Development of CLIL into Diverse Contexts

Abstract

This chapter reviews the development CLIL in Europe and worldwide as its own pedagogical approach to integrating language and content learning. To begin, it distinguishes between CLIL, immersion, and content-based teaching and points out the unique features of CLIL, including its dual-focus approach. This chapter additionally discusses CLIL’s development in Europe since the 1990s, which coincides with the EU’s language mandate to expand and improve all EU citizens’ FL learning skills. Moreover, this chapter outlines salient features that make up the CLIL approach which are also suited to the needs of learners and other stakeholders in the Information Age. As an educational approach to teaching and learning content and foreign languages, CLIL appears to be a perfect fit in certain aspects. Further, the recent expansion of CLIL beyond Europe into parts of Asia and Latin America is reviewed. Finally, this chapter presents which school subjects have been taught through the CLIL approach around the world thus far.