CLIL

Content and Language Integrated Learning

CLIL - Classroom principles

Language is used to learn as well as to communicate

It is the subject matter which determines the language needed to learn

CLIL

Subject in simple, easily comprehensible ways, using diagrams, illustrations, graphs, practice and highlighting terms. Language subject based vocabulary, texts and discussions.

WHY?

The ability to use a language is much more than knowing its words and grammar, and speaking in perfectly formed sentences. Language learning is surrounded by myths. We could usefully re-consider some of these beliefs and views.

Main aims
Acquire knowledge using target language

Acquire necessary skills in the target

language Acquire necessary skills in the mother tongue Understand and value both cultures Develop cognitive and social skills

A successful CLIL lesson should combine elements of the following:

Content - Progression in knowledge, skills

and understanding related to specific elements of a defined curriculum

Communication - Using language to learn

whilst learning to use language

A successful CLIL lesson should combine elements of the following:

Cognition - Developing thinking skills which

link concept formation (abstract and concrete), understanding and language

Culture - Exposure to alternative

perspectives and shared understandings, which deepen awareness of otherness and self.

Can do
In CLIL, we provide a situation in which the

attention of the child is on a form of learning activity which is not the language itself. It can be very successful in enhancing the learning of languages and subjects, and developing in the youngsters a positive can do attitude towards themselves as language learners.

Outcome
The language classroom is essential for the

learner to understand the nuts and bolts of language the architectural plans.
Learners need time to build things with the

nuts and bolts to build the house which they see in theory on paper.

CLIL - methods
Can learn to play football or the piano without

kicking a ball or touching the keys?

Kids learn mother tongue using the resources

surrounding them (deaf children in Nicaragua, reading the lips, sign language)

CLIL - methods
Changing the perspective (Robin William,

Dead Poets Society)

Talk and discuss, write and express, explore

and share
Support mind maps, word clouds, graphs

CLIL - obstacles
New concepts always difficult to accept Lack of qualified teachers Heavy load and shortage of materials Lack of support

CLIL - best practices

Subject or language teacher?

Groups or whole class?

Materials? Benefits and prospects for the future

NB! the learning of language and subjects is mixed: there are two main aims, one related to the subject, topic, or theme, and one linked to the language

CLIL model
Thinking (outcomes, analysis, assessment)

Belonging (interests, partners, local/global)

Communication Subject (involvement, (integration, implementation, support mat, skills and culture) discussions)

CLIL main aspects

Multiple focus integration of subject and

language teching, blending subjects and topics, out-of-class projects, analysis

Learning environment typical tasks, lots of

aids, overcoming fear, authentic materials

CLIL main aspects

Authenticity student is the speaker, topics

related to their needs, everyday life and interest; contacts with target language users; use of authentic materials Active learning students talk more, help to rephrase the outcomes, assess progress, cooperate, discuss. Teacher is a guide and provider.

CLIL main aspects

Support structure learning is based on

prior knowledge, skills, attitudes, interests and experience; information is provided in student-friendly forms paying attention to different learning styles; critical and creative thinking is supported; new challenging tasks

CLIL main aspects

Co-operation courses / classes / topics are

planned in co-operation with subject and language teachers; parents are informed and invited to support students; learning reaches outside the common classroom

How a dozen ways

Language camps Student exchange Project work Language practice abroad Immersion (keelekmblus) Language showers One or several subjects CLIL modules

In a CLIL lesson, all language skills should be combined and seen as:
Listening is a normal input activity, vital for

language learning Reading, using meaningful material, is the major source of input Speaking focuses on fluency. Accuracy is seen as subordinate Writing is a series of lexical activities through which grammar is recycled.

CLIL lessons exhibit the following characteristics:

Integrate language and skills, and receptive

and productive skills

Lessons are often based on reading or

listening texts / passages

The language focus in a lesson does not

consider structural grading

CLIL lessons exhibit the following characteristics:

Language is functional and dictated by the

context of the subject

Language is approached lexically rather than

grammatically
Learner styles are taken into account in task

types.

How to begin
Lesson framework A CLIL lesson looks at content and language

in equal measure, and often follows a fourstage framework.

