CONTENT-BASED LANGUAGE TRAINING

• Content-Based Language Training (CBLT) is a significant approach in language education (Brinton, Snow, & Wesche, 1989). In ESP it is designed to provide the learners instruction in content and language.
•  Historically, the word content has changed its meaning in language teaching. Content used to refer to the methods of grammar-translation, audio-lingual methodology and vocabulary or sound patterns in dialog form. Recently, content is interpreted as the use of subject matter as a vehicle for second or foreign language teaching/learning.

WHAT IS CONTENT-BASED LANGUAGE TRAINING?

1. Content-based language training (CBLT) in ESP is different from traditional English classes because language comes second to the content. The teachers/trainers run the course on their students' current affairs or problems. 
2. It is an ESP training/learning process in which the focus of instruction is shifted from from pure language instruction to the integration of mastering both language for professional communication and the content matter of professional disciplines (Snow, Met, & Genesee, 1989; Spanos, 1990).
3. Leaver and Stryker (1989) claim that CBLT is an instructional approach in which “language proficiency is achieved by shifting the focus of the course from the learning of language per se to the learning of subject matter",
4. Moreover, CBLT tries to develop both students' language and their content knowledge through providing them with authentic, meaningful academic contexts. It also claims that the acquisition of language is most effective when the conditions of acquisition are analogous to those of first language acquisition (Krashen 1985; Savignon 1983; Snow 1993; Wesche 1993). 

AIM OF CONTENT-BASED LANGUAGE TRAINING

• The aim of CBLT is to help learners in developing general language skills through interesting and appropriate contents.
• Learners will be evaluated based on all language skills (listening,writing,reading and speaking).
• Considering that language cannot be used in a vacuum, it must be used to communicate about something.

APPROACHES

• CBLT is based on two approaches: 

1. People learn English more successfully when they use it as a means of acquiring information, rather than as end itself.
2. CBLT reflect learners' needs for learning English better. This approach follows the fact that many content based programs help to prepare ESP learners both for academic studies and mainstreaming. Therefore, the needs to be able to access both the content and processes of academic learning and teaching quickly are the main priority.

CONTENT-BASED LANGUAGE TRAINING MODELS

Sheltered Instruction

1. Sheltered instruction is a teaching style based on the concept of providing meaningful instruction in the content area. It is an approach to teaching English language learners which combined both language and content instruction. 
2. Through this model, the instruction is implemented by a content expert who is native speaker of the target language.
3. Brinton, Snow and Wesche defined it as “content courses taught in the second language to a segregated group of learners by a content area expert, such as a university professor who is a native speaker of the target language”.
4. Two instructors can work together to give instruction in a specific subject. For an example, a medical lecturer will be giving a short lecture and an English language instructor can check whether have understood the important medical terms by reviewing with them later.

Adjunct Instruction 

1. Adjunct classes emphasis on acquiring specific target vocabulary; they may also feature study skills sessions to familiarize the students with listening, note taking and skimming and scanning texts. 
2.  Applying this model, students take part in two linked courses, a content course and a language course both of which include the same content in common and complement each other regarding jointly coordinated homework (Richard and Rodgers, 2001).
3. Adjunct language instruction is required if and when students are quite ready both in what concerns the language and in what concerns the content to be taught their professional academic courses in English only (total English immersion).

Theme Based Instruction

1. Theme based instruction is specially designed for ESP classes only. 
2. It is structured around  a set of professional topics (themes) that follow each other in a logical consecutive order which corresponds to the order of studying those themes in an academic course on some majoring discipline or in courses on several such disciplines.
3. In theme based instruction special attention is given to writing,listening,reading and speaking for professional purposes in teaching or learning purposes.
4. In a theme based instruction, the instructors and students supposed to share their attention in a more or less balanced manner between the language and content matter  (the language and content can either be equally focused upon or the focus on content may only slightly dominate over the focus on language). 
   

WHAT DOES A CONTENT-BASED LANGUAGE TRAINING LOOK LIKE?

This is one possible way to create CBLT:

Example: Psychology students who are interested to learn about psychological counselling. They are allowed to do some research on the subject using suitable sources.

Preparation

1. Choose a subject of interest to learners (psychological counselling).
2. Find three or four suitable sources that deal with different aspects of the subject. These could be websites, reference books, audio or video of lecturers or even real people.

During the lesson

1. Divide the students into small groups and assign each group a small research task and a source of information to use to help them fulfill the task.
2. Then once they have done their research  they can form new groups with students that used other information sources. They can share and compare their information.

End of lesson

1. There should be some product as the end result of the sharing of information which could take the form of oral presentation or a group report. 

ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES OF CONTENT-BASED LANGUAGE TRAINING

Peachey’s (2003) overview of content based language training:

Advantages

1. CBLT can make language learning becomes more interesting and motivating. Students can use the language (English) to fulfill a real purpose, which can make the students more independent and confident.
2. Offer a wide educational knowledge to students in the form of the different topics instructed.
3. Help students to develop valuable study skills such as note taking, summarizing and extracting key information from texts.
4. Taking information from different sources, re-evaluating and restructuring those information can help students to establish good thinking skills that can then be transferred to other subjects.
5. Develop collaborative skills, especially in a group work, which can have great social values.

Disadvantages

1. Some students may confuse and feel that they are not improving their English skills because the focus of CBLT is not explicitly on language learning.
2. Difficulties with a topic may lead to large amounts of mother tongue language being used.
3. Difficulties in finding resources for low level students to understand.
4. Students may just copy from source texts without attempting any evaluation.

References:

British Council. Content-based instruction.

Retrieved on Tuesday, 22nd September 2015 from 

http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/content-based-instruction 

Davies, Stephen (February 2003). Content-Based Instruction in EFL Contexts. The Internet TESLJournal, Vol. IX, No. 2. Miyazaki International College.

Retrieved on Monday, 21st September 2015 from 
http://iteslj.org/Articles/Davies-CBI.html

i. http://www.slideshare.net/amansaeede/17-content-based-instruction-cbi

ii. http://www.slideshare.net/19chepe/content-based-instruction-16143752?related=1


Published by Nur Izzati bt Abdul Hadi