Introduction to CLIL Methodology

Introduction to CLIL Methodology

• CLIL stands for Content and Language Integrated Learning
• CLIL is an evolving educational approach where subjects are taught through the medium of a non-native language
• CLIL uses a foreign language as a tool to learn a non-language subject, with a combined role for language and subject.
• CLIL has a dual focus on both language skills and disciplinary content knowledge. It is action-oriented, task-based, and student-centered.
• CLIL aims to combine language practice and specific content delivery, fostering both language and intercultural competence acquisition.

Main Aims of CLIL

• Acquiring knowledge using the target language
• Acquiring necessary skills in the target language
• Acquiring necessary skills in the student's mother tongue
• Understanding and valuing both cultures
• Developing cognitive and social skills

Immersion

• Immersion education is centered on teaching a country's other language, with that language being the medium of instruction.
• Countries often use immersion as the official language of instruction.
• Students are immersed in a second language for all subjects, though less attention is paid to language development as it is considered a given.
• Language support is given for content, linguistics, semantics, and pragmatics for content and exams.

Submersion

• Submersion refers to integrating migrants of different linguistic backgrounds into the majority group's language for learning.
• Linguistic minority children learn in the language of the majority.
• Submersion's goal is to develop skills in the foreign language to facilitate access to curriculum and daily life inside and outside of school.

Is it Immersion, Submersion or CLIL?

• CLIL differentiates itself from simple immersion or submersion by integrating language and content seamlessly.
• In a CLIL setting (e.g., a biology class in English), learners acquire both subject matter and language skills simultaneously.

What CLIL is Not

• CLIL isn't about simplifying content or reteaching existing knowledge in a new language.
• CLIL integrates language and subject matter.
• CLIL ensures learners acquire both the target language and subject content knowledge

History of CLIL

• CLIL was coined in 1994 by David Marsh.
• Several countries practice CLIL, including the Netherlands (since 2007), Slovakia (since 2008), Germany (since 2000), Finland (since 1996), Hungary (since 1997), Czech Republic (since 1998), and Poland (since 1999).

CLIL Founder

• David Marsh is the CLIL founder.
• He is from Australia, studied in the UK, and currently works in Finland.
• He has extensive experience in teacher development, research, and consultancy across several countries (Africa, Europe, Asia).

CLIL Parameters

• Key parameters for CLIL models include communication, language learning theories, content, culture, and cognition.
• Intercultural learning is relevant to the consideration of parameters.

CLIL Principles

• Content: Progression in knowledge, skills, and understanding linked to a curriculum.
• Communication: Using language for learning, emphasizing collaboration.
• Cognition: Developing thinking skills that bridge abstract and concrete concepts, understanding, and language.
• Culture: Engaging with alternative perspectives and shared understandings by exposure to diverse cultures.
• Competence: Developing learner competencies relevant to 21st-century life skills and intercultural competence (ICC).

Coyle's 4 Cs of CLIL

• Content: Identifying the subject matter, topics
• Communication: Identifying the target language that applies to a specific lesson.
• Cognition: Identifying thinking skills required in the lesson.
• Culture: Exploring cultural elements/focus within a lesson

CLIL Principles in Action

• Learning is holistic, using real-life experiences, articulation capabilities, and achievable bridge between old and new learning.
• Developing a sense of community through collaboration, cooperation, and risk-taking.
• Ensuring content is relevant to or understandable by students.
• Using language as a medium to do activities and tasks.
• Fostering communication through classroom setups, scaffolding tasks, opportunities, and reducing teacher time/more student time.

Critical Thinking in CLIL

• Defining what critical thinking (CT) is and isn't
• Reasons for teaching CT
• Explanations as to why people lack critical thinking

Benefits of CLIL

• Fosters intercultural understanding and knowledge
• Develops intercultural and oral communication skills
• Improves multilingual proficiency
• Presents subject matter through various perspectives
• Offers ample contact with target language.
• It doesn't necessitate additional teaching time.
• It complements rather than competes with other subjects.
• Increases students' confidence and motivation regarding both the language and subject.

What is Hard (or Strong) CLIL

• Subject content is taught in the target language by a native speaker of that language
• CLIL's primary focus is subject content, driven by it.
• Examples include total immersion models, where teaching and learning happen entirely in the target language.

What is Soft (or Weak) CLIL

• Subject content from other subjects may be used in a language classroom, briefly.
• The classroom focus is on subject and language.
• A language-driven approach, with subject material used to deliver language learning.
• It is flexible; it prioritizes improving language skills over deep content knowledge.

CLIL Theories

• Cognitive Load Theory: Managing cognitive load by balancing content and language demands, using scaffolding. This aims to ensure content is accessible to students.
• Bloom's Taxonomy: Encouraging higher-order thinking skills by applying, analyzing, evaluating in the target language.
• Sociocultural Theory (Vygotsky): Emphasizing scaffolding and peer collaboration. A learner's potential is maximized when they receive assistance to get just beyond their current level
• Constructivism (Bruner): Learning through activities that draw on prior knowledge, using scaffolding to support learning.
• Krashen's Input Hypothesis: Learners acquire language by receiving comprehensible input (i+1), which is slightly beyond their current level, prompting them to understand new content.

Scaffolding

• To make language accessible, language support is necessary (scaffolding).
• This support helps students in using the target language in new environments.