The Integrative Strategies Of

Teaching

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Thematic Instruction
• Students learn through different modes, styles and multiple intelligences.
Teachers should access and integrate these modes for increasing
opportunities for students to access and retain new knowledge (Gardner,
1993).

• Research on brain-based teaching explains that the brain learns, and

recalls learning, through nonlinear patterns that emphasize coherence
rather than fragmentation. The more teachers make connecting patterns
explicit and accessible for students, the easier the brain will integrate
new information (Hart, 1983).

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Thematic Instruction
• Connecting patterns
Three of many possible
• Linear (vine model)
• Radial (daisy model)
• Interlocking (rose model)

• http://www.netc.org/focus/strategies/them.php

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Thematic Instruction

Connecting patterns
Three of many possible
• Linear (vine model)
• Some piece of each lesson connects
• Radial (daisy model)
• Lessons are unified by a central theme
• Interlocking (rose model)
• Each lesson is somewhat dependent on the others

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Thematic Instruction
Connecting patterns
• Linear (vine model)
• Some piece of each lesson connects with others, two at a time

Looking at seedsSeeds have characteristics we can measure

(Science)
Measurement can help us describe things, like animals
(Math)
Descriptions are made more complete using language, such as when we describe our school yard
(Language)
The description of a place often makes us think of the history of the place, why people changed the place…
(Social Studies)
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Thematic Instruction

Connecting patterns
Radial (daisy
model)
• Lessons are
unified by a Bats
central
theme

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Thematic Instruction
Connecting patterns
Interlocking (rose
model)
• Each lesson is
somewhat
dependent on
the others

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Activity
How can you link them?
• Math
• Language
• Science
• Social science

How can you make the results from one subject be important for
what is done in the other subjects?

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Could content-based instruction
help students learn language?

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So, what do we do?

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Objectives:
 What is CBI?
 Why use CBI?
 How can I use CBI?

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What is CBI?

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Definition of CBI
“The concurrent study of language and subject
matter, with the form and sequence of language
presentation dictated by content material…”
Brinton, Snow, & Wesche (1989)

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Students do not focus on
learning about English --
they learn through English.

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 Features of CBI
1. Curriculum is based on content
• Science
• Social Studies
• Literature (language arts)

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 Features of CBI
2. Dual objective: content & language
mastery

Content Language

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Features of CBI
3. Use of authentic
language, texts &
tasks

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Features of CBI
4. Meets students
needs
5. Language teaching
focuses on
communicating
meaning—not
structure

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Role of Teachers
• Knowledgeable about language
• “Knowledgeable” about the target content
area

Educators must teach language in a way that

is different from the method they would use
for general English courses

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 What did I learn?
What do I think?

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Why use CBI?

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What can using CBI do for my
students?
• Language gains
• Gains in subject-matter knowledge
• Increase in learner motivation
• Improvement in students’ self-confidence
• Higher self-assessment of own skills
• Positive influence on attitude towards
language
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Why does CBI help learning?
• Motivates
• Raises self-confidence / lower anxiety
• Matches students’ interests and needs with
interesting and meaningful content
• Provides real “input” and opportunities for
“output”
• Facilitates content-language interaction
• Activates prior knowledge

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 How can I use
CBI?

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• Is it necessary learn English? --YES
• Are students motivated to learn English? –No, but
CBI can help
• Do you have enough time to teach English? – No,
but working with content from other subjects can
help/ interdisciplinary projects

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Implications
• Collaboration with other teachers
• Interdisciplinary projects
• Different way of organizing structures
• No longer “traditional order” (from simple to
complex) – present tense & conditionals
together???
• Curriculum must be well planned

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Additional task

Create a group in facebook, so you can

download presentations of past lessons

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Research activity
• IDENTIFY LESSON/LESSONS WHERE THEMATIC TEACHING IS
BEST APPLICABLE
• IDENTIFY LESSON/LESSONS WHERE THEMATIC TEACHING IS
BEST APPLICABLE

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Thank you!

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Bibliography

• Brinton, D., Snow, M.A., Wesche, M.B. (1989). Content-

based Second Language Instruction. Boston, MA:
Heinle & Heinle.
• Formar en lenguas extranjeras: Ingles. (2006).
Ministerio de Educación Nacional.
• Short, D.J. (1994). Expanding Middle School Horizons:
Integrating Language, Culture, and Social Studies TESOL
Quarterly, 28(3).
• Snow, M.A., Met, M. & Genesee, F. (1989). A
conceptual Framework for the Integration of
language and content in second/foreign language
instruction. TESOL Quarterly, 23 (2).
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