CBI Glossary

Below you see a glossary of key terms used in this course. The words are listed in alphabetical
order.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Module Term/word Where introduced (text name) Definition

2 ABCD method of writing learning objectives "Writing Learning Objectives: Overview,"
linked from Writing Learning Objectives -- Introduction A method of writing learning
objectives that specifies audience, behavior, condition, and degree (Georgia State University,
1999).
3 Acquisition Second Language AcquisitionThe process of becoming more fluent in a
language
3 Affective filterSecond Language AcquisitionA psychological barrier that increases or
decreases based on a person’s stress level. The affective filter impacts a person’s performance on
tasks.
3 Attribution OER Resources For Creative Commons licensing, this refers to citing the
original author
1 Basic interpersonal language competences (BICS) CBI: Basic Concepts
Conversational fluency in a language (Cummins, 2013, p. 65)
1 BICS CBI: Basic Concepts See "basic interpersonal language competences"
3 Bottom-up processing Reading and Listening Comprehension Processing in listening or
reading comprehension that is rooted in first identifying letters or sounds, in order to then move to
larger meaning structures, such as words, then sentences, and so on
1 CALP CBI: Basic Concepts See "cognitive academic language proficiency"
1 CBI CBI: Basic Concepts CBI stands for classroom-based instruction, where the content
is taught in the students’ second language (L2), which they are still in the process of learning
5 Clarification request Error Correction Addressing an L2 learner's language error by
asking the learner what he or she said or meant
1 Cognitive academic language proficiency (CALP) CBI: Basic Concepts A learners'
ability to understand and express, in both oral and written modes, concepts and ideas that are
relevant to success in school (Cummins, 2013, p. 65)
1 Cognitive loadCBI: Basic Concepts How much mental work a task requires
1 Collocation Vocabulary Instruction in CBI Words that often go together, like “heavy
rain,” “scenic view,” or “black and white” (not “white black”)
3 Communicative activities Second Language AcquisitionActivities in which the students
must communicate with each other successfully to carry out the task
1 Content CBI: Basic Concepts Within the field of language acquisition, the term content
is used to describe any subject matter besides languages. This might be, for example, math,
history, or science.
1 Content and language integrated learning (CLIL) CBI: Basic Concepts Instruction where
the content is taught in a language that the students are still in the process of learning. In a CLIL
program, content and language learning goals are equally important.
1 Content-based instruction (CBI) CBI: Basic Concepts Instruction where the content is
taught in a language that the students are still in the process of learning
2 Creative Commons OER Resources Creative Commons is a system for specifying what
other people are allowed to do with a text or work of art. It is an alternative to copyright and fits
the realities of the internet better than the copyright system does.
1 EFL CBI: Basic Concepts EFL is an abbreviation used for English as a Foreign Language.
It is used in a context where students whose first langauge is not English, learn English while
living somewhere where English is not used by many people in their day-to-day lives
5 Elicitation Error Correction Addressing an L2 learner's language error by indicating
where there is an error and asking the student to correct it
1 English medium instruction (EMI) CBI: Basic Concepts Instruction where the content is
taught in a language that the students are still in the process of learning, where the teaching
priority is clearly the subject matter and not the students' proficiency in English
1 EMI CBI: Basic Concepts See "English medium instruction"
5 Explicit correction Error Correction Addressing an L2 learner's language error by
explicitly indicating the learner’s error and the correct form
5 Formative assessment Assessment in CBI Measures how students are doing during a
lesson or a series of lessons
3 Fossilize Second Language AcquisitionStop developing
2 Input Second Language AcquisitionWhat L2 learners read and hear in the target language
4 Intercultural It's not just academic? Culture in the CBI classroom An awareness of the
differences and similarities between two or more cultures, along with an ability to negotiate these
differences
2 K-12 OER Resources Kindergarten through 12th grade. A common abbreviation to
indicate what level of education a resource or presentation is focused on.
1 L2 CBI: Basic Concepts See second language
3 Learning Second Language AcquisitionWhen contrasted with the term "acquisition," this
term refers to conscious, explicit knowledge about a language
5 Metalinguistic feedback Error Correction Addressing an L2 learner's language error by
providing an explanation for why the error is an error
2 Open Educational Resources Don't Reinvent the Wheel - Introduction to OER Educational
resources (lesson plans, handouts, etc.) that are not copyrighted but are made available for other
teachers to use
2 OER Don't Reinvent the Wheel - Introduction to OER See “Open Educational
Resources”
4 Readability Readability How comprehensible a text is to a particular population of
readers, based on several characteristics of the text
5 Recast Error Corrections Addressing an L2 learner's language error by providing a
model of the correct form in a conversational response to the learner
5 Reliability Assessment in CBI Refers to the extent to which the assesment is consistent.
An assesment should produce stable and consistent results evey time it is conducted.
2 Scaffolding Scaffolding Refers to a variety of instructional techniques used to move
students progressively toward stronger understanding and, ultimately, greater independence in the
learning process
1 Schemata CBI: Basic Concepts The mental "scripts" that a person has that describe what
typically happens in a certain kind of situation or context
1 Second language (L2) CBI: Basic Concepts Any language that a person speaks besides
his or her native language
5 Summative assessment Assessment in CBI Refers to assessment that takes place at the end
of a term or unit
4 Target language Target Language Use in Your CBI Classes Target language is the L2
that learners are learning
3 Teacher talk Second Language AcquisitionSpeech that an L2 teacher has modified in order
to be more comprehensible to his or her students
3 Top-down processing Reading and Listening Comprehension Involves using background
knowledge and general world knowledge to understand a written text or listening passage
5 Validity Assessment in CBI Refers to the accuracy of an assessment, that is, the extent to
which the assessment accurately measures what was intended to be measured
5 Washback Assessment in CBI Refers to the impact of an upcoming assesment on
students. The impact can be either positive or negative.
4 White space Readability The space on a page or web page that is filled with neither text
nor images
2 Zone of proximal development Scaffolding Zone of Proximal Development is the
difference between where the learner is and where (s)he can be with appropriate support
(scaffolding) and help provided by a more knowledgeable peer (could be anyone -- teacher, peers
etc.)