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Teaching Religion in Content-Based EFL Courses

Introducing the 3 Major Abrahamic Faiths

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Presentation Overview:

  • Background: Advanced Topics

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  • Procedure

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  • Practice the activity

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  • Discussion?

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My content-based EFL course for English majors: “Advanced Topics”

  • Reading and discussion course about world issues for graduating English majors

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  • Many students did not know much about world religions (teaching religion is illegal for state- affiliated education)

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  • Students knew random trivia:
    • Dietary proscriptions, “Islamic State,” Christmas is a Christian holiday, etc.

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Teaching about culture is a way of teaching language:

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  • Teaching about culture is a practical vehicle for language instruction (Kiji and Kiji, 1993)
    • Especially if one of the goals of language-teaching is for students to interact with people from different cultures.

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  • Studying, traveling, working abroad exposes students to:
    • People of different faiths
    • Religious art, places, artifacts, laws, customs, holidays, etc.
    • Geopolitical issues with religious significance.

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  • Yet “…religion is virtually excluded from school curricula in Japanese public education” (Fujiwara, 2005)

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Some Initial Concerns:

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  • Topic is controversial; schools are prohibited from promoting belief systems (Article 20, Para 3 of Japanese Constitution)
    • Religious tolerance in education is to be valued (1947 Fundamental Law of Education, Article 9)

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  • How to be neutral and accurate in representation?

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  • Would students have trouble with new vocabulary and concepts?

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3 Abrahamic Religions Group Activity

  • Objectives: Introduce: Judaism, Christianity & Islam
  • Materials: Three documents, quiz
  • Procedure:
    • Divide students into three discussion groups
    • Give each group enough time to read the sheets and look-up definitions of unknown words
    • Each group will appoint “ambassadors” to visit the other teams and teach what they’ve learned;
    • Groups will teach the ambassadors
    • After all the ambassadors have finished, give the quiz.

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Positives of activity:

  • Students practice reading in English

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  • Students practice using English in groups

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  • Students practice summarizing information

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  • Students can teach each other!

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Negatives of activity:

  • A lot of new vocabulary in a short time?

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  • Is this enough explanation?

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  • Are students going to remember information beyond the activity?

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Let’s try it now:

  • Divide into 3 groups

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  • Read information sheets (4-5 minutes to read)

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  • Choose ambassadors

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  • Exchange information (2:30 minutes each, from each ambassador and from each group)

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  • Afterwards: Quiz

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Comments? Questions?

  • What did you think?

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  • Are there areas which need improvement?

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  • Would you do it differently?

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Thank you for attending!

This Powerpoint available for download at:

http://eric.gondree.com

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References:

Fujiwara, S. (2005). Survey on Religion and Higher Education in Japan. Japanese Journal of Religious Studies. doi:10.18874/jjrs.32.2.2005.353-370

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Kiji, M. and Kiji, Y. (1993). Using content-based instruction to improve vocabulary retention. The Language Teacher, 17(1), 3-5.

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