Failure of Humanities-based Instruction to Achieve Students’ Language Goal in College English Courses

Fuhua Liu

doi:10.23977/langta.2020.030101

Abstract

The present paper is a detailed analysis of failure of humanities-based instruction to achieve students’ language goal in college English courses. The essence of content-based instruction and the phenomenon of applying humanities-based instruction to achieve students’ language goal are briefly introduced; the reasons for the failure are analyzed; corresponding remedies are offered.

Highlights

Content-based instruction or CBI for short refers to the shift of focus from language-based learning and teaching to content-based learning and teaching that naturally induce language acquisition [1-3]
Many foreign language universities or departments have turned to content-based instruction or CBI to enhance students’ language abilities
The present paper first clarifies the definition of CBI, a learning and teaching method aiming to improve students’ language abilities through content-focused learning and teaching by purposefully ignoring the crust of content---language

Summary

Introduction

Content-based instruction or CBI for short refers to the shift of focus from language-based learning and teaching to content-based learning and teaching that naturally induce language acquisition [1-3]. CBI indicates the change of teaching methods and teaching modes. In essence, it is a learning and teaching concept as to how to learn a foreign language efficiently and effectively. Many foreign language universities or departments have turned to content-based instruction or CBI to enhance students’ language abilities. While most universities or departments use theme-based instruction, a sub-type of CBI, in a bid to improve students’ English proficiency, especially their output-oriented proficiency in real communicative situations, some universities or departments take a step further, intending to improve students’ language abilities through the study of humanistic subjects such as history, geography and religion of some major foreign countries or Chinese culture. 2.1 The Infeasibility of Applying Humanities-based Instruction to Achieve Students’

Language Goal

Conclusion