Theme-based Teaching

In order to distinguish theme-based teaching from content-based teaching, it is important to distinguish between what I will call “strong” and “weak” versions of content-based teaching (not to be confused in any way with “good” and “bad”). In the strong version, the primary purpose of a course is to instruct students in a subject-matter area. Of secondary and subordinate interest language. All four of the examples of content-based instruction named above are good illustrations of the strong version. English for specific purposes (ESP) at the university level, for example, gathers engineering majors together in a course designed to teach terminology, concepts, and current issues in engineering. Because students are ESL students, they must of course learn this material in English, which the teacher is prepared to help them with. Immersion and sheltered programs, along with programs in writing across the curriculum are similarly focused.

A weak form of content-based teaching actually pieces of an equal value on content and language objectives. While the curriculum, to be sure, is organized around subject-matter area, both students and teachers are fully aware that language skills do not occupy a subordinate role. Students have no doubt chosen to take a course or curriculum because their language skills need improvement, and they are now able to work toward that improvement without being battered with linguistically based topic. The ultimate payoff is that their language skills are indeed enhanced, but through focal attention to topic, and peripheral attention to language.

The major principles underlying both theme-based and content-based instruction are:
1. the automaticity principle
2. the meaningful learning principle
3. the intrinsic motivation principle
4. the communicative competence principle

All these principles are well served by themed-based instruction and/or by courses that are successfully able to get students excited and interested in some topic, issue, idea, or problem rather than bored or weary of overanalyzing linguistic rules.

Numerous current ESL textbooks, especially at the intermediate to advanced levels, offer theme-based courses of study. Such textbooks catch the curiosity and motivation of students with challenging topics and as they grapple with a whole. Array of real-life issues ranging from simple to complex; they can also focus on improving their linguistic skills.