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Strategies for

Content-Based
Instruction
Strategies for Content-Based
Instruction

This section is divided into two parts:


 Strategies for Language Teachers
- instructional strategies to exploit content
materials.
 Strategies for Content Instructors
- provide ideas for making content more accessible
to second/foreign language learners while
simultaneously teaching language skills.
Strategies for Language Teachers

 Content-based instruction provides a rich content


for teaching the traditional four skills – listening,
speaking , reading and writing – in the ESL/ EFL
class.

 In addition since the focus of many content-based


ESL/EFL courses is on academic language learning,
teaching strategic competence is essential.
Strategies for Language Teachers

To be successful academically, all students must,


for example , be able to take good lecture notes.

 They must develop strategies for condensing large


amounts of reading materials into reading notes or
preparing study guides.
 Students need to learn manage their time wisely
 Develop effective test-taking strategies.
Strategies for Language Teachers

The purpose of this section is to illustrate how the


four skills, plus the study skills, can be integrated in
the content- based instruction.
Strategies for Language Teachers

Three sample units are presented that integrate


the teaching of the five skills within an
instructional unit.

Unit I: Focus – Classification


Unit II: Focus – Text Coherence
Unit III: Focus – Understanding Lectures
Strategies for Language Teachers

 The units reflect a “receptive to productive” teaching


cycle.
 Each unit begins with a recognition or exposure
activity.
 Students are presented with models which illustrate
the teaching point of the unit.
 The culminating activity of each unit requires the
students to put their newly acquired knowledge to
work in the production of text, such as a composition
or a summary.
Strategies for Content Instructors

The instructor is using the content as a vehicle to


present and practice the language in the ESL/ EFL
class; the primary objective is the teaching of
language skills, although the content is clearly
reinforced.
 The instructor is primarily concerned with delivering
the subject matter instruction.
 The challenge to content teacher lies in the
“unpacking” – to use a new term – difficult content in
ways appropriate to the learner’s developing
language system.
Strategies for Content Instructors

To do this , teachers must utilize a variety of


techniques and strategies for making content
instruction comprehensible. These instructional
techniques fall into 4 general categories:
1. Modifying Input
2. Using Contextual Cues
3. Checking for Understanding
4. Designing Appropriate Lessons
1. Modifying Input

It is critical that content teachers adapt the


delivery of instruction to the second language
learners level of proficiency.
The ff. techniques are useful ways to modify input:
a. Slower (yet natural) rate of speech;
b. Clear enunciation
c. Controlled vocabulary/limited initial use of
idioms.
2. Using Contextual Cues

Content teachers must provide second language


learners with multiple cues to meaning so that they
do not have to rely solely on the spoken or written
word to understand difficult material.
a. gestures;
b. dramatization of meaning through facial
expressions, pantomime, role play
c. visuals, including pictures, photographs, slides ,
maps, graphs, diagrams;
d. d. realia (i.e., actual physical object)
2. Using Contextual Cues

e. bulletin boards;
f. word banks (charts which associate math vocabulary
w/ their corresponding symbols)
g. building predictability into instructional routines
such as opening and closing activities, directions
and homework assignments, so that students can
figure out what to do even if they don’t completely
understand the spoken instruction)
h. building redundancy into lessons through
repetitions, restatement and exemplification.
3. Checking for Understanding

There are variety of techniques which can be used


to ensure that students understand both the
language used in instruction and the concepts
being imparted.
a. Asking students to decide if information is true or
false;
b. Asking students to provide examples;
c. Having students paraphrase important terms in
their own words;
d. Having students summarize key information
3. Checking for Understanding

e. Asking students both factual questions (e.g., Who?,


What?) and referential questions (Why? And what
would you do if..?)
f. Having students as each other questions
4. Designing Appropriate
Lessons

Content teachers working with second language


learners must take extra measures in lesson
planning in the ff. areas:
a. Vocabulary Instruction
- systematic activities for vocabulary
instruction must be devised.
b. Prioritizing Objectives
- decide what key concepts should receive the
most attention.
4. Designing Appropriate
Lessons

c. Providing Schema-building activities


- reviewing previously covered materials,
relating ideas to the students’ own experiences
and using brainstorming.
d. Learner grouping strategies
- a variety of grouping arrangements should be
employed.

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