The impact of CLIL implementation on Lebanese students’ attitudes and performance

Badrie Eldaou,Abir Abdallah

doi:10.18844/gjflt.v9i1.4068

Abstract

Content and language integrated learning (CLIL) has been verified as an effective pedagogical approach by a lot of research studies carried out in many European countries. However, modest attempts have been made to prove its efficacy in Lebanon, where English Language is taught in many schools and universities as a first foreign language. The participants (n = 21) were first year university students enrolled in the Faculty of Pedagogy at the Lebanese University and majoring in teaching Math at elementary schools. Quantitative as well as qualitative data were collected by means of two questionnaires, pre-post tests and reflection logs. Descriptive statistics were calculated and a series of t-tests were conducted in order to address the questions raised in the study. The results of the study showed positive attitudes of students towards the implementation of CLIL and they revealed the efficacy of CLIL as a pedagogical approach in enhancing students’ self-efficacy and academic performance. Keywords: CLIL implementation, self-efficacy, attitude, academic achievement

Highlights

Interest in bilingual education has impressively grown over the mid of the 20th century due to globalization and internationalization
Content and Language Integrated Language (CLIL) is a dual-focused educational approach which promotes academic content learning and foreign language learning at the same time (Richard, 2005)
The present study aims to examine the use of CLIL approach in teaching the content of “Developmental Psychology” course using English as a language of instruction and its effect on university students’ academic achievement and self-efficacy

Summary

Introduction

Interest in bilingual education has impressively grown over the mid of the 20th century due to globalization and internationalization. Learners there have been oriented and encouraged to be proficient in two community languages besides their native language This has propelled the European Commission to devise an Action Plan that adopts “MT+2 formula” (Marsh, 2003) that aims at boosting European learners’ native as well as foreign language proficiency by providing them with real life opportunities to develop communicative competence in two different European languages besides their mother language. To attain this aim, Content and Language Integrated Language (CLIL) approach has been adopted. As for Language learning, it occurs in a natural way and through motivation and an exposure to authentic and meaningful input in a functional environment (Darn, 2006)

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Conclusion