Content-Focused Language Instruction. Outline of content-focused approaches with examples drawn from the content-based English language program at Konan University, Hirao School of Management.

1. http://tinyurl.com/bjones-cbi-handout
CONTENT-FOCUSED LANGUAGE
INSTRUCTION
BRENT A. JONES
KONAN UNIVERSITY,
HIRAO SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT

3. KONAN CUBE
ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROGRAM

4. GOALS & AIMS (PRE-2009)
•
internationally-minded citizens
•
integrate English, liberal arts and other courses
•
communicative competence and confidence
•
creativity and a sense of curiosity
•
practical skills
•
global literacy
•
critical thinking
•
studying in English
•
reading/writing/presentation

5. REQUIRED ENGLISH COURSES
Semester One
Semester Two
Semester Three
Global Challenges
(twice a week)
American Studies
(twice a week)
European Studies
Speech & Discussion
(twice a week)
Discussion & Debate
(twice a week)
Japan Studies
CUBE English II
Business
Communication
CUBE English I
TOEIC Preparation

7. ELECTIVES (SEMESTERS 4 - 8)
Regional Studies
Asian Neighbors, Cultural Look at
Spain
Studies in Literature
The Graphic Novel, Sports in
Literature
Business Skills II
Advanced Business, The Auto Industry
Media Studies
News & the Media, Web 2.0, Film
Studies
Liberal Arts Knowledge
History of European Thought,
Socratic Dialogs
Communication Skills I
Language & Culture of Spain, CrossCultural Communication
Cross Disciplinary
Sustainable Living

8. CBI & CLIL . . . AND MANY,
MANY MORE
•
content-based language instruction
•
content and language integrated learning
•
content-focused language learning
•
enhanced language learning
•
teaching language through content
•
immersion

9. WHAT ARE WE TALKING
ABOUT?
USE OF SUBJECT MATTER AS A VEHICLE (OR
FRAMEWORK) FOR LANGUAGE TEACHING/LEARNING

10. BENEFITS (OR PURPOSE)
•
Learning “authentic” language
•
Exposure to lots of language
•
Language learning as a bi-product of academic
endeavours
•
Useful language embedded in relevant, meaningful
contexts
•
Increased intrinsic motivation

11. Students will not be motivated to learn
unless they regard the material they
are taught as worth learning.
Dörnyei, 2001

13. CREATING SLES
•
Learning Goals
•
Feedback & Assessment
•
Learning & Teaching Activities
SLEs = Significant Learning Experiences

15. MODULES
•
Society & Culture
•
Business & The Economy
•
The Environment
•
Government & Politics

16. SOCIETY &
CULTURE

18. SHADOWING

22. DICTATION & DICTOGLOSS

23. BUSINESS & THE ECONOMY

25. CONVERGENT & DIVERGENT
TASKS

27. THE ENVIRONMENT

29. GENRE WRITING & THE
READING/WRITING CONNECTION

30. GOVERNMENT & POLITICS

32. PEER-ASSESSED INTERVIEWS

36. SCAFFOLDING

40. TYPES OF CBI
•
Adjunct Model
•
Sheltered Model
•
Theme-based Model

41. Alternative models of
CLIL
Soft CLIL
Type of
CLIL
Time
Context
Language- one class per Some subject topics taught
led
week
during a language course
Subject-led
(modular)
Hard CLIL
15 classes
per term
Subject-led approx. 50%
(partial
of
immersion curriculum
Schools or teachers choose
parts of the subject syllabus
to teach in target language
Half of subject curriculum
taught in target language.

42. MORE ACRONYMS?
•
Problem-Based Learning (PBL)
•
Project-Based Learning (PBL)
•
Task-Based Learning (TBL)

43. LESSONS LEARNED
•
Involve students in the choice of topics and activities.
•
Avoid the Double Whammy.
•
Keep the focus on language for thinking and school
learning.
•
Offer scaffolding when and where it is needed.

