Abstract
Content and language integrated learning (CLIL) has expanded in Europe, favored by the large body of research, often showing positive effects of CLIL on L2 development. However, critical voices have recently questioned whether these positive findings apply to any language, given that most research focuses on English. Taking into account this concern, the present study investigated the (productive and receptive) vocabulary development in L2 English and L2 French of the same group of learners within a CLIL context. The aim was not to evaluate the benefits of CLIL over non-CLIL, but, instead, to examine whether vocabulary gains in CLIL learning are language-dependent. More specifically, this study included 75 Flemish eight-grade pupils who had CLIL lessons in both English and French. The results show that although the pupils have a larger English vocabulary, the level of improvement (from pretest to posttest) is not different across the languages. The findings indicate that within CLIL vocabulary knowledge also develops in languages other than English.
Highlights
Content and language integrated learning (CLIL), that is, the teaching of subjects, such as history or economy, in a foreign language, has gained increasing popularity in the European educational landscape over the past 20 years (EACEA, 2012) and in many other geographical contexts, such as Asia (e.g., Lin, 2016) or South America (e.g., Banegas, 2011)
The present study examined the vocabulary development of Flemish pupils in a CLILcontext
In terms of language development, research on CLIL has so far mainly focused on the lingua franca English, leaving much unknown about the development of other languages taught in this manner (Cenoz et al, 2014; Pérez et al, 2016)
Summary
Content and language integrated learning (CLIL), that is, the teaching of subjects, such as history or economy, in a foreign language, has gained increasing popularity in the European educational landscape over the past 20 years (EACEA, 2012) and in many other geographical contexts, such as Asia (e.g., Lin, 2016) or South America (e.g., Banegas, 2011) This growth in popularity is partly driven by the substantial body of research on the effects of CLIL, including largescale studies on learning outcomes (e.g., Admiraal, Westhoff, & de Bot, 2006 for the Netherlands; Lasagabaster, 2008 for Spain; Zydatiß, 2007 for Germany) as well as specific studies dealing with individual aspects of language, such as vocabulary, pronunciation and morphosyntax, or the four language skills. Pérez, Lorenzo, and Pavón (2016, p. 485) speak of an “empirical vacuum” of how CLIL functions in languages other than English, as it is not implausible that the positive findings for CLIL in English are, at least partly, connected to English itself. Cenoz et al (2014) call for more inner-CLIL research, a
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