Teachers are engaged in a content-based environmental lesson at Waldsee's BioHaus.

Today the focus of our professional discussions and interactions centered around the notion of teaching a second language through a specific content-area. We talked about how Content-Based Instruction (CBI) is not a new concept – in fact the idea of CBI has been around for decades and is the basis for core curriculum in immersion schools. We furthered our discussions to encompass “thematic-based teaching,” which is where a curriculum is organized around a “thematic center” and which include instructional strategies and activities that teach language concepts along with the content of the theme. Once again we took a critical look at how the Language Villages strives to integrate content at its core, using the language as the vehicle for instruction. We also took a look at our own teaching assignments and settings, and contemplated the notion of if content-based instruction would/could work, and why or why not. The discussions were fascinating, yet varied, but our group was very much in agreement that language instruction should be purposeful and meaningful to the learner, should be learner-centered, ideally should take place out of a “real” need to interact and communicate, and should be experiential and hands-on. It came to no surprise that the professional literature we read paralleled the goals and guiding principles of the Concordia Language Villages. In terms of classroom implications, we also realize that content-based language instruction is something that is very difficult and challenging to do in non-immersion programs. Yet, as professional language educators, we need to recognize the value in CBI and also the invaluable role that CBI activities can play in developing both language proficiency as well as cultural proficiency or knowledge. We need to look for ways to integrate more content, using the language to teach the content rather than using the grammar and vocabulary of the language BE the content. 

 

“Content-Based Instruction…it makes complete sense to me. Today’s conversations and readings have made me rethink my teaching strategies. I know that I use a lot of active learning strategies but I realize that I can use so many more that would simulate real-life situations at every level that I teach.”  –Laurie, high school Spanish teacher from Illinois

“While I realize that it is next to impossible to teach in my high school foreign language classroom setting solely using content-based instruction, I also realize that it can be done some of the time and that those are the lessons the kids remember the most and will think the hardest about. Those are the lessons that will leave the most lasting impact on the students. Because those are the lessons that are meaningful and real, not based on some contrived situation or conversation. The students are using the language for a purpose.” - Jen, high school German teacher from Pennsylvania