The Effectiveness of Content-Based Language Teaching and Task-Based Language Teaching in Teaching Reading to Learners of Military English

Yanxia Li; Zhuo Chen

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ellc.20190402.12

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The Effectiveness of Content-Based Language Teaching and Task-Based Language Teaching in Teaching Reading to Learners of Military English

Yanxia Li, Zhuo Chen

Received: 22 April 2019 Accepted: 2 June 2019 Published: 24 June 2019

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Abstract

This study explored the effectiveness of Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) and Content-Based Language Teaching (CBLT) on the reading ability of military English learners. 120 sophomore learners of military English were pretested and then homogenized and evenly assigned to four classes, with two belonging to the control group and the other two the experimental group. The control group received reading instruction based on CBLT, while the experimental group received reading instruction based on TBLT, both two sessions a week for 10 weeks. After the intervention, they were posttested. Then, their pretest scores and posttest scores were analyzed on SPSS 19.0 using paired samples t-test and independent samples t-test. A follow-up interview was also carried out to collect students’ feedback on the teaching method used. The results show that both the TBLT group and the CBLT group improved significantly regarding their reading ability from the pretest to the posttest, with the TBLT group outperformed the CBLT group in the posttest. It can be concluded that both TBLT and CBLT methods are effective in teaching reading comprehension to learners of military English, with TBLT method being more effective. A follow-up interview was carried out to explore the underlying reasons and some pedagogical implications are listed accordingly.

DOI	10.11648/j.ellc.20190402.12
Published in	English Language, Literature & Culture (Volume 4, Issue 2, June 2019)
Page(s)	39-43
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

English for Specific Purposes, Content-Based Language Teaching, Task-Based Language Teaching, Reading Comprehension

References

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[2]	Tzoannopouloua, M. (2015). Rethinking ESP: Integrating content and language in the university classroom. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 173: 149–153.
[3]	Swales, J. (1992). Language for specific purposes. In W. Bright (ed.), International Encyclopedia of Linguistics (Vol. 2). New York, Oxford: Oxford University Press. P. 300.
[4]	Dudley-Evans, T., St John, M. (1998). Developments in English for Specific Purposes: A Multi-disciplinary Approac Brinton, Snow h. Cambridge: CUP.
[5]	Brinton, D. M., Snow, M. A., & Wesche, M. B. (1989). Content-based Second Language Instruction. New York: Newbury House.
[6]	Snow, M. A. (2016). Content-based language teaching and academic language development. Handbook of research in second language teaching and learning, 3, 159.
[7]	Littlewood, W. (1981). Communicative Language Teaching: An Introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
[8]	Content-based instruction, (2015). Retrieved Jun. 5, 2015 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Content-based_instruction.
[9]	Ellis, R. (2000). Task-based Research and Language Pedagogy. Language teaching research. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
[10]	Long, M. H. (2016). In defense of tasks and TBLT: Nonissues and real issues. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 36, 5-33.
[11]	Ellis, R. (2003). Task-based Language Learning and Teaching. Oxford, New York: Oxford Applied Linguistics.
[12]	Leaver, B. & Willis, J. (2004). Task-Based Instruction in Foreign Language Education. Georgetown: Georgetown University Press.
[13]	Kasper, Loretta F. (2000) Content-Based College ESL Instruction: Theoretical Foundations and Pedagogical Applications. In Loretta F. Kasper et al. (eds) Content-Based College ESL Instruction. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Pp. 3-25.
[14]	Ellis, R. (2006). The Methodology of Task-Based Teaching. Journal of Foreign Language Education & Research 4: 79-101.
[15]	Faez, F., & Tavakoli, P. (2018). Task-Based Language Teaching. ELT Development Series. TESOL Press.

