Beyond Basic Literacy Education : A Case Study of Liberal Arts Education through Content-Based English Courses

This study explores a Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) approach to liberal arts English education, aiming to promote a balanced value system, critical thinking skills, and a sense of global citizenship—key goals of liberal education. The course was designed and implemented for one semester at a university in Seoul with 86 students majoring in sports-related fields. It focused on developing four competencies: global citizenship, global competence, AI literacy, and self-directed English learning skills. Based on the analysis of student surveys and reflective journals, the following findings were revealed: (1) incorporating recent sports-related topics into the class enhanced students' motivation and engagement; (2) collaborative discussions on social, ethical, and moral issues fostered critical thinking and highlighted English as a valuable tool for expanding their awareness of global issues; and (3) the use of AI tools improved AI literacy, raised awareness of its limitations and ethical concerns, and supported English learning. These findings suggest that CLIL-based general English courses may effectively achieve the goals of liberal education.