Processing the text

The best texts are those accompanied by

illustrations. When working in a foreign language, learners need structural markers in texts to help them find their way through the content. Once a 'core knowledge' has been identified, the organisation of the text can be analysed.

Identification and organisation of knowledge

Texts are often represented

diagrammatically. Diagram types include tree diagrams for classification, groups, hierarchies, flow diagrams and timelines for sequenced thinking such as instructions and historical information, tabular diagrams describing people and places, and combinations of these.

Language identification
Learners are expected to be able to

reproduce the core of the text in their own words. There is no grading of language Highlight useful language in the text and categorise it according to function. Pay attention to collocations, semi-fixed expressions, set phrases and subject-specific and academic vocabulary.

Tasks for students

There is little difference in task-type between

a CLIL lesson and a skills-based ELT lesson. A variety of tasks should be provided, taking into account the learning purpose and learner styles and preferences Tasks designed for production need to be subject-orientated, so that both content and language are recycled.

Typical listening activities include:

Listen and label a diagram / picture / map / graph / chart Listen and fill in a table Listen and make notes on specific information (dates, figures, times) Listen and reorder information Listen and identify location / speakers Listen and label the stages of a process / instructions / sequences Listen and fill in the gaps in a text

Typical speaking activities include:

Question loops - questions and answers,

terms and definitions, halves of sentences Information gap activities with a question sheet to support Trivia search - 'things you know' and 'things you want to know'

Typical speaking activities include:

Word guessing games

Class surveys using questionnaires

20 Questions - provide language support

frame for questions Students present information from a visual using a language support handout.

Planning CLIL lessons

Teaching a subject in the first language of

your learners there are at least two things which you can count on: basic language ability and academic language proficiency. Learners in CLIL programmes are learning basic language skills, academic language skills and new subject concepts all at the same time.

Planning CLIL lessons

To overcome the language barrier, CLIL

teachers need to plan their lessons to include language support as well as content teaching.

Difficulties
Learners have to be able to:
listen

to and understand teachers talking about subjects can they do that? talk about subjects themselves to each other in groups and to the teacher in the plenary classroom can they do that? read subject textbooks, and write about subjects can they do that?

Language problems

The language is likely to be an issue at either

the word or text level (grammar is less of an obstacle to listening or reading).

Support strategies for listening

To help learners listen, subject teachers

highlight or explicitly teach vocabulary. At the text level they help learners to follow them by using visuals and by adjusting their talking style: they enumerate points, give examples, explain, summarise, more then they would in L1.

Support strategies for speaking

To help students talk in the plenary

classroom, teachers adjust their questions (asking, perhaps, some cognitively demanding but short answer questions); they prompt (for example they start learners responses for them); they provide vocabulary, they may allow some L1 responses.

Support strategies for speaking

To help them talk in groups, they provide

support at the word level by listing key words to use; to help with making sentences they can offer supportive task types such as talking frames, sentence starters or substitution tables; or they ask students to use their L1 when discussing but their L2 when reporting.

Support strategies for reading

To help students with reading teachers may

check that students understand key vocabulary before they read; they may provide them with pre-reading questions to reduce the reading demands of the text; or they may offer help at the text level by giving reading support tasks, such as a chart to fill in, a diagram to label, etc.

Support strategies for writing

To students with writing, teachers can offer

support at all three levels by providing a vocabulary list, sentence starters, or a writing frame. They can also ensure that the learners talk through their writing at the word, sentence and text level, with each other, probably in L1, before they write.

Conclusion
From a language point of view the CLIL 'approach' contains nothing new to the EL teacher. CLIL aims to guide language processing and 'support language production in the same way as ELT by teaching strategies for reading and listening and structures and lexis for spoken or written language.

Conclusion
What is different is that the language teacher is also the subject teacher, or that the subject teacher is also able to exploit opportunities for developing language skills. This is the essence of the CLIL teacher training issue.

Sources:
Uncovering CLIL: Content and Language

Integrated Learning in Bilingual and Multilingual Education by Peeter Mehisto, Maria J. F. Martin, David Marsh CLIL: A lesson framework by Steve Darn, Izmir University of Economics, Turkey Further reading: CLIL by D. Coyle, P. Hood, D. Marsh (Cambridge)