The Whats, Whys, Hows and Whos of Content-Based Instruction in Second Language Education

The use of the Content-Based approach in the teaching of English as a second language can be quite useful.  In content-based language teaching, teachers use content topics rather than grammar rules as the framework for instruction.  Ever since I can remember, throughout my student life, I was mainly taught grammatical rules in my English classes.  Content-based approaches suggest that the best conditions for learning a second/foreign language occur when both the target language and some meaningful content are integrated in the classroom.  By applying Content-based instruction in the teaching of English as a second language learning a second language becomes more meaningful.  The target language is a medium of communication rather than an object of analysis.