A Feasibility Study Of Content-based Instruction In Southwest China Universities

With the deepening of the globalization, more and more talents who are proficient inspecialty and English are required in each domain. However, the number of these elites is stillvery small. How to develop the undergraduates’ professional abilities and improve theirEnglish level are urgent problems to be solved. Content-based Instruction in short is theteaching of content or information in second or foreign language, in which the teaching isorganized around the content rather than around language. It is undoubtedly an effective wayto solve the above problems. Although in the past two decades, scholars in our country havebeen researching into Content-based Instruction, most of these studies are introduction orsummary of the research findings from other countries, rather than based on data analysis.Therefore, in order to find a training scheme for inter-disciplinary talent conforming to theChina’s national conditions, especially southwest China universities, this thesis is a feasibilitystudy of Content-based Instruction in content courses and undertakes a series of empiricalresearches in colleges and universities from Chengdu. The study mainly includes threeaspects.Firstly, it is the analysis of English level of students. The participants are44undergraduates from Xihua University and38undergraduates from Southwest JiaotongUniversity. Through the correlation analyses of the total score and each module’s scorebetween the CanTEST and the CET6, the results are used to predict whether undergraduates’English proficiency meets the requirements of Content-based Instruction courses. Apreliminary judgment is made about the proportion of these undergraduates in allundergraduates.The study shows, the correlation coefficients of total score between the CanTEST andthe CET6are0.505(XHU group) and0.549(SWJTU group). In addition, according to theresults of correlation analyses and CET6passing rate, data show that about20%undergraduates in general universities and about50%in key universities can reach orapproach the demands of English proficiency in CBI courses.Secondly, it is the analysis and discussion on quality of teachers. The bottleneck for theapplication of Content-based Instruction is qualified teachers, who mainly include two types,one is returned professional teacher who are adept in English; the other is the cooperation ofEnglish teacher and subject teacher. The investigation into the number of the former isconducted in some universities in Chengdu, and the profile of qualified teachers in Chengdu’suniversities is analyzed and more suggestions and measures have been put forward about thetraining of qualified teachers.Thirdly, it is the analysis of teaching materials. There are original textbooks, thetranslation of the original edition and the domestic teaching materials in general. The advantages and disadvantages of the three types are analyzed and improvement measures areproposed.From the above three aspects, this thesis discusses the feasibility of Content-basedInstruction in southwest China universities. Moreover, the strategies of applyingContent-based Instruction in stages are discussed. The conclusion that Content-basedInstruction is feasible in some southwest China universities where condition is permitted isdrawn. The writer hopes to promote the development of Content-based Instruction and finallyachieve the goal that more inter-disciplinary talents will be cultivated.