Teaching Content in EFL Classrooms

1. WORK HISTORY 16 years of language teaching -10 at universities in Australia, Japan & Europe -8 teaching content in EFL settings RESEARCH HISTORY PhD in Education (Second language teaching and Learning) (Global Englishes) Teaching Content in EFL Classrooms Heath Rose School of Linguistic, Speech & Communication Sciences, Trinity College, The University of Dublin, Ireland

2. Workshop outline

3. Opening questions… • In what department do you teach (or study)? • If you are engaged in the teaching of content through English: • Why do students choose to learn this content through English? • Why did the department decide to offer courses taught in English? • If you are engaged in language teaching: • What ways can you/do you incorporate content into the curriculum?

4. Part 1 The global context of English medium instruction

5. Key terms • Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) • Task-based Language Teaching (TBLT) • Content-based language teaching (CBLT) • Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) • English Medium Instruction (EMI)

6. What is CLIL? • CLIL: Content and Language Integrated Learning • ‘CLIL is an approach in which a foreign language is used as a tool in the learning of a non-language subject in which both language and the subject have a joint role.’ (Marsh in Coyle, 2006). • CLIL is teaching content with language sensitivity.

7. Global Context • “English medium instruction has become commonplace in many institutes of higher education where English is not the native language” (Wilkinson, 2013: 3) • Economic, social, political & educational drivers • Half of the world’s international students are learning through English (Ball & Lindsay, 2013) • Internationalisation and English Medium Instruction are intertwined (Kirkpatrick, 2011)

8. European Context • In 2007, there were 2400 programs taught in English at 400 mainland European universities and colleges. • This is a 340% increase in just 5 years • (In 2002 only 700 such programs) (Source: Wachter & Waiworm, 2008) • This trend in happening worldwide (Doiz et al., 2013)

9. The Japanese context • Economic and political drivers are playing a vital role in recent years, and will continue to have a huge impact on English content programs in the future in Japanese higher education. • However, the initial movement toward content was more driven by educational needs, rather than political or economic drivers. • Need for education of an international population • Need for further development of high-proficiency students in universitiesknown for language specialization.

10. Changing approaches to education Grammar Centered CLT CBLT Grammar Centered CBLT CLT ? EMI (CLIL) CLT CBLT EMI (CLIL)

11. This movement is just the beginning in Japan • Domestic firms require English proficiency (TOEIC) • Globalization is causing greater use of English as Lingua Franca in business and society • International firms require use of English in some capacity (e.g. Maersk) • Domestic firms are pushing to use English as a Lingua Franca (e.g. Uniqlo, Rakuten) • Universities are attempting to tap into the international student market

12. Part 2 studentS engaged in EMI IN THE GLOBAL CONTEXT

13. Defining Bilingualism

14. Q1 What is the background of the students in your typical classroom?

15. Balanced Bilingual / monolingual NES Dominant Bilingual

16. Native English as a yardstick Native-English Highly proficient Bilingual Less proficient Bilingual

17. What does this mean for the classroom? • Many teachers see the multilingual mixed-language-ability classroom as a balancing act between between higher & lower proficiency students. • If you focus on language, higher proficiency students gets bored. If you teach at a high level, the lower proficiency students are at a disadvantage. • A move toward content shifts focus away from language. • In the language classroom shift to academic skills

18. Ways to minimize language differences in a content classroom • Do not use Native English as a yardstick • Teach with language sensitivity / support • Shift the focus of assessment on knowledge of content rather than language ability. • For lower proficiency classes, follow a standard text, or compilation of readings. • Adapt teaching methods to incorporate more student-centered approaches

19. 1. Don’t use the Native English as a yardstick for comparison I teach like I would back home. If the students can’t handle my class, it’s their problem. They shouldn’t be in the class. If your students are not native English speakers, do not expect them to perform like one in terms of language ability. They ARE in your class, and NE should not be the yardstick for their performance. Content teacher This point of view is quite antiquated, and not in line with current trends of how English is used as an international language

20. 2. Teach with language sensitivity I don’t want to “dumb-down” content. • Being sensitive to language used in the classroom and in lectures DOES NOT mean you have to “dumb-down” the content. Being sensitive to language can merely involve adapting your vocabulary choices, clarity of speech and organization of ideas. Content teacher

21. Airey (2011) • Airey did her doctoral research on student and teacher attitudes in a Swedish university where students learned through English. • Students thought there was no difference in their ability to learn content in their L1 and L2. • However, her study discovered important differences in learning and understanding of key concepts in the L2.