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APA Style

Yanxia Li, Zhuo Chen. (2019). The Effectiveness of Content-Based Language Teaching and Task-Based Language Teaching in Teaching Reading to Learners of Military English. English Language, Literature & Culture, 4(2), 39-43. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ellc.20190402.12

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Yanxia Li; Zhuo Chen. The Effectiveness of Content-Based Language Teaching and Task-Based Language Teaching in Teaching Reading to Learners of Military English. Engl. Lang. Lit. Cult. 2019, 4(2), 39-43. doi: 10.11648/j.ellc.20190402.12

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AMA Style

Yanxia Li, Zhuo Chen. The Effectiveness of Content-Based Language Teaching and Task-Based Language Teaching in Teaching Reading to Learners of Military English. Engl Lang Lit Cult. 2019;4(2):39-43. doi: 10.11648/j.ellc.20190402.12

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@article{10.11648/j.ellc.20190402.12,
  author = {Yanxia Li and Zhuo Chen},
  title = {The Effectiveness of Content-Based Language Teaching and Task-Based Language Teaching in Teaching Reading to Learners of Military English},
  journal = {English Language, Literature & Culture},
  volume = {4},
  number = {2},
  pages = {39-43},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ellc.20190402.12},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ellc.20190402.12},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ellc.20190402.12},
  abstract = {This study explored the effectiveness of Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) and Content-Based Language Teaching (CBLT) on the reading ability of military English learners. 120 sophomore learners of military English were pretested and then homogenized and evenly assigned to four classes, with two belonging to the control group and the other two the experimental group. The control group received reading instruction based on CBLT, while the experimental group received reading instruction based on TBLT, both two sessions a week for 10 weeks. After the intervention, they were posttested. Then, their pretest scores and posttest scores were analyzed on SPSS 19.0 using paired samples t-test and independent samples t-test. A follow-up interview was also carried out to collect students’ feedback on the teaching method used. The results show that both the TBLT group and the CBLT group improved significantly regarding their reading ability from the pretest to the posttest, with the TBLT group outperformed the CBLT group in the posttest. It can be concluded that both TBLT and CBLT methods are effective in teaching reading comprehension to learners of military English, with TBLT method being more effective. A follow-up interview was carried out to explore the underlying reasons and some pedagogical implications are listed accordingly.},
 year = {2019}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - The Effectiveness of Content-Based Language Teaching and Task-Based Language Teaching in Teaching Reading to Learners of Military English
AU  - Yanxia Li
AU  - Zhuo Chen
Y1  - 2019/06/24
PY  - 2019
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ellc.20190402.12
DO  - 10.11648/j.ellc.20190402.12
T2  - English Language, Literature & Culture
JF  - English Language, Literature & Culture
JO  - English Language, Literature & Culture
SP  - 39
EP  - 43
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2575-2413
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ellc.20190402.12
AB  - This study explored the effectiveness of Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) and Content-Based Language Teaching (CBLT) on the reading ability of military English learners. 120 sophomore learners of military English were pretested and then homogenized and evenly assigned to four classes, with two belonging to the control group and the other two the experimental group. The control group received reading instruction based on CBLT, while the experimental group received reading instruction based on TBLT, both two sessions a week for 10 weeks. After the intervention, they were posttested. Then, their pretest scores and posttest scores were analyzed on SPSS 19.0 using paired samples t-test and independent samples t-test. A follow-up interview was also carried out to collect students’ feedback on the teaching method used. The results show that both the TBLT group and the CBLT group improved significantly regarding their reading ability from the pretest to the posttest, with the TBLT group outperformed the CBLT group in the posttest. It can be concluded that both TBLT and CBLT methods are effective in teaching reading comprehension to learners of military English, with TBLT method being more effective. A follow-up interview was carried out to explore the underlying reasons and some pedagogical implications are listed accordingly.
VL  - 4
IS  - 2
ER  -

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Author Information

Yanxia Li

Department of Fundamental Courses Teaching, PLA Strategic Support Force Information Engineering University, Zhengzhou, China
Zhuo Chen

School of Foreign Studies, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China

