Download CLIL Definition CLIL - Content and language integrated learning

CLIL
Definition
CLIL - Content and language integrated learning - is the use of an L2 in the teaching of nonlanguage subjects. (Dalton-Puffer 2008)
Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) is a generic term and refers to any
educational situation in which an additional language and therefore not the most widely used
language of the environment is used for the teaching and learning of subjects other than the
language itself (Marsh 2000).
In terms of the OFF WE GO project this means that students participating in the International
Communication and Business weeks will use English as a means of communication in the
plurilingual environment of the course and content will be taught in the L2, in our case
English.
Learning and Teaching with the CLIL matrix
The CLIL matrix is a tool for teachers and trainers to achieve quality CLIL.
This Matrix is a 4 dimensional core framework built around the core elements of CLIL:
Content, Language, Integration and Learning. These four elements are realized through a set
of four parameters: Culture, Communication, Cognition and Community. This results in a
matrix array of 16 indicators. These indicators are the basis for ensuring quality CLIL in
learning and teaching of both content and language.
To access the CLIL matrix, click on the following link:
http://archive.ecml.at/mtp2/clilmatrix/EN/qMain.html
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In the following 16 points the quality indicators are discussed closely following the CLIL
matrix . The quality indicators will be interpreted in the context of the OFF WE GO
Comenius project and should serve as a guideline for setting up the International Business and
Communication Week for the students involved in the project.
1) CONTENT-CULTURE
Culture is deeply embedded in many aspects of communication. In CLIL it is
necessary to ensure that there is not a cultural black hole in the learning environment.
This is achieved through appropriate target language input. …In high quality CLIL
classrooms teachers usually choose authentic materials. They must be careful,
however, not to select language materials that are too difficult.
For the IB&C week this means that language material should be chosen along the
requirements of the A2/B1 student or steps have to be taken to deal with more
complex language items.
2) LANGUAGE-CULTURE
CLIL teaching often provides the possibility to develop cultural aspects of using
language. A quality CLIL classroom will allow the learner to acquire and use a broad
range of registers in the target language.
The special situation in the IB&C week classroom is that students from a wide variety
of linguistic backgrounds (Norwegian, Swedish, German, Italian, Spanish, Portugese,
Czech and Croatian) are going to communicate with each other.
3) INTEGRATION-CULTURE
Integrating the learning of culture and content needs to be culturally relevant. The
wider cultural objectives (the reasons for doing language x and location y) are clearly
specified in quality CLIL.
To give an example for IB&C week, the reason for using English is to foster mutual
understanding. English is used as the Lingua Franca for this programme. In all the
locations, where the IB&C weeks are taking place English is used as a means of
communication and tuition. Special attention has to be put on the cultural relevance of
the input in each location. For example, raising awareness of Austrian culture has to
be a clear objective when the IB&C week takes place in Vienna.
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4) LEARNING – CULTURE
Quality CLIL invites opportunities to engage in intercultural learning (e.g. studying a
topic through an alternative perspective allows for self- and other reflection). These
opportunities have to be analyzed and integrated into the curriculum.
When dealing with a specific topic in a CLIL classroom the learning environment
allows teachers and learners to look at it from different perspectives.
Especially topics from the Social Sciences (history, geography) seem suitable to
encourage intercultural learning. Focusing on the European Union, World War 2 or
migration for example would provide ample opportunity for learners to analyze the
topic from different perspectives.
5) CONTENT – COMMUNICATION
Interactive learning (e.g. cooperative learning through pair and group work as
opposed to mainly teacher talk) is usually a quality feature in a common CLIL
classroom.
Cooperative learning, learning from each other, group work, pair work and working
independently on assignments is not only a quality feature of CLIL but should be a
core feature of teaching and learning in general. While autonomous and cooperative
learning should be core features in any classroom, it is especially important for the
CLIL classroom as learning content through another language is more challenging for
the learner and closer attention has to be paid to the pedagogical setup.
6) LANGUAGE – COMMUNICATION
A quality CLIL class will typically include learner-learner, learner-teacher
communication which is socially oriented. The teacher’s communication should
ensure maximum richness of language while adapting to the learner’s level.
Quality indicator 6 should serve as a reminder for teachers and learners to use the
target language as much as possible. One of the most appealing features of IB&C is
the fact that using L2 (English) is a matter of necessity in order to communicate
successfully with students and teachers alike. Thus using English is a prerequisite for
the whole project. Teachers should guide the learners’ comprehension process and
make sure that the input is comprehensible (see 1 CONTENT – CULTURE)
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7) INTEGRATION – COMMUNICATION
Diverse types of communication when learning content are typical features of most
quality CLIL classrooms. The teacher needs to ensure that the methods used enable
such communication to take place through content learning.
When setting up the IB&C, course designers should keep in mind that interactional
types of communication should be encouraged while teacher centred communication
should be kept to a minimum. Although it might be useful every now and then that
the teacher teaches and the student listens (the traditional classroom situation), the
rationale behind setting up the IB&C week should be a more interactive approach
which gives learners ample opportunity to work in groups (see 5 CONTENT –
COMMUNICATION) or to engage in projects which could be prepared well before
the IB&C week.
8) LEARNING – COMMUNICATION
In quality CLIL the classroom communication needs to actively support both the
language and the content learning process. This requires a wide variety of
communication skills to be used by both teachers and students alike.