44. CONSIDERATIONS
•
Group Learning Trajectory / Individual Learning Path

45. BACKWARD DESIGN &
FORWARD ASSESSMENT
•
Backward Design
•
What’s important now and years after the course?
•
What should students do in the course to succeed?
•
Forward Assessment
•
Imagine students in a situation where they would use the
knowledge and/or skills.
•
Focus the learning on realistic, meaningful tasks.

46. A HOLISTIC VIEW OF ACTIVE
LEARNING
Experiences
- Doing,
Observing
- Actual,
simulated
- “Rich learning
experiences
Info and Ideas
- Primary/secondary
- Accessing them in
class,
out-of-class, online
Fink, 2003
Reflecting
- On what one is
learning
and how one is
learning
- Alone and with others

47. KEY CONCEPTS - REVIEW
•
Learning Outcomes (include student voice)
•
Emphasis on High Frequency Vocabulary
•
Lots of Comprehensible Input
•
Reading-Writing Connection (Genre)
•
“Can Do” Statements
•
Relevance
•
Focus on Content (with practice on all 4 skills)
•
Blended Learning (Flipped Classroom)
•
Scaffolding (just in time, just enough)

48. GOOD COURSES ARE COURSES
THAT . . .
•
challenge students to significant kinds of learning
•
use active forms of learning
•
have teachers who care about the subject, their
students, and teaching and learning
•
have teachers who interact well with students
•
have a good system for feedback, assessment and
grading
L. Dee Fink

49. WWW.BRENTJONES.COM

50. Cognitive Load Theory

52. POSITIVES
•
Achieving program goals
•
High and appropriate expectations
•
Student satisfaction
•
Year by year improvements
•
Gaining recognition as innovative
•
Increased use of English O-Zone

53. CHALLENGES
•
Monitoring student progress
•
Wide ability/motivation/expectation gaps
•
Quality control
•
Stuck in outdated model
•
Low “buy in” (students, faculty, staff)

54. FRAMEWORK FOR
IMPROVEMENTS
•
Accreditation process (external accountability)
•
How to better serve students (internal)
•
21st century skills
•
Relevance
•
Societal needs
•
Catch their imagination (inspiration)

55. One-Step Minimum per YEAR
ACTFL
Proficiency
Guidelines
CEFR “Can Do” Statements / iBT range /
TOEIC range

56. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
•
Cognitive objectives:
•
•
Affective objectives:
•
•
What do you want your graduates to know?
What do you want your graduates to think or care about?
Behavioral objectives:
•
What do you want your graduates to be able to do?

57. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
•
Mastery objectives are typically concerned with the
minimum performance essentials – those learning
tasks/skills that must be mastered before moving on
to the next level of instruction.
•
Developmental objectives are concerned with more
complex learning outcomes – those learning tasks on
which students can be expected to demonstrate
varying degrees of progress.

59. GLOBAL CHALLENGES
•
Schema Building
•
Reading/Writing Connection
•
Stories (non-fiction)
•
Case Studies
•
Problem-Based Learning
•
Critical Thinking
•
Self Awareness
•
Cause/Effect/Links
•
Vocabulary Building
•
Research Skills
•
Discussion/Presentation

60. SPEECH & DISCUSSION
•
Physical Message
•
Body/Voice
•
Visual Message
•
Story Message
•
Confidence Building
•
Logical Thinking
•
Transitions
•
Speech Writing
•
Types of Speech/Discussion
•
Supporting Ideas
•
Extemporaneous/Impromptu Speaking

61. CUBE ENGLISH I & II
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Multimodal input
Training the ear
Vocabulary building
Ambiguity tolerance
Foundation for TOEIC
Listening shower
Authentic material
Graded tasks
Blended learning
Schema building
Self access/autonomy
Strategies & sub-skills

62. AMERICAN STUDIES
•
Schema Building
•
Blended Learning
•
Modules
•
History/Geography
•
Society/Culture
•
Government/Politics
•
Research Project
•
American Fair
•
Reading/Writing Connection
•
Learning Portfolio
•
Genre Writing