Soft CLIL v.2.0: Integrating a mobile app and professional content into the language training

Abstract

The presented article refers to the results of the “on-going” implementation of an educational model on the basis of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), aimed not only at the language and professional skills amplifying, but also at developing a range of such personal characteristics, as independence, critical thinking, quick decision making, and lifelong professional self-development. In the “soft” version of the CLIL model, learning is controlled by the language itself, the entire curriculum of the discipline is guided by it. In order to boost the efficiency of the above-mentioned model the authors, after analysing the theoretical works, consider mobile technologies as a sufficient learning and creating tool. The experiment training conducted at Saint-Petersburg State University of Civil Aviation, Saint-Petersburg and its findings revealed a great didactic potential behind the mobile note-taking apps (namely, Evernote) and a high tendency of increase in the engineering students’ writing and reading skills, necessary to perform their professional duties on top.