Meeting the needs of practitioners through research and training in CLIL times

Abstract

The widespread implementation of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) across school settings in Europe as an innovative and effective means of improving Foreign Language learning and teaching, has triggered a profusion of academic research on its tenets and rewards. The focus has mainly centered on theoretical discussions of CLIL´s ins and outs but there have also been empirical studies on key players’ views regarding its efficacy. A consistent outcome of the latter has been the call made by CLIL practitioners (the classroom teachers) for more guidance in the practical application of this approach. However, not much attention has been paid to this key issue which should concern researchers and teacher educators from CLIL-supporting contexts. The goal of this study is to encourage a shift of focus from the theoretically-based discussion of this approach to one centered on its practical application. This study is a discussion paper that intends to encourage discussion and research on teacher training to better tackle the methodological concerns of those teachers in CLIL practice. Keywords: CLIL; foreign language; teacher; training.