| Over the last decades there has been a general movement in language teaching away from studying about language towards a focus on teaching the language as a real tool to communicate. As a direct consequence of this trend, content-based instruction (CBI) has become increasingly popular as a means of developing linguistic ability in a great variety of educational contexts. CBI is a method of teaching second/foreign languages that integrates language instruction with instruction in the content areas. CBI is accepted as one of the most representative contributions to contemporary second/foreign language pedagogy.CBI possesses a solid theoretical foundation. In the first instance, general educational theories, including experiential learning theory and constructivism, provide support to CBI. Secondly, according to the functional view of language, language is a vehicle for the expression of functional meaning; learning a language is not only learning its"usage", but also its"use"in real situations. Finally, theories of second language acquisition indicate that natural language acquisition occurs in context, and learners can acquire the language by being exposed to a significant amount of input. CBI provides a context in which meaningful communication may occur and lead to efficient language acquisition. Second language acquisition increases with content-based language instruction because learners learn language best when there is an emphasis on relevant and meaningful content rather than on the language itself. The Knowledge Framework (Mohan, 1986), the task-based approach and the Six-T's approach (Stoller & Grabe, 1997) all contribute to learners'language acquisition in CBI.CBI has been widely used in an extensive number of educational settings all over the world in a variety of models. Numerous empirical studies exist to demonstrate the efficacy of CBI in developing the learners'language proficiency, especially in the ESL settings. However, there have been very few reports on empirical studies on CBI in the EFL context, especially in the Chinese College English context. The purpose of this study is to examine the efficacy of CBI on the development of Chinese EFL learners'English proficiency in the College English context, focusing on learners'English proficiency gains and the learners'individual factors affecting their achievements under CBI, such as motivation to learn English, anxiety in learning English as well as English learning strategies. In the meantime, this study investigated the teaching and learning process with the content-based approach. The participants involved in this study consisted of 149 non-English majors from a key university in Chinese mainland China with similar age and educational backgrounds, who were in their fourth academic semester and had passed the CET-4. The treatment group included 76 participants, who were taught with a content-based approach, and the control group contained 73 participants, who were in the regular College English class. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were employed in this research. The quantitative study contained a series of test-based and product-oriented experiments, examining the effects of CBI on learners'target language proficiency, learners'affective factors as well as the learning strategies that were adopted. The qualitative study explored the learning context and learning process under CBI by using classroom-based and process-oriented research methods.The experimental teaching program lasted one semester, commencing from February and extending to July, 2005. Prior to the teaching program, participants in both the treatment group and the control group took the pretest in English proficiency, motivation to learn English, anxiety in learning English and learning strategies and it was revealed that there were no significant differences in the aspects as listed above. In the course of the teaching experiment, the two groups of learners were observed in the classroom and the teaching processes were recorded. At the end of the experimental teaching program, participants in both the treatment group and the control group took the posttest in terms of aspects similar to the pretest, and they were interviewed with regard to the two teaching methods.Multivariate statistical analyses were conducted to process the data collected to guarantee a more unitary examination concerning the efficacy of content-based instruction in the Chinese College English context. It was found that:1. Learners in the CBI program generally demonstrated a stronger motivation to learn English than those in the regular College English program. To be specific, the learners in the treatment group had a much stronger desire to learn English than their counterparts in the control group, but no difference was seen between the two groups of learner in motivational intensity in learning English at the end of the experimental teaching program. Moreover, learners with different English proficiency levels in the CBI class under study enhanced their motivation to learn English.2. At the end of the experiment, learners in the two groups did not show any differences in the aspects of testing anxiety, fear of negative appraisal and the overall anxiety of learning English. But there was a significant difference in communication apprehension between the treatment group and the control group and learners in the treatment group had more confidence in their use of English in real communication. With regard to the learners in the treatment group, the learners with an initial high level of English proficiency did not have any anxiety in learning English. Learners of intermediate level of English proficiency lowered their anxiety to such a significant extent that they were as confident as the learners of high English proficiency in learning English. The learners with an initial low level of English proficiency in the treatment group displayed somewhat anxiety during the experimental teaching period.3. Learners in the CBI classes used English learning strategies more frequently than those in the regular College English classes although the two groups of learners had the same level in using learning strategies when the experimental program commenced. As a result, they tended to be more autonomous and self-regulated in learning English. The English learning strategies frequently used by the learners in the CBI classes were metacognitive strategies, compensation strategies and social strategies. In the treatment group, learners of an initial high or intermediate level of English proficiency remarkably increased their overall use of English learning strategies. However, the learners of an low level of English proficiency at the beginning of the program still did not show any significant progress in their use of English learning strategies.4. Both the CBI program and the regular College English program helped to develop learners'general English proficiency in this study. However, the learners in the CBI classes developed their general English proficiency at a faster rate and demonstrated a higher proficiency in receptive skills, including reading and listening than their counterparts in the regular College English class. They still had a stronger ability in using English in real communication and better speaking skills than those learners in the regular College English class. However, as for writing skill, there was no significant difference between the learners in the CBI class and those in the regular College English class. In addition, learners with an initial medium or high level of English proficiency developed their English proficiency significantly while the learners with a low level of English proficiency didn't progress as much as those with a medium or high level proficiency in the CBI class.In addition, the CBI model provided a learning context which facilitated language acquisition. Input in the CBI class was full of variety and authentic, having a positive effect on learners'motivation to learn English. The teacher in this instruction model not only played a role of knowledge giver, but also a facilitator, providing an environment for learners to learn by discovering and opportunities for them to interact with each other. Learners took an active role in the learning process, and they improved their language proficiency, got access to the subject matter and upgraded their thinking skills by completing various tasks and solving real problems.The conclusion can be drawn that CBI in the College English context is an effective way to develop Chinese EFL learners'English proficiency and thinking skills, helping them to gain the knowledge about the subject matter. It can be an option among the various language teaching methods in the College English context, especially after the learners have passed the CET-4 and met the basic requirements of the College English Syllabus. Learners in the CBI model are exposed to a large amount of language input and motivated to learn both content and language, and they have more opportunities to practice the target language skills when they communicate with each other, which enhances their language acquisition. When some conditions (e.g. the teacher's qualifications and learners'language proficiency prior to CBI ) are satisfied in the College English context, the CBI approach can display its advantages in helping the Chinese EFL learners to develop their English proficiency.
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