Foreign language teachers' perceptions and practice of content based instruction in a Turkish university

Abstract

The purpose of this case study was to investigate foreign language instructors’ perceptions of content-based instruction (CBI), and diverse CBI models in Karadeniz Technical University, where content-based instruction was once used but then terminated in the Department of Basic English and is still in use by only some instructors in the Department of Modern Languages. Another aim was to find out the potential advantages and disadvantages of using content-based instruction in university preparatory programs. The preliminary data were collected through observations, and two questionnaires, one in the Department of Basic English and the other in the Department of Modern Languages. The descriptive analysis of the questionnaires was used as a basis for selecting the final sample group of six instructors who were interviewed during the second phase of the data collection. In addition, focus group discussions with CBI-practicing instructors were organized. The findings of the study showed that the majority of the language instructors from both departments clearly regarded content-based instruction as a better and desired way of preparing students for their further academic studies. On the other hand, most of them were also aware of the particular challenges and obstacles which hindered the implementation of content-based instruction. The controversy in the EFL instructors’ perceptions of content-based instruction arose over the interpretation of these challenges and obstacles.