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Plain Text BibTeX RIS

APA Style

Yanxia Li, Zhuo Chen. (2019). The Effectiveness of Content-Based Language Teaching and Task-Based Language Teaching in Teaching Reading to Learners of Military English. English Language, Literature & Culture, 4(2), 39-43. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ellc.20190402.12

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ACS Style

Yanxia Li; Zhuo Chen. The Effectiveness of Content-Based Language Teaching and Task-Based Language Teaching in Teaching Reading to Learners of Military English. Engl. Lang. Lit. Cult. 2019, 4(2), 39-43. doi: 10.11648/j.ellc.20190402.12

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AMA Style

Yanxia Li, Zhuo Chen. The Effectiveness of Content-Based Language Teaching and Task-Based Language Teaching in Teaching Reading to Learners of Military English. Engl Lang Lit Cult. 2019;4(2):39-43. doi: 10.11648/j.ellc.20190402.12

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@article{10.11648/j.ellc.20190402.12,
  author = {Yanxia Li and Zhuo Chen},
  title = {The Effectiveness of Content-Based Language Teaching and Task-Based Language Teaching in Teaching Reading to Learners of Military English},
  journal = {English Language, Literature & Culture},
  volume = {4},
  number = {2},
  pages = {39-43},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ellc.20190402.12},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ellc.20190402.12},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ellc.20190402.12},
  abstract = {This study explored the effectiveness of Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) and Content-Based Language Teaching (CBLT) on the reading ability of military English learners. 120 sophomore learners of military English were pretested and then homogenized and evenly assigned to four classes, with two belonging to the control group and the other two the experimental group. The control group received reading instruction based on CBLT, while the experimental group received reading instruction based on TBLT, both two sessions a week for 10 weeks. After the intervention, they were posttested. Then, their pretest scores and posttest scores were analyzed on SPSS 19.0 using paired samples t-test and independent samples t-test. A follow-up interview was also carried out to collect students’ feedback on the teaching method used. The results show that both the TBLT group and the CBLT group improved significantly regarding their reading ability from the pretest to the posttest, with the TBLT group outperformed the CBLT group in the posttest. It can be concluded that both TBLT and CBLT methods are effective in teaching reading comprehension to learners of military English, with TBLT method being more effective. A follow-up interview was carried out to explore the underlying reasons and some pedagogical implications are listed accordingly.},
 year = {2019}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - The Effectiveness of Content-Based Language Teaching and Task-Based Language Teaching in Teaching Reading to Learners of Military English
AU  - Yanxia Li
AU  - Zhuo Chen
Y1  - 2019/06/24
PY  - 2019
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ellc.20190402.12
DO  - 10.11648/j.ellc.20190402.12
T2  - English Language, Literature & Culture
JF  - English Language, Literature & Culture
JO  - English Language, Literature & Culture
SP  - 39
EP  - 43
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2575-2413
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ellc.20190402.12
AB  - This study explored the effectiveness of Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) and Content-Based Language Teaching (CBLT) on the reading ability of military English learners. 120 sophomore learners of military English were pretested and then homogenized and evenly assigned to four classes, with two belonging to the control group and the other two the experimental group. The control group received reading instruction based on CBLT, while the experimental group received reading instruction based on TBLT, both two sessions a week for 10 weeks. After the intervention, they were posttested. Then, their pretest scores and posttest scores were analyzed on SPSS 19.0 using paired samples t-test and independent samples t-test. A follow-up interview was also carried out to collect students’ feedback on the teaching method used. The results show that both the TBLT group and the CBLT group improved significantly regarding their reading ability from the pretest to the posttest, with the TBLT group outperformed the CBLT group in the posttest. It can be concluded that both TBLT and CBLT methods are effective in teaching reading comprehension to learners of military English, with TBLT method being more effective. A follow-up interview was carried out to explore the underlying reasons and some pedagogical implications are listed accordingly.
VL  - 4
IS  - 2
ER  -

Copy | Download