University Students’ English Language Improvements through a Content-Based Course
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Content-Based Instruction (CBI) may result in improved proficiency in language skills due to the meaningful combination of subject matter and foreign language as a means of communication. This paper shows how university students improved their level of English by means of a content methodology as they attended a course called Topics in Molecular Microbiology. The course was a collaborative enterprise between the School of Microbiology and the School of Languages at a public university. The methodology used was a case study. Five instruments and the MELICET test were used and analyzed in order to check students’ language gains. The findings support that seven undergraduate students improved their speaking and listening skills. Finally, this study offers two implications: Universities should offer more CBI courses; language teachers and content teachers should work collaboratively.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
The authors of the manuscripts accepted for publication in HOW journal are required to sign a nonexclusive license agreement allowing ASOCOPI to reproduce the full text on the Internet or in any other available source. Authors retain copyright of their manuscripts with the following restrictions: first publication is granted to ASOCOPI; nonexclusive agreements with third parties can be established as long as the original publication in the HOW journal is properly acknowledged.
References
Brinton, D. M. & Jensen, L. (2002). Appropriating the adjunct model: English for academic purposes at the university level. In J. Crandall & D. Kaufman (Eds.), Content-based instruction in higher education settings (pp. 125-138). Alexandria, VA: TESOL.
Brown, D. (1994). Teaching by principles: An interactive approach to language pedagogy. New Jersey: Prentice Hall Regents.
Chala, P. & Pedraza, D. (2003). Establishing cross-curricular links between Science and English in ninth grade. PROFILE Issues in Teachers’ Professional Development, 4(1), 66-81.
Cresswell, J. W. (2007). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications Inc.
Crookes, G. & Schmidt, R. (1991). Motivation: Reopening the research agenda. Language Learning, 41(4), 469-512.
Debus, M. (1990). Handbook for excellence in focus group research. Washington, DC: Academy for Educational Development.
Dooley, L. (2002). Case study research and theory building. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 4(3), 335-354.
Gardner, R. (1985). Social psychology and second language learning: The role of attitudes and motivation. London: Edward Arnold.
Grabe, W. & Stoller, F. L. (1997). Content-based instruction: Research foundations. In Snow, M. A. & Brinton, D. M. (Eds.), The content-based classroom: Perspectives on integrating language and content (pp. 5-21). New York: Longman.
Hernández, R., Fernández, C. & Baptista, P. (2003). Metodología de la investigación. México: McGraw-Hill Interamericana.
Kasper, L. F. (1994). Improved reading performance for ESL students through academic course pairing. Journal of Reading, 37(5), 376-384.
Kasper, L. F. (1997). The impact of content-based instructional programs on the academic progress of ESL students. English for Specific Purposes, 16(4), 309-320.
Merriam, S. (1998). Qualitative research and case study applications in education. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Met, M. (1999). Content-based instruction: Defining terms, making decisions. Retrieved from: http://www.carla.umn.edu/cobaltt/modules/principles/decisions.html
Monsalve, M., Montoya, P., Posada, C., & Serna, H. (2005). Articulating English to specific content areas at Pontificia Bolivariana University. Colombian Applied Linguistic Journal, 7, 130-148.
Nunan, D. (2004). Task based language teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Omaggio, A. (1993). Teaching language in context. Boston: Heinle and Heinle.
Oxford, R. (2001). Integrated skills in the ESL/EFL classroom. Retrieved from: http://www.cal.org/resources/digest/digest_pdfs/0105-oxford.pdf#search
Palmer, J. (1994). Focus group applications in higher education: Selected ERIC references. Journal of Applied Research in the Community College, 2(1), 75-89.
Stewart, D. W. & Shamdasani, P. N. (1990). Focus groups: Theory and practice. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.
Tellis, W. (1997). Introduction to case study. Retrieved from: http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR3-2/tellis1.html
Wachs, S. (1996). Leaving the room: An introduction to theme-based oral English. Retrieved from: http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Wachs-ThemeBased.html
Yin, R. K. (1994). Case study research: Design and methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.