Exploring How to Ensure Participation in CBI

Abstract

This study attempted to explore what would contribute to providing effective content-based instruction (CBI) course to college-level EFL learners attending the rationale of the output hypothesis in terms of how to equip them with a professional level of L2 speaking skills. The analyses of the data obtained from the questionnaire, observation and interviews showed that the participants were not satisfied with the familiar and non-professional topics, but sought for more relevant information to their study as the prompts for their participation. The study also revealed that the participants were influenced by classroom atmosphere such as relationship with classmates and their responses, while collaboration with their classmates in preparing for each class turned out to be a causal factor to their level of confidence in participation. The study results suggested that the EFL college-level learners should 1) be systematically guided in terms of being involved in group-work and pre-task in and outside the classroom in order for them to better comprehend the course-contents, and 2) practice participation in advance so that they may increase the level of confidence in classroom participation.