Content-based Instruction from an Insider’s Perspective

Despite the growing demand for content-based instruction (CBI) at the university level, little research has investigated learners’ perceptions of and needs in CBI. Even these handful of studies have produced mixed results. The aims of the present study were twofold: (1) to identify the needs of Korean university learners in CBI courses and (2) to examine their perceptions of CBI with respect to both affective and linguistic aspects of second language (L2) learning. To these ends, questionnaires were administered to university learners, in which both quantitative and qualitative approaches were adopted to provide an in-depth analysis of the data. The results showed that the main purpose of taking CBI courses was to improve or maintain English skills and that the majority of learners had highly positive attitudes towards the target language and CBI. Learners perceived CBI to be beneficial in both affective and linguistic domains of L2 learning. Although the majority of learners perceived CBI as a rewarding experience that enhanced their content knowledge as well as L2 proficiency, they experienced difficulties in speaking in the target language, L2 academic listening comprehension, and emotional challenges. The present study identified areas requiring improvement in CBI from an insider’s perspective. The paper further provides suggestions to improve the implementation of CBI at the university level.