Content-Based Instruction (CBI) *content = subject matter

In recent years Content-Based Instruction (CBI) has become popular as a means of developing linguistic ability
alongside knowledge of academic content. The focus of a CBI lesson is on a particular topic or subject matter.
During the lesson students are focused on learning about the topic which could be anything that interests them
from a serious science subject to their favourite pop star or even a topical news story or film. They learn about the
subject using the target language. It is assumed that the target language will be learned even though it is not the
main focus of the lesson.

Theoretical Basis: Krashen's theory (1982) of second language acquisition has influenced the development of
integrated instruction at all levels. Krashen suggests that a second language is most successfully acquired when
the focus of instruction is on ‘meaning’ (content or message) rather than on ‘form’ (structure); when the language
input is at or just above the proficiency of the learner; and when there is sufficient opportunity to engage in
meaningful use of that language in a relatively anxiety-free environment.
Theory of language: i) Language is text- and discourse-based and therefore longer stretches than phrases or
sentences are used. ii) Language use draws on integrated skills. iii) Language is purposeful. The purpose may be
academic, social, or recreational.

Theory of Learning: i) People learn a second language most successfully when the information they are
acquiring is perceived as interesting, useful, and leading to a desired goal. ii) Some content areas (e.g. geography)
are more useful as a basis for language learning than others. iii) Students learn best when instruction addresses
students’ needs.

Versions: The Content-based Instruction has several versions. These are:

i. Immersion Education: This is a type of foreign language instruction in which the regular school curriculum is
taught through the medium of the foreign language. The foreign language is the vehicle for content
instruction; it is not the subject of instruction. The first immersion programmes were developed in Canada in
the 1970s to provide English-speaking students with the opportunity to learn French. The English-medium
institutions in Bangladesh can be considered as examples of ‘immersion education’.
ii. Adjunct model: This model links a specific language learning course with a content course. The courses share a
content base, but the focus of instruction differs. The language teacher emphasises language skills, such as
academic reading or writing, while the content teacher focuses on traditional academic concepts. This model
requires substantial coordination between the language and content teacher. Thus language and content
instruction are integrated. Many Departments at Dhaka University, for example, offer English language
courses to their students even though they are majoring in Computer Engineering, Physics, Soil Sciences,
Zoology, etc. The content of these English language courses, for example, could come from the main
academic disciplines.
iii. Sheltered subject matter teaching: This approach involves adapting the language of texts or tasks and use of
certain methods (demonstrations, visuals, graphic organizers, or cooperative work) to make content
instruction more accessible to students of different English proficiency levels. This type of instruction is also
called Sheltered English or Language-Sensitive Content Instruction and is given by the regular classroom or
content teacher, or by a language teacher with special expertise in another academic area. In many institutions
in Bangladesh, at the tertiary level in particular, teachers simplify their lectures in English to help their better
understand the academic content.
iv. Language across the curriculum: This is the name given to content-centred instruction that involves a
conscious effort to integrate language instruction into all subject areas in the curriculum. Language skills are
taught in the content subjects and not left exclusively for the English teacher to deal with as “Every teacher is
an English teacher.” This form of content-language integrated learning is often found in classrooms with a
significant number of immigrant children who need language-support in a new country.
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Syllabus: In most CBI courses, the syllabus is derived from the content area. The topical themes of the modules
in the Intensive Language Course at the Free University of Berlin, for example, are: drugs, religious
persuasion, advertising, nuclear energy, native Americans, Dracula, professional ethics, etc.

Learner roles: Learners are expected to be autonomous and support each other in collaborative modes of
learning.

The role of teachers: Instructors must be knowledgeable in the subject matter and good language teachers as
well.

Materials: Materials that facilitate language learning are used with the subject matter of the content course.

Teaching techniques: Since CBI refers to an approach rather than a method, no specific techniques are
associated with it. However the following four types are frequently observed:
i. Cooperative learning: In this technique, students of different linguistic and educational backgrounds and
different skill levels work together on a common task. Cooperative groups encourage students to
communicate, to share insights, test hypotheses, and jointly construct knowledge. Other grouping strategies
involve peer tutoring or pairing a second language learner with a more English-proficient peer.
ii. Task-based or experiential learning: In this approach, students learn by carrying out specific tasks or
projects: for example, ‘doing science’ and not just reading about it.
iv. Whole language approach: Whole language strategies that have been implemented in CBI classes include
dialogue journals, reading response journals, learning logs, process-based writing, and language experience
stories.
iv. Graphic organiser: This provides a means for organising and presenting information so that it can be
understood, remembered, and applied. Graphs, realia, tables, maps, flow charts, timelines, and Venn diagrams
are used to help students place information in a comprehensible context. They enable students to organise
information obtained from written or oral texts, develop reading strategies, increase retention, activate schema
as a pre-reading or pre-listening activity, and organise ideas during the prewriting stage.

Advantages
1. CBI is very popular among EAP (English for Academic Purposes) teachers as it helps students to develop
valuable study skills such as note taking, summarising and extracting key information from texts.
2. Taking information from different sources, re-evaluating and restructuring that information can help
students to develop very valuable thinking skills that can then be transferred to other subjects.
3. The inclusion of a group work element within the framework given above can also help students to
develop their collaborative skills, which can have great social value.

Potential Problems
There are some potential problems involved with CBI. As CBI is not explicitly focused on language learning,
some students may feel confused or may even feel that they are not improving their language skills. Some
students are overwhelmed by the quantity of new information in their CBI courses and may flounder. It can also
be hard to find information sources and texts that students with lower levels of proficiency can understand. Again,
in certain contexts where large classrooms, resource-constraint and poor quality teaching are real issues, it is
difficult to see how CBI can be useful.

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To conclude, in CBI teaching is organised around the content or information that students will acquire, rather than
around language items such as grammar, notions, functions, etc. Students learn the target language as a by-
product of learning about real-world content. The CBI is being used in the United States and many parts of the
world, especially in countries where English serves as the medium of instruction for part of the educational
programme. The degree to which the teacher adopts this approach may well depend on the willingness of his
students, the institution in which he works and the availability of resources within his/her environment.

References

Richards, J.C. and Rodgers, T.S. 2001. Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching (2nd Edition). Cambridge
University Press.

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