Impact of content-based language instruction on EFL young learners' language development and learning motivation

Abstract

This study examined the impact of Content-based language instruction on primary EFL young learners in Taiwan in terms of learning motivation and language development. It investigated how content-based language instruction, impacts on learners' learning motivation, language attitude, classroom anxiety, and language development. The impetus of the present study was motivated by the growing population attending private institutions for better language instruction in Taiwan and research indicating that language is more effectively learnt when the target language is in authentic use. Content-based language instruction has been widely implemented as a L2 instruction approach in North America and Europe since the 1980's, after the Success of the innovative French immersion programme in Quebec, Canada in 1965. Numerous studies have shown impressive results on learners' L2 development while learning other subjects by using their L2 (Swain, 1982, Chamot, 1985, O'Malley, 1987, Brinton, 1989, Akunal, 1992). This teaching approach has proved to be effective for developing learners' functional language fluency, academic achievement and is thought to be motivating. This study employed, a case study design. English proficiency was measured using Pienemann's Rapid Profile (1988, 2001) and self-assessments; motivation and anxiety were examined using questionnaires, teachers' interviews, and video recordings conducted in a private bilingual primary grade 1 class. Results showed that although leavers tend to participate more actively in subject-learning classes than language input classes and have benefited from the programme in terms of language development, many subjects showed higher classroom anxiety in the post-course questionnaire. Further, the results also showed a strong positive correlation between learning motivation and classroom anxiety after learners had undergone six weeks of Content-based language instruction.