Content-Based Language Teaching

Abstract

Content-based language teaching (CBLT), also known as content-based instruction (CBI), or content and language integrated learning (CLIL), first appeared in the field of language teaching in the mid-1980s deriving its origins from immersion education and the language-across-the-curriculum movement.

Appendices

The Research Questions

• 1. What professional and situational variables guide the process of determining the roles and responsibilities of language and content teachers?

• 2. What are the perceptions of language and content teachers on the obstacles in the implementation of CBLT in various teaching contexts? What possible solutions can be offered?

• 3. What are the needs of pre-service and in-service teachers in terms of professional development to better prepare for CBLT?

• 4. How can we identify and develop appropriate and engaging content and materials for learners at lower proficiency levels?

• 5. What types of language tasks and innovative teaching strategies will make the content/subject matter more comprehensible?

• 6. What instructional conditions will create better learning opportunities for students within CBLT framework?

• 7. How should teachers design assessment procedures to assess the foreign language and targeted content?

• 8. How can we improve CBLT programs through integrating more recent technology into the teaching and assessment procedures?

• 9. What kinds of content-related and language-related pre-, while- and post-reading tasks are appropriate for better outcomes in learners’ performance in the target language?

• 10. How does classroom interaction in a content-based lesson contribute to learners’ language development and better content comprehension?

Suggested Resources

Escobar Urmeneta, C. (2019). An introduction to content and language integrated learning (CLIL) for teachers and teacher educators. CLIL Journal of Innovation and Research in Plurilingual and Pluricultural Education, 2(1), 7–19. https://doi.org/10.5565/rev/clil.21

The paper presents a comprehensive overview of the Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) taking all stakeholders into consideration. Providing a rationale for implementation, it contextualizes CLIL within the European Union policy and identifies common features found in CLIL programs around Europe. The paper also describes key characteristics of CLIL classroom interaction. The author warns teachers and teacher educators of certain practices commonly observed in CLIL settings which may undermine its effectiveness, and points to the importance of the standards in CLIL teacher education.

Lightbown, P. M. (2014). Focus on content-based language teaching. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

The book presents a strong connection between theory and practice, pointing to the prominent research findings and evidence-based instructional practices in content-based language teaching. Activities encouraging comparison and reflection, and the extracts from real classrooms guide teachers to make the connection between research on content-based language teaching and their own teaching contexts, which actually help them overcome the challenges of teaching a foreign language alongside another subject.

Lin, A. M. Y. (2016). Language across the curriculum & CLIL in English as an additional language (EAL) contexts: Theory and practice. Singapore: Springer.

The book is a recent contribution to the field of content-based language learning with its comprehensive account of how language across curriculum and CLIL can be implemented, by systematically reviewing theories and literature regarding the issue, especially in EAL contexts. The strength of the book lies in its concrete and practical examples that teachers and educators can refer to in their attempts to incorporate CLIL in language classes. The book also explicitly addresses the challenges and needs experienced by teachers while providing practical and working suggestions to overcome them.

Thompson, G. & McKinley, J. (2018). Integration of content and language learning. In J. I. Liontas, M. Delli Carpini & S. Abrar-ul-Hassan (Eds.). TESOL encyclopedia of English language teaching. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

This section, which has taken place within the huge comprehensive resource “TESOL Encyclopedia of English Language Teaching”, introduces the major approaches to content-based language learning. Among the approaches introduced are bilingual education, immersion, content-based instruction (CBI), content-based language teaching (CBLT), content and language integrated learning (CLIL), and English medium instruction (EMI). It is a valuable addition to the literature as it distinguishes the differences between these approaches and clarifies the confusion created by multiple use of the terms in CLIL. The authors also raise a number of questions about the implications of EIL for content-integrated approaches.

Valcke, J. & Wilkinson, R. (Eds.) (2017). Integrating content and language in higher education: Perspectives on professional practice. Frankfurt: Peter Lang.

The book includes a collection of papers reporting on how Higher education institutions have coped with the shift to English-medium instruction. The papers focus on critical issues in English-medium instruction at tertiary level and the impact of this change on professional development for university teachers, curriculum and course developers, language experts, as well as quality assurance. The topics covered in the book include teacher perceptions of teaching CLIL courses, teachers’ beliefs on the roles of languages and learning in CLIL, the challenges and benefits of collaboration between content and language specialists, and perspectives on professional practice in the integration of content and language in higher education, which all make the book a good source for those interested in integrating CLIL in higher education.