fulfill real purposes which will make students gain more independence and
confidence.

Language teaching is implicit in CBI classes. But instructors provide materials that support listening,
speaking, reading and writing activities, which improve learners’ language competences
subconsciously. Also, it cultivates learners’ skills of notetaking, summarizing, finding and identifying
information from different resources, and thinking critically about the value of information (how it
related to the content).

Group work can also help learners to develop their collaborative skills. Students work cooperatively
in groups to brainstorm ideas about the topic or prepare group presentations related to the topic.

Content-based instruction also provides an ideal setting for the teaching of language learning
strategies. Because students in content-based courses must read, listen to, speak, and write in the
target language. Teachers in these courses often make it a point to discuss with their students’ various
strategies when using each of these language skills. And students are willing to explore alternative
learning strategies.

To sum up, through content-based instruction, students develop their communicative competences,
collaborative skills as well as wider knowledge of world that support their needs.

Disadvantages of CBI

Some students may feel uncomfortable or frustrated because content-based instruction is implicit on
language. They don’t know specifically what vocabulary or sentence structures they have learned for
a lesson. To avoid this frustration, teacher should support some activities that focus on new
vocabulary and sentences.

Sometimes, students are very likely to overuse their mother tongue during group work. In this case,
appropriate classroom organization by teacher is needed.

For low graders, they may find it difficult to search information or select relevant information. So
different teaching techniques should be applied into class and different learning strategies can be
taught due to students’ age and proficiency level.

How to instruct teaching?

CBI is challenging and demanding for both students and teachers. For teachers, advanced preparation
is crucial, which includes deciding a topic that related to students’ interests and community needs,
providing previous information, preparing information with different forms (They can be oral, visual,
auditory, etc. The choice of information depends on content and language objectives), language
instructions that adapt to students’ proficiency level.

During the class, teacher can introduce the topic through a relevant experience, a video or audio
recording, or printed materials. After discussing the content of these materials, draw students'
attention to the key vocabulary and linguistic structures and prepare some activities that designed to
practice these words, expressions, or structures in the context of the thematic content. Then, separate
students into small groups. Each group will be arranged with an assignment and a source of
information to use to help them fulfill the task. For example, one group will read a short article, and
one group will watch a video, while another group searches information through websites. After they
have done their small group work, they form new groups with students that used other information
sources and share and compare their information. Then with teacher’s feedback, the whole class will
work out a product in an organizational way, such as, Venn Diagram, posters, flow chart, etc.

Teachers may employ a variety of strategies and activities to promote comprehension, for example,
activating students' background knowledge prior to reading and listening activities, providing
contextual clues to meaning, including gestures, visuals or graphic organizers, checking students'
comprehension by asking them to provide examples, paraphrase, or summarize key information.

I think content-based instruction is an effective teaching approach, especially for immersion teachers.
We can combine several subjects in one lesson while realizing the purpose of language acquisition.
Language given in a contextualized form is more motivating and efficient for students to acquire
which will be a measurement of success. It is also a flexible teaching approach. Teachers can have
alternative ways to design a lesson based on the content, like choosing different activities (such as,
gallery work, jigsaw), multiple resources, or deciding which or how many subjects combined in one
lesson. And it is rewarding for a Chinese immersion teacher like me, I can involve my English
partner teacher in transdisciplinary cooperation to combine our teaching closely and support each
other.
References:

Widdowson, H. (1978). Teaching language as communication. Oxford University Press.

Brinton, D. M., Snow, M. A., Wesche, M. B. (1989). Content-based Second Language Instruction.
Boston: Heinle & Heinle.

Stephen b. Stryker, Betty Lou Leaver (1997). Content-based Instruction in Foreign Language
Education: Models and Methods.Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press.

Krashen, S. (1981). Second language acquisition and second language learning. Oxford: Pergamon
Press.

Richards, Jack. C. & Theodore S. Rodgers. 2001. Approaches and methods in language teaching
(2nd ed.). New York: Cambridge University Press.