Diane Larsen-Freeman

138 Content-based , Task -based, and Participatory Approaches
areas. Of course, when students stud}' academic subjects in a non-native
language, they will need a great dea l of assistance in understanding subject
matter texts; therefore. there must be clear language objectives as
well as content learn ing objectives. Because the language objectives are
dictated by the texts, content- based instru ction rightfully fits in with the
other meth ods in this cha pter where the selection and sequence of language
items arise from communicative needs, not prcdcrerrnincd syllabi.
ExperienceI
Let us step into the classroom, where a sixth grade class in an international
school in Taipei is studying bot h geography and English through
content-based instruction. Most of the students are Chinese speakers , bur
there are several native speakers o f Japanese and a few Korean. The
teacher asks the students in English what a globe is. A few call out
·\...-orld.' Others make a circle with their arms. Others are silent. Th e
teacher then reaches under her desk and takes out a globe. She put s the
globe on her desk and asks the students what they know about it.
They call out answers ent husiastically as she records their answers on
I Thi, lesson i, based Oil ( ;Ioria Cnsrclli (1 994): A" integrated, Cmlfl'nt·b