CLIL Concepts

1. CLIL Concepts From: Dalia-Ona Pinkevičienė and Loreta Zavadskienė

2. What is CLIL? • An umbrella term covering a dozen of educational approaches (immersion, bilingual education, multilingual education, language showers, bains linguistiques...) • A continuum of educational approaches devoted to two main components – language and content • CLIL lessons have a dual focus: one related to particular subject or topic and one linked to language. (The British Council page) • Neither translation of first language teaching into another language, nor disguised systematic grammar.

3. 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 • Subject is taught in simple easily comprehensible ways, using diagrams, illustrations, graphs, highlighted terms • Language – subject based vocabulary, texts and discussions. If needed, L1 can be used

4. CLIL: Conceptual map (Coyle)

5. A successful CLIL lesson combines elements of the following 4Cs • Content - Progression in knowledge, skills and understanding related to specific elements of a defined curriculum. (It should not repeat the content learnt in other lessons!) • Communication – Using language to learn and learning to use language. Language does not follow the grammatical progression found in language-learning settings • Cognition-Developing thinking skills which link concept formation (abstract and concrete), understanding andlanguage • Culture- understanding of otherness and self, deepened feelings of community and global citizenship (Marsh)

6. Language Triangle

7. Three interrelated types of language • Language of learning – content obligatory language related to the subject theme or topic • Language for learning – language needed to operate in foreign language environment (for pair/ group work, asking questions, debating, etc.) • Language through learning- new language that cannot be planned. This emerging language needs to be captured, recycled and developedso that it becomes a part of a learner’s repertoire

8. Lexical rather than grammatical approach • Language that has real purpose and is dictated by the context of the subject • Attention to collocations, semi-fixed expressions, set phrases and subject specific and academic vocabulary • Chunks of language that can be picked up and used immediately

9. Benefits of CLIL • The whole that is greater than the sum of the parts (synergy effect) • Accelerates learning • Is authentic • Nurtures a feel good (fun!) and can do attitude • Fires the brain up, fires the neurons, rejuvenates teaching • Serves as a platform for ultimate students’ interest in other languages and cultures • Gives feelings of professional satisfaction and cooperation to teachers • Parents are for it • Beneficial for the school

10. Discouraging factors/ limitations • CLIL is complex • There is no single model for CLIL – the context is to be taken into account • Who is to teach CLIL (language or subject teachers), and how to combine both? • New concepts are always difficult to accept • Threat to the native language, if any? Do academic language and terminology develop? • Insufficient understanding of content through the medium of foreign language • CLIL methodology and assessment are not clear – teachers have to be supported • Teacher overload, shortage of materials

11. Topics to be Covered Water • Pollution of oceans • Stabilization of sand dunes • Rising sea levels • Seaside littering • Recession of beaches • Coastal erosion • Pollution of rivers • Surface water quality

12. List of References • Coyle, D., Hood, P. and D. Marsh 2010. CLIL: content and language integrated learning. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press