Digital Technologies and Storytelling for CLIL in a Primary School in Italy

Abstract

Content and language integrated learning (CLIL) has been compulsory in Italy since 2010 at the upper secondary level, but it is also strongly recommended at primary and lower secondary levels. The purpose of this research was to inform the implementation of CLIL in Italy at the primary level within the framework that is offered in the latest national language policies. The focus is on the use of digital technologies, particularly digital storytelling, to engage young students in active and interactive projects. The current study is embedded in an action research project that was undertaken by a teacher for an online postgraduate training course on CLIL pedagogy. Using a case study approach to research design, data were collected from the teacher’s reflections on using digital technology in her own fifth-grade CLIL classroom, as well as from a subsequent interview with the teacher and comments from her students. The findings indicate that digital storytelling and learning technologies, in general, were powerful tools to help students learn content and use the foreign language with fun, facilitating a multimodal and immersive learning environment and enhancing both oracy and literacy skills.