Turkish primary-level efl teachers’ views on the scope and effectiveness of content-based instruction

Abstract

The present study aims to report on the perceptions of a group of English as a foreign (EFL) teachers’ on content-based instruction (CBI) in English as a foreign language teaching and its effectiveness for primary school students. The teachers participating in the study offered English as a foreign language through CBI and they were interviewed about their perspectives in terms of CBI lessons and the nature of overall program. In-service English language teachers working with young language learners received questions about the effectiveness of CBI, the advantages and disadvantages of implementation of CBI and their experiences and observations with it. The results show that CBI is a major opportunity for language teachers to increase the quality of English instruction with young language learners. Teaching and learning through content is fun and worthwhile both for students and teachers. Data collected through focus group interview reveal that teachers have positive attitudes towards CBI and they are quite informed about the scope and effectiveness of this instructional program for young language learners. Findings of the present study have important implications for policy makers and educational planning in Turkey by creating authentic learning opportunities integrating content matter with foreign language instruction.