Resumen

GONZALEZ MONCADA, Adriana  y  SIERRA OSPINA, Nelly. Challenges and Possibilities of Content-Based Teaching of English in Higher Education: The View from the Teachers in a Colombian Experience. Núcleo [online]. 2008, vol.20, n.25, pp.125-148. ISSN 0798-9784.

Teaching English at the university level is a priority for many countries. New methodologies focus on the teaching of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and Content-Based Teaching as ways to avoid the separation of learning the language from learning academic competence. This multi-site case study shows how two groups of university faculty, i.e., EFL and content specific professors, worked collaboratively to teach undergraduate content courses in English. Data collection included class observations, questionnaires, focus group sessions, in-depth interviews and English tests. Data analysis allowed the researchers to conclude that teaching English in university settings is an academic challenge because it requires new forms of organization for faculty work and curriculum, more resources and the administrators’ support to carry out cross-disciplinary work. However, it also offers several possibilities, such as faculty collaborative work as well as better opportunities for the acquisition of academic and linguistic competences for students.

Palabras clave : English teaching; higher education; content teaching; collaboration; professional development.