Content Based language Instruction is about teaching students how to learn but content is a tricky word to describe using language.
While teaching has everything to do with the language that you are using, the CBI teacher should be interested in the fact that the student leaves the situation knowing the gist of what was said. The central theme for me in this context is—“You can do it!” If the student thinks to him/herself that they can find their way through the situation at hand—even in a tight spot—then I have accomplished my goal.
The Cognitive Academic Language Learning Approach seems to hold some promise for me. A cognitive approach to anything for me involves an ongoing process of experience versus thought. As a student I tend to learn only half as well if the whole class is lecture and I am not the only one that learns to this way. I have begun noticing gestures and how they interact with language. Dance has this similar quality. An explanation is helpful but the whole world doesn’t happen over the telephone. To be shown how to do something is significantly better.
I think it is interesting how bilingual classrooms are less common and ESL pull-out is looked upon with some derision in many ESL programs. However, my class book may be going out of date if left alone. This may be inevitable as the old ways fall into disfavor and eventually new things replace them. If the teachers who designed this approach had not insisted upon being hands on it would have fallen to the wayside even before it got off of the ground.
The one aspect I like the most about both CBI and CALLA is that it is hands on. In order to learn a student must first be told that they can learn. The teacher must become a partner with their students and not an adversary. Given today’s standards and precedents this can be a hard job to do—especially in California’s cities, but given a little faith and hard work it might.
This is series is a retrospective of my life taken from emails that I sent or received on the First of the Month.
