Comment:

Dear Banior,

Your answer is on the right track and your notion of CLIL is well explained. Nevertheless, there are other
points you could have considered:

The purpose of the assignment is to analyze the pros and cons of CLIL implementation and the
approach for the future, taking in account practical and philosophical arguments, both in a national and
international context. So, a good assignment in a coherent essay format should have at least cover an
introduction, the scenery in the local/national/international context, the pros and cons of CLIL, the
approach for the future, conclusions and reflections and the bibliography.

Other points you could have considered are:

Defining CLIL,
Going beyond the notion, i.e. transcending the bare minimum and
Writing up a detailed conclusion, (Here is a good example).

CONCLUSIONS:
1. How does the CLIL approach benefit pupils? What are the advantages of content based instruction?
They will progress at faster-than-usual rates in the content subject. CLIL aims to improve performance in
both the content subject and the foreign language. It can make learning a language more interesting and
motivating. Students can use the language to fulfill a real purpose.
2. CLIL also connects with the Language for specific purposes movement, which aims to satisfy the
students needs and interests. The content and aims of teaching are determined by the requirement of
the learner. The content is restricted to fit the learner's purposes, selected according to his/her interests,
developed through themes and topics according to his/her needs and focused to satisfy his/her
communicative needs.
3. A successful CLIL lesson should combine elements of the four principles below:
a) Content: Progression in knowledge, skills and understanding related to specific elements of a defined
curriculum.
b) Communication / Language: Using language to learn - whilst learning to use language. The key is
interaction, NOT reaction.
c) Cognition / Learning: Developing thinking skills which link concept formation (abstract and concrete),
understanding and language
d) Culture: Exposure to alternative perspectives and shared understandings, which deepen awareness of
otherness and self.
e) Transnational: Prepare for internationalization, access International Certification, etc. 4. The content
subject should always be the primary focus of any materials used in the CLIL classroom. Lessons will
need to be challenging cognitively, with comparatively light linguistic demands. Schools need to design

materials to suit the needs of their learners, and to enable them to develop until they are working at high
levels of cognitive and linguistic challenge.
5. Most of the materials employed in CLIL lessons are teacher-generated. There are insufficient
commercially-produced resources to be easily available, or which are suitable. English-language
resources are sometimes translated directly into the target language, with modification as necessary. The
use of foreign language textbooks can be very profitable, but the texts often require modification of style
and / or content to take the age and language level of students into account.
6. Research results focusing on students in CLIL classrooms can be summarized as follows: students
appear to develop skills of concentration due to the raised complexity of learning in a CLIL-classroom, the
elaboration of content learning can be enhanced through the demands of understanding learning
materials through a foreign language and of communicating in the classroom through a foreign language.
Students have to carry out more cognitive procedures and have to create more links between previous
knowledge and new learning issues e.g. in order to infer the meaning of unknown words or text
passages, students seem more attentive towards subject specific notions and terminology, students
appear to remember content longer and in detail, students seem to apply a greater variety of learning
strategies in a more appropriate manner than students in "mainstream" content learning classrooms.
7. The CLIL classroom therefore provides an authentic context in which to develop authentic
communication skills.
8. The CLIL teacher may need to make cultural aspects of CLIL explicit to the learners to enable them to
reflect upon and assimilate alternative perspectives and cultural similarities and differences. Raising
cultural awareness and developing intercultural skills should be embedded in the CLIL planning and
evaluation process.
9. I would suggest getting hold of a few pieces of subject (content related) material from the students and
subject tutors. Then, use this material and create your own CLIL lesson. Start off by looking at the
peripheral language (i.e. the grammar and structure of the piece) - can it be rewritten so that it is easier to
understand?
10. You could even use the same piece of material to focus on the language in a skills or grammar
lesson. However, Id suggest you try to keep the two lessons separate and dont try and focus on things
like grammar during the CLIL lesson the focus should be on the content/subject. Students will start to
notice particular features (i.e. that scientific subjects use a lot of passive constructions) through repeated
exposure without needing it pointed out.

Keep up the good work.

Majid