22. 3. Shift the focus on assessment of knowledge of content rather than language use. • Use a grading rubric rather than assigning an arbitrary score to written assignments and presentations. This way you minimize your evaluation of language as part of the final score. • Don’t grade content papers for grammar (or don’t make this the focus of your feedback) • Content, support for ideas, and successful communication of this content should be the focus of assessment, rather than grammar.

25. How can I justify giving an “A” to a paper full of grammatical errors? If you are a content lecturer, it is the students’ demonstration of and application of content that should be of primary interest. Teacher If you are a language teacher, it is the communicative effectiveness of the assignment which should be valued over grammatical accuracy. Over-correcting grammar detracts from a communicative focus.

26. Should students be treated differently? • In mixed ability classroom, assessment is a point of contention for many engaged in CLIL. • Ball & Linsay (2013) note that many teachers are torn between the unfairness to lower-proficiency students when students are treated the same, and the unfairness to higher proficiency students if a distinction in assessment is made. • Ultimately, this decision is a matter of classroom policy (BUT lower proficiency students CAN outperform even the NES)

27. 4. Follow a standard text, or compilation of readings • Following a standard text allows students to take advantage of their different strengths and weaknesses. • If a student has had difficulty following a lecture, they can find the information in the text. • Following a standard text can give your course structure, which can improve understanding of course content. • Ask students to read before the lecture (Airey, 2011)

28. 5. Adapt approaches to teaching • Try to employ more student-centered approaches to your classes. • Studies in education show that students learn more through discussion and discovery than through lectures alone. • This is also true in NE environments • In NNES environments, different approaches can elicit more participation from students (e.g. engage in group discussions, before class discussion or student Q & A) • Airey (2011) found EMI courses to have less interaction in lectures and students were more hesitant to ask and answer questions).

29. What the literature says… • “Students may find that listening to lectures does not enhance their own productive competencies (writing and speaking)in the subjects of study. For this reason a student-centered approach has been argued as important for helping both academic staff and students” (Wilkinson, 2013: 15) • Swain argues for increased language production for students. • “A learner is unconvinced that he/she has assimilated a concept until he/she has ‘expressed it’.” (Ball & Lindsay, 2013)

33. Part 3 The curriculum of content-driven programs in EFL settings

34. Typical course structures of bilingual education programs Y1 Y4 Language Support Content-based courses Skills-based courses (e.g. English for Academic purposes) Content-based courses Content-based courses Skills-based courses Courses taught in L1

35. Importance of skill training in a content-driven curriculum • CALP (Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency) is MORE vital than general language ability when undertaking content classes in a foreign language (Doiz, Lasagabaster, & Sierra, 2013) • Thus, academic skills courses are essential for NNES [and NES for that matter] before engaging in the learning of content in a foreign language.

36. Academic English is NOT the same as Native English Academic language is no one’s mother tongue, and especially not so to international students if it is the alien version called academic English. (Klitgard, 2011: 186)

37. First content courses with language support (ESP) Overseas EAP: Experience using EIL Introductory EAP: Training to use EIL for study purposes Advanced EAP: First business projects in English Overseas exchange programs further use of EIL Using English for academic study of business content Career-focused courses and internships using EIL

38. Question 2 • How is the program organized in the department where you teach? Draw a simple diagram on your handout …

39. Learning outcomes Outcomes should be created from student needs. Curriculum design is a backward process it starts at analyzing students’ FUTURE needs.

43. Q3 Your Learning Outcomes • On the handout, think of learning outcomes for a course that you teach. • Write two outcomes that you expect students to have already achieved BEFORE they take your course. • Write two outcomes that students should have achieved AFTER completion of your course.

44. Improving coordination between courses within a program • Outcomes need to be established for each course • Outcomes need to be consistent for all courses sharing the same subject name. • Outcomes for previous courses MUST match up with expectations of later courses if not, the curriculum is failing to meet student needs.

45. Part 4 Understanding YOUR STUDENTS’ future ENGLISH USAGE

46. Task 3

47. The changing sociolinguistic landscape of English

48. (Crystal, 2008:5)

50. Despite movements toward English as an International Language (Not NL) The ELT industry continues to view the English language as a static, monolithic entity and Native English (NE), or ‘native-like’ proficiency is the desired goal. Matsuda and Friedrich (2012) point out, “the linguistic, cultural and functional diversity associated with English today challenges some of the fundamental assumptions of English language teaching (ELT) and requires that we revisit our pedagogical practices, especially in classrooms where English is taught as an international language” (p. 17).