CLIL Concepts From: Dalia-Ona Pinkevičienė and Loreta Zavadskienė

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.

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

CLIL: Conceptual map (Coyle)

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 and language  Culture - understanding of otherness and self, deepened feelings of community and global citizenship (Marsh)

Language Triangle

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 developed so that it becomes a part of a learner’s repertoire

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

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

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

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

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