CLIL Programmes Research Articles

The role of web applications in the development of multilingual competence in CLIL courses in higher education

The purpose of the work is to determine the role of web technologies to ensure the formation of multilingual competence within the CLIL approach. For this purpose, a survey was conducted among students of various specialties, however, with a special emphasis on students of technical universities. The survey was conducted among 58 students. Questionnaires were used, including questions about the use of web applications in various forms of education. The results of the survey showed the high efficiency of using web applications in CLIL courses for the formation of both language competence and subject knowledge. The CLIL method combined with modern web applications proved to be an effective tool in the students' learning process. The implementation of the program of this approach allows not only the problem of educational overload, but also the strengthening of the general development of students, including their language skills. In the conclusions, it is noted that for the successful implementation of the CLIL program, it is necessary to provide students with essential terms and to acquire a foreign language and the availability of trained teaching staff.

Relationship between young learners’ L2 proficiency and subject knowledge: evaluating a CLIL programme in China

While CLIL programmes have been extensively researched for their impact on L2 learning outcomes, the relationship between young learners’ L2 proficiency and subject knowledge has received less attention. This study aimed to address this research gap by examining the science content knowledge of two cohorts of Grade 5 students (n = 100) from two primary schools in China, with one school implementing a CLIL science programme and the other offering a conventional science programme. The study also investigated the correlation between science achievement and L2 proficiency, measured by assessing learners’ English speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills using the Cambridge Young Learners English Tests. Science knowledge was evaluated with a tailored test aligned with the National Science Curriculum. Results indicated no statistically significant differences in science achievement between CLIL and non-CLIL students, with the former achieving higher mean scores. We also found a significant positive correlation between science knowledge and overall L2 proficiency. Notably, receptive language skills significantly correlated with science scores, while productive language skills did not. These findings provide positive evidence for the potential effectiveness of CLIL programmes in the primary education setting in China.

Dutch compound constructions in additional language acquisition

Abstract Studies have demonstrated that Dutch has a much stronger tendency towards compounding than French (e.g., Du. badkamer vs Fr. salle de bains ‘bathroom’) when adopting a restrictive approach of compounding in which the presence of prepositions and/or internal inflection in multi-word expressions is considered evidence for their syntactic formation. The example above illustrates that Dutch compounding differs from French in another important aspect: while Germanic compounding is by definition right-headed, French has a general tendency towards left-hand headed compounds and phrases. In this study, we investigate the impact of these typological differences on the acquisition of Dutch nominal compounds by French-speaking learners in the context of multilingual Belgium. We provide an in-depth corpus analysis of the acquisition of Dutch compounds at different levels of abstraction (schematic and substantive compound constructions). Moreover, we investigate the impact of additional target-language input through CLIL programs (Content and Language Integrated Learning) on the acquisition of Dutch compounds by French-speaking learners of Dutch. The results are described and interpreted from the perspective of Diasystematic Construction Grammar (DCxG), which conceptualizes the linguistic competence of multilingual speakers as one integrated network of constructions, containing language-specific idioconstructions and shared diaconstructions.

Students’ content learning in Science in CLIL vs non-CLIL classes in Greece

The recent introduction of CLIL instruction in some Greek state schools has given rise to concerns voiced by parents – and sometimes educators as well – regarding students’ ability to learn content in or through an L2. The fear is that students’ low proficiency in L2 will inhibit full understanding of the content and eventually will impact negatively on subject competence. Although there are several studies in the impact of various types of bilingual education programs on students’ L2 development, research in their impact on content learning is scarce (see Murphy et al., 2020). Our study aims to contribute to this research by examining 3rd grade students’ performance in Science when this is taught through English as L2. The main objective is to assess if students learning Science through the L2 (English) will outperform their peers studying the same content in Greek (L1) as regards content acquision. The participants of this study are 90 pupils in grade 3 – 46 CLIL students and 44 non CLIL students. Two Science tests are used to assess students’ performance and the two cohorts are compared on the basis of their scores in those tests. The main finding is quite encouraging for parents and educators alike, as the two cohorts’ performance is very similar in both tests; this indicates that CLIL instruction does not impact negatively on students’ content acquisition and that CLIL programs can support not only L2 instruction but also content knowledge.

Teaching critical reading in the classroom: A comparison of CLIL and EFL across contexts

Critical reading (Fairclough, 1989, 1995; Kress, 1985; Wallace, 2003) is considered to be one of the instruments that gives the necessary resources to construct meaning in discourse. This paper presents the results of a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test post-test design on students in the 6th year of primary education (10-11 years old) enrolled in two schools in Spain, one school located in the Basque Country (Content and Language Integrated, CLIL group) and the other in Cantabria (English as a Foreign Language, EFL group). Altogether four groups were selected: CLIL-experimental, CLIL-control, EFL-experimental and EFL-control. The experimental groups received critical reading strategy instruction for seven weeks while the control groups continued with regular classes. The one-way ANCOVA results showed that students in both the CLIL and EFL programmes developed greater mastery in critical reading after the teaching protocol. However, and contrary to our initial hypothesis, experimental students from the EFL context outperformed the CLIL learners. The novelty of the critical reading awareness protocol seemed to have a greater influence on the EFL students, who, unlike the CLIL students, were not so familiar with strategy learning. The new training procedure helped them to promote higher order critical reading skills, taking more advantage of the whole strategy learning protocol.
 

Effect of Active Breaks on reading comprehension in a foreign language

The aim of the present study was to find out whether Active-Breaks (AB) improve the three levels of reading comprehension in a foreign language which could be a determining variable in the academic success of the implementation of CLIL programmes. This study involved a total of 50 healthy students [n=25: Control Condition (CC), and n= 25: Active-Break Condition (ABC)] from one secondary school in the Region of Andalucía (Spain). To investigate the acute effects of an AB on reading comprehension in a foreign language, those in the CC were asked to maintain their ordinary routines, while those in the ABC modified their class by introducing ten minutes of exercise. After that both groups complete a reading comprehension test. Significant different were found in both question of literal comprehension, p=0.03, d=0.38, p=0.001, d=0.11, and in both question of inferential comprehension, p=.003, d=0.35, p=0.03, d=0.47. Crucially, in both question of evaluation, p=0.26, d=0.20, p=0.41, d=0.40, no significant difference was appreciated. The present study demonstrated that overall student’s reading comprehension in a foreign language improves after of AB of 10 min (compared with CC) and concretely, improve the efficiency in question of literal comprehension and inferential comprehension.

Interlingual Interference in CLIL Learning

This article examines the degree and character of the interlingual interference influence on the understanding of new concepts and ideas by high school students enrolled in content and language integrated learning programmes. In this context, the main existing scientific views on the phenomenon of interlingual interference are analysed and compared with the views of 330 CLIL trainers from Central Kazakhstan, where more than 70% of high school students have been involved in CLIL programmes since 2018. The study contains an analysis of 385 written works and 74 video presentations of Russian-speaking high school students studying chemistry, biology, and physics in English as part of the model curriculum. The results allow us to conclude about the dual nature of interlingual interference in CLIL learning and develop effective techniques to minimize the negative impact of interlingual interference, which can be used