Quality indicator 8 (LEARNING – COMMUNICATION) stresses the importance of
communicative skills as described in the Common European Framework of Reference
(CEFR). As all of these skills are equally important in order to enhance
understanding, neither the receptive nor the productive skills should be neglected.
Teaching different types of reading like skimming, scanning or reading for detail) are
equally important as teaching the conventions for writing well structured texts which
do not put a strain on the reader. Preparing well structured presentations (Spoken
Production) is as important as teaching Spoken Interaction (e.g. turn taking,
interrupting politely, negotiating meaning or compensatory skills).
It can be assumed that teaching communicative skills is the underlying principle of
any EFL (English as a Foreign Language) classroom in Europe. The CEFR and
Language Portfolios have been widely adopted in Europe. As has already been
mentioned in 5 (CONTENT – COMMUNICATION), the CLIL teacher has to pay
extra attention to these factors in order to support the learners.
9) CONTENT – COGNITION
In CLIL learners deal with complex content in another language. It is necessary to
ensure that methods used in the classroom nurture the cognitive demands resulting
from CLIL.
The IB&C teacher (or the CLIL teacher) must support learners to deal with vocabulary
effectively, which could mean involving them in fun activities to grasp new words and
phrases but also to provide definitions and explanations. Defining vocabulary in the
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target language (English) will help the IB&C week student to
acquire new terminology and build new concepts.
Sub-skills like using dictionaries are a prerequisite in this process.
10) LANGUAGE – COGNITION
Subject learning requires handling cognitive load. In quality CLIL care is taken to
support and guide learners in concept-building in the target language.
Cognitive concepts are represented through linguistic signs (words or phrases), and
learners have to grasp the relationship between the linguistic sign and the cognitive
concept. In content subjects many concepts are usually structured in a much more
precise way than in everyday subject matter. So concept-building is in a way both
easier and more difficult than in everyday contexts.
Although the IELW teacher does not have to concentrate on long term concept
building as is usually the case in a content subject taught at school, he or she has to
guide the learners towards a deeper understanding of the terms. For example, one of
the objectives of IB&Cweek is raising intercultural awareness. The IB&C teacher will
realize that in order to deal with intercultural communication in a training company,
the terms culture and interculturality have to be clarified first. The teacher in an L1
classroom might not have been aware that the concept behind the term “intercultural”
could be easily misunderstood and misinterpreted.
11) INTEGRATION – COGNITION
Some types of quality CLIL result from team-teaching or close cooperation between
content and language teachers. All CLIL teachers, however, should constantly carry
responsibility for the cognitive demands of dealing with both language and content.
For the IB&C language week this means that close cooperation between teachers
(hosts as well as guests) will enhance the IB&C week experience and play an essential
part in the success of the project.
12) LEARNING – COGNITION
Quality CLIL requires careful consideration of the linguistic and subject cognitive
demands of the learners. The teacher needs knowledge and skill in balancing the
dual-focus of these through appropriate methods in the classroom.
Teachers in the IB&C week setting have to be aware of the double challenge of
teaching content and teaching communication. The aim of the IB&C teacher should
be to balance content and language teaching. The linguistic needs of the learners as
well as the motivation for the content should be focused upon.
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13) CONTENT – COMMUNITY
The “community” includes the school, parents and other stakeholders. A CLIL class
should be embedded in a positive and supportive community.
A CLIL school should be open to other countries, to Europe and to the world.
Exchange programmes should make it possible for learners to meet students from
other countries either in their own school, or in the target language country. The
school ethos should be European.
IB&C week, the whole design of the OFF WE GO project, meets the requirements of
quality indicator 13 (CONTENT – COMMUNITY). Learners from the participating
countries have the chance to meet students from other countries, to work on joint
projects and thus raise intercultural awareness. By submitting the application,
participating schools and organizations have shown European spirit and a commitment
to European values.
14) LANGUAGE – COMMUNITY
Language learning rarely takes place only within the classroom. In quality CLIL it is
optimal if the school and other external stakeholders also support the language
development of the learners.
Quality CLIL schools usually are very active in establishing contacts with schools in
target language countries through internal and European programmes. They do so
because they know that the classroom as a learning environment is not sufficient to
allow for high quality content and language learning. In many CLIL schools it is very
common now to send out students to stay for longer periods of time in a partner school
of the target language country. Other schools send students out into businesses in
partner language countries to do a period of practical training.
Quality indicator 14 (LANGUAGE and COMMUNITY) aptly summarizes the
objectives of the Comenius project. Learners should be encouraged and motivated to
participate in an exchange programme similar to the IB&C week. The target
language, however, is not the L1 of the hosting country but English as a Lingua
Franca.
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15) INTEGRATION COMMUNITY
The value of doing CLIL needs to be recognized by the wider community/society
around the school. This is to ensure long-term development and sustainability. The
quality CLIL school ensures that these values for the wider society are clear and
transparent.
Schools and organizations participating in the OFF WE GO project should be proactive in establishing contacts with their surroundings by inviting parents, interested
citizens and stakeholders in the learning process to show and tell what has been
achieved. There could be an IELW fair, a project presentation or any kind of activity
that draws attention to the COMENIUS project. Involvement of the media would be
most welcome as well as presenting the project on the school’s website and/or social
media.
16) LEARNING – COMMUNITY
Quality CLIL depends on a positive learning environment both within the classroom,
the school, and in the wider community.
The success of the IB&C weeks and the OFF WE GO Project very much depends on
the support of fellow teachers, students and administration of the schools concerned.
Participating teachers and learners have to make sure to create a positive atmosphere
for the project.
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