Teaching EFL speaking through a content-based elective course: a case study of course design, implementation, and institutional constraints

Abstract

This thesis examines the design and implementation of the elective course British Cultural History, developed to support EFL speaking skills through a content-based language teaching approach in an upper secondary school in Tallinn. The study follows an action research design and includes two stages of implementation: a pilot phase with two students and a second implementation cycle with a larger group that was interrupted after six lessons. Data was collected through student self-assessment questionnaires, classroom observation, and informal feedback.