The Interdisciplinary Approach

The interdisciplinary approach in teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) seeks to combine various disciplines in order to engage students and enhance their understanding. This approach allows students to gain a deeper understanding of a topic, develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and enrich language learning experiences. The teaching stages of an interdisciplinary approach in EFL are as follows:

1. Planning:

   – Identify the learning objectives that connect the different disciplines.

   – Involve teachers from all relevant disciplines to collaborate and plan the interdisciplinary lessons.

   – Develop a shared understanding of the learning objectives, content, and language skills to be taught.

2. Creating a Theme:

   – Select a relevant theme that connects the EFL curriculum to other disciplines, such as history, Science, technology, or mathematics.

   – Ensure the theme is age-appropriate, engaging, and supports the learning goals.

   – Establish clear language objectives within the interdisciplinary content.

3. Designing Engaging Lessons:

   – Design and implement lessons that integrate relevant disciplinary content into the EFL curriculum.

   – Utilise a variety of teaching strategies and methods, such as cooperative learning, project-based learning, and inquiry-based learning.

   – Include various materials (texts, videos, presentations, projects) that encourage EFL students to explore and contextualise the interdisciplinary theme.

4. Building Vocabulary and Language Skills:

   – Introduce and practice vocabulary relevant to the interdisciplinary theme.

   – Encourage EFL students to use the target vocabulary and language structures in their spoken and written communication.

   – Develop students’ listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills through tasks and activities related to the theme.

5. Assessing and Evaluating:

   – Monitor and assess student progress in both language and content learning using various formative and summative assessment tools.

   – Provide feedback on language use, content understanding, and interdisciplinary connections.

   – Adjust instruction based on student performance, learning preferences, and individual needs.

6. Reflecting and Revising:

   – Reflect on the interdisciplinary lessons’ effectiveness and gather feedback from fellow teachers and students.

   – Identify areas of improvement for future interdisciplinary teaching practices.

   – Revise and adapt lesson plans, content, and assessment methods to improve the interdisciplinary EFL learning experience.

By following these stages, you can design and implement an effective interdisciplinary approach to teaching English as a foreign language, engaging students in the learning process and maximising language acquisition.