CBIContent-Based
Instruction
Elisabeth L. ChanPart II: Practical
A TICE Brown Bag – March 15, 2011
The International Center for EnglishArkansas State University
CBIConnect Build Integrate
Content-Based Instruction
English language instruction through the use of mainstream course content
CONTENTLANGUAGE
SKILLS
Why balance instruction of content and linguistic skills?
Language skills are most effectively developed when taught in the context of acquiring information
(Blakely, 1997; Brinton, Snow, & Wesche, 1989;
Kamhi-Stein, 1997; Larsen-Freeman, 1997;
Master, chap. 5, this volume, May-Landy, 1998;
Zuengler & Brinton, 1997).
Coming Up
Finding the balance between content and language in the CBI approach
Example CBI activities used in different levels of TICE
Defining and discussing assessment and error correction within a CBI curriculum
Finding Balance
Balance the content as a vehicle with the language and skills as focus of the course
Be knowledgeable in the content areaExtract the language and
teaching points from the content
Determine how and what to evaluate
TICE Academic Goals
Target the skills that students actually need to use in an academic setting Language Skills▪ Academic Discourse▪ Focus on Form/Forms
Academic Skills▪ Intensive reading▪ Note-taking▪ Test-taking
TICE Academic Goals
Comprehension of academic texts and lecture materials Analyze and critically evaluate
information Connect new information
with what they already know, synthesizing knowledge
Academically Focused Tasks
Authentic task - simulates a real-world language task
Interactive task - requires the learner to actively apply linguistic, topical, and strategy knowledge
Complete discourse level tasks – tasks are in context, rather than discrete, decontextualized tasks
Bachman and Palmer (1996)
Academically Focused Tasks Provide tasks that
require students to integrate information and to form and articulate their own opinions about the subject matter.
Three Examples
Functional Text Analysis Grammar Focus Short Stories
Focus on language in context “Rather than making the content less
difficult, we suggest that a functional text analysis can provide tools for helping students work with grade-level textbook material and at the same time develop critical language awareness.”
Schleppegrell et. al. (2004)
Functional Text Analysis
Field What is the text
about? Mode
How was the text delivered?
Tenor What is the
relationship between the author and the reader?
Měchura, M.B. (2005)
Grammar Focus
One way to use the content as the starting point for a focus on grammar is to focus on the specific usage encountered in a text but then to expandon that area of grammar in a systematic way.
Short Stories
Short stories can increase general, as well as academic reading skills.
Using a multimodal and multi-skill approach to short stories can accelerate students’ acquisition of academic language.
Ability to
interact with language and information
(Re)Defining: Assessment
Learning is a process. Learning and assessment are more
than just test scores. Assessment is all the different types
of feedback that occurs throughout the session.
Number of correct answers
on a discrete-item
test
(Re)Defining: Assessment
Hancock, C. R. (1994)
Highly contextual
ized
Challenge higher order
thinking skills
Develop proficienc
y in language features
Acquire skills needed to be
successful language learners
Measure progress in
terms of cognitive skill development
Measure progress in
terms of linguistic accuracy
Corrective Feedback
Corrective Feedback - Is the information correct and the language accurate?
How accurately and coherently is the student able to convey and interpret information?
Frequency of Assessment
May-Landy (1998) stresses the importance of extraordinarily frequent assessment Closely tied to the curriculum Takes several forms
Alternative Forms of Assessment
SHORT (1993) EXAMPLES
skill checklists and reading-writing inventories
anecdotal records and teacher observations
portfolios performance-based
tasks essay writing oral reports interviews
MAY-LANDY (1998) EXAMPLES
read an article, summarize, and then report on it to the class
critically evaluate and compare the article’s information presented to other material studied
Conclusion
“Effective intensive programs are like tightly knit chains—all course components are interconnected. As a result, there is strong reinforcement of learning as thematic concepts are considered from several different interdisciplinary perspectives.”
(Kasper, 2000)
References
Anderson, J. (1983). The architecture of cognition. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Anderson, J. (1985). Cognitive psychology and its implications (2nd ed.). New York: Freeman.
Bachman, L. F., & Palmer, A. S. (1996). Language testing in practice: Designing and developing useful language tests. Oxford: Oxford UP
Blakely, R. (1997). The English Language Fellows Program: Using peer tutors to integrate language and content. In M.A. Snow & D.M. Brinton (Eds.), The content-based classroom: Perspectives on integrating language and content (pp. 274-289). New York: Longman.
Brinton, D.M. (2000) Out of the mouths of babes: Novice teacher insights into content-based instruction. In L.F. Kasper (Ed.) Content-based college ESL instruction (pp. 48-70). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
References (cont.) Brinton, D. M., Snow, M. A., & Wesche, M. B. (1989).
Content-based second language instruction. Boston: Heinle & Heinle.
Hancock, C. R. (1994). Alternative assessment and second language study: What and why? Center for Applied Linguistics Digests. Retrieved from: http://www.cal.org/resources/digest/hancoc01.html
Grabe, W. & Stoller, F.L. (1997) Content-based Instruction: Research Foundations. In S.B. Stryker & B.L. Leaver (Eds.), Content-Based Instruction in Foreign Language Education: Models and Methods. Washington, DC: Georgetown University.
Kamhi-Stein, L. D. (1997). Enhancing student performance through discipline-based summarization-strategy instruction. In M. A. Snow & D. M. Brinton (Eds.), The content-based classroom: Perspectives on integrating language and content (pp. 248-262). New York: Longman.
References (cont.)
Kasper, L.F. (2000). Content-based college ESL instruction. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Kasper, L. F. (1996). Writing to read: Enhancing ESL students' reading proficiency through written response to text. Teaching English in the Two-Year College, 23(1), 25-33.
Larsen-Freeman, D. (1997). Grammar and its teaching: Challenging the myths. Center for Applied Linguistics Digests. Retrieved from: http://www.cal.org/ericcll/digest/Larsen01.htm
May-Landy, L. (1998). Linking assessment to the content-based curriculum. Paper presented at the 32nd annual meeting of TESOL. Seattle, WA.
Měchura, M.B. (2005). A Practical Guide for Functional Text Analysis. Accessed March 11, 2011. www.cainteoir.com/Etc.aspx? Read= FunctionalTextAnalysis.pdf
References (cont.)
Pally, M. (1997). Critical thinking in ESL.: An argument for sustained content. Journal of Second Language Writing, 6(3), 293-311.
Schleppegrell , M.J., Achugar, M., & Oteíza, T. (2004). The Grammar of History: Enhancing Content-Based Instruction through a Functional Focus on Language. TESOL Quarterly, 38(1), 67-93.
Short, D. J. (1993). Assessing integrated language and content instruction. TESOL Quarterly, 27(4), 627-656.
Snow, M.A. & Genesee, F. (1989) A Conceptual Framework for the Integration of Language and Content in Second/Foreign Language Instruction. TESOL Quarterly, 23(2), 201-217.
Tsai, Y. & Hui-Fang Shang. (2010). The Impact of Content-Based Language Instruction on EFL Students’ Reading Performance. Asian Social Science, 6(3), 77-85.
Zuengler, J., & Brinton, M. (1997). Linguistic form, pragmatic function: Relevant research from content-based instruction. In M. A. Snow & M. Brinton (Eds.), The content-based classroom: Perspectives on integrating language and content (pp. 263-273). New York: Longman Publishing Group.
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