The Contributions of Theme-Based CBI to Turkish Young Learners’ Language Development in English

This study aims at discussing the contributions of Content–based Instruction(CBI) to young learners’ language development in English. Among the three models ofCBI, theme-based model has been used in the study, since sheltered and adjunct modelsare not so functional as theme-based model in Turkish public schools. Experiments havebeen conducted in both control and pilot groups. The pilot group students have beentaught basic language skills in English through theme-based CBI. Both groups havebeen given an achievement test at the end of the study. The findings indicate that thereis a statistically significant difference between the mean scores of both groups in termsof the language development of the young learners. Pilot group can be said to havedeveloped their language skills in English better than those of the control group.Theme-based CBI can be more effective for young learners who are in the process offirst language acquisition.