Definition of content-based instruction: CBI refers to the integration of content learning with language teaching aims.

Rationale for content-based instruction

The content-based curriculum removes the arbitrary distinction between language and content It reflects the interests and needs of the learners It takes into account the eventual uses the learners will make of the second or foreign language It exposes the learner to authentic materials and tasks It offers optimal conditions for second language acquisition by exposing learners to meaningful, cognitively demanding language; It provides pedagogical accommodation to learner proficiency levels and skills

Three content-based models

Theme-based language instruction Sheltered subject matter instruction Adjunct instruction

Shared features

Content as a point of departure Relation to student interests/needs Authenticity of materials and task Accommodation of language to L2 learner proficiency levels THREE CONTENT-BASED MODELS

Theme-based language instruction - instruction in which the course is organized around a theme or topic rather than around another organizing feature (such as a grammatical syllabus)

Topics in theme-based instruction are chosen to be of high interest to students The units incorporate all skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing, grammar) The teacher present topics as a vehicle for language development--i.e., teaching language (not content) is the main goal Courses may cover a variety of topics or treat one topic more in depth

Sheltered subject matter instruction - classes in which students study content through a second language

The class is taught by a content instructor, not a language instructor The content instructor is sensitized to the language acquisition process and to students' language needs and abilities There is accommodation to the students' level of language proficiency Language acquisition occurs through content mastery; the focus is on content rather than language

Adjunct instruction - approach in which students are enrolled in "linked" or concurrently offered content and language classes

The linked classes are taught by content and language instructors respectively The purpose of the content class is content mastery; in the language class, the purpose is for students to master elements of the second language which are necessary for success in the content area The syllabi of the two classes are negotiated with respect to each other; typically, the content course provides a point of departure for the language class and dictates its sequence Coordination between content and language teachers is essential Language teachers need to be familiar with the content material (i.e., read the content textbook and attend content lectures whenever possible) The materials development load on the language teacher is heavy; this should be planned into the course assignment and teachers should be compensated or otherwise rewarded for the work load

Different educational initiatives

Language Across the Curriculum is a proposal made for native-language education in Britain in the mid-1970s. It is a practice through which the study and use of the [native] language takes place throughout the curriculum. Immersion Education is concerned with foreign language instruction in which the curriculum is taught in the foreign language. A known program is the Canadian Immersion Bilingual Education, in which students with English as their first language learn French as their second language. There is a great chance that those students will acquire great proficiency in French or even native-like command of the language Immigrant On-Arrival Programs focus on the language people who have just immigrated to a country need know and use in everyday life. One of the first countries that offered this program was Australia. Programs that try to improve the English language skills especially of newly immigrated children are called Programs for Students with Limited English Proficiency. Languages for Specific Purposes (LSP) is a movement that is concerned with the use of [language] in a restricted set of social and thematic areas chiefly for the unambiguous transfer of (technical) information. Further subcategories are: English for Specific Purposes (ESP), English for Science and Technology (EST), and English for Occupational Purposes (EOP)