Summer Institute of English, Irkutsk, Russia
June 17-21, 2004  

Exploring U.S. Culture While Developing
Academic English Skills through Content-Based Courses

 

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"As students master language, they are able to learn more content, and as students learn more content, they're able to improve their language skills."
Fredricka L. Stoller

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I. Introduction - Academic English Studies at Lewis & Clark College

 

II. Four Principles for Successful Implementation of Content-Based Instruction (Stoller)

A. Sound Teaching Practices

B. Methods of Promoting the Acquistion of Content

C. Techniques for Incorporating Levels of Complexity

D. Approaches for Building Curricular Coherence

 

III. Sound Teaching Practices (Stoller)

A. Extended input, meaningful output, and feedback on language and grasp of content

B. Information gathering, processing, and reporting

C. Integrated skills

D. Task-based activities and project work, enhanced by cooperative learning principles

E. Strategy training

F. Visual support

G. Contextualized grammar instruction

H. Culminating synthesis activities

 

IV. Summary of Three Content-Based Course at the AES

A. Law and Society in the U.S.

B. Controversial Issues in the U.S.

C. Diversity and Civil Rights in the U.S.

 

V. Sample Materials and Teaching Activities

A. Law and Society in the U.S.

1. Contact assignment

2. Mock trial video clip

 

B. Controversial Issues in the U.S.

1. Where do you stand?

2. Basics on abortion (Internet)

3. Video project clip - Abortion rights

 

C. Diversity and Civil Rights in the U.S.

1. African American Civil Rights Museum-Telefieldtrip

 

VI. Teacher Participation

A. The Paper Clip Game (Law)

 

B. Shipwrecked Sailors (Law)

 

VII. Wrap-up/Discussion

 

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Resources

Print

Adamson, H.D. (1993). Academic competence: Theory and classroom practice: Preparing ESL students for content courses. Longman Publishing Group.

Byrnes, H. (2000). Languages across the curriculum&emdash;interdepartmental curriculum construction. In M-R. Kecht & K. von Hammerstein (Eds.), Languages across the curriculum: Interdisciplinary structures and internationalized education. National East Asian Languages Resource Center. Columbus, OH: The Ohio State University.

Chamot, A.U., & O'Malley, J.M. (1994). The CALLA handbook: Implementing the cognitive academic language learning approach. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company.

Crandall, J. (1993). Content-centered learning in the United States. In W. Grabe, C. Ferguson, R. B. Kaplan, G. R. Tucker, & H. G. Widdowson (Eds.), Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 13. Issues in second language teaching and learning (pp. 111-126). NY: Cambridge University Press.

Eskey, D. E. (1997). Syllabus design in content-based instruction. In M. A. Snow & D. A. Brinton (Eds.), The content-based classroom: Perspectives on integrating language and content (pp. 132-141). White Plains, NY: Longman.

Grabe, W., & Stoller, F. L. (1997). Content-based instruction: Research foundations. In M. A. Snow, & D. M. Brinton (Eds.), The content-based classroom: Perspectives on integrating language and content (pp. 5-21). White Plains, NY: Longman.

Kasper, L.F. (2000). Content-based college ESL instruction. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Met, M. (1999, January). Content-based instruction: Defining terms, making decisions. NFLC Reports. Washington, DC: The National Foreign Language Center.

Richard-Amato, P.A. & Snow, M.A. (1992). The Multicultural Classroom: Readings for Content-Area Teachers. Menlo Park, CA: Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., Inc.

Short, D. (1993). Assessing Integrated Language and Content Instruction. TESOL Quarterly, 27(4), 627-656.

Wesche, M. B. (1993). Discipline-based approaches to language study: Research issues and outcomes. In M. Krueger & F. Ryan (Eds.) Language and content: Discipline- and content-based approaches to language study. Lexington, MA: D.C. Heath.

 

Online

Blue We'bn. (2004). Blue Web'n is an online library of 1800+ outstanding Internet sites categorized by subject, grade level, and format. Available online at: http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/bluewebn/

(CARLA) Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition. ( 2004). Content-based language teaching with technology. Available online at: http://www.carla.umn.edu/cobaltt/

Kasper, L.F. (2002). Technology as a tool for literacy in the age of information: Implications for the ESL classroom. Teaching English in the Two-Year College (Special issue on "English in a New Key: Reporting on, and Critiquing, Technology-Mediated Instruction"), 30(2), 129-144. Available online at: http://lkasper.tripod.com/technology.pdf

Kavaliauskiene, G. (2003). Learning ESP on the internet: Attitudes and difficulties. English for Specific Purposes World. Available online at: http://www.esp world.info/ Articles_4/ Kavaliauskiene.htm

KidsClick. (1995-2003). Available online at: http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/KidsClick!/
Librarians have developed this searchable directory divided into 15 categories. Every entry is rated for reading level and amount of illustration

Krajki, J. (2002). English for specific purposes on the world wide web-a proposal for a web-based coursebook supplement. English for Specific Purposes World. Available online at: http://www.esp-world.info/articles_5/ESP%20ON%20THE%20WWW_2.htm

Krauss, M. (2002). Integrating Technology Across the Curriculum: Internet/Computer Writing Resources for a Content-Based Curriculum: A Sampling of Web-Based Resources for Content Instruction. Available online at: http://www.lclark.edu/~krauss/tesol98/webresources.html
Over 30 high-quality sites-excellent for content instruction

Maro Polo: Internet Content for the Classroom. (2004). Available online at: http://www.marcopolo-education.org/
Seven content Web sites: Arts, Economics, Humanities, Science, Math, Reading/Language Arts, and Geography

McVicker, J. (2002). Topics to read, write, and talk about. Available online at: http://www.ohiou.edu/esl/project/index.html
A collection of Web sites designed for second language learners on: Society and Politics, History and Culture, Science and Technology, and more.

Public Agenda (2004). Available online at: http://www.publicagenda.org/
A non-partisan, non-profit Web site providing information on a range of controversial issues in the U.S.

Stoller, F.L. (2002). Content-based instruction: A shell for language teaching or a framework for strategic language and content learning? Available online at: http://www.carla.umn.edu/cobaltt/modules/strategies/stoller.html

Street Law. (2004). Available online at: http://www.streetlaw.org/
Street Law is practical, participatory education about law, democracy and human rights. Site includes teaching resources and lesson plans.

Tolerance.org (2004). Available online at: http://www.tolerance.org/
Tolerance.org provides: Daily news about groups and individuals working for tolerance and fighting hate, guidebooks, and practical resources for parents and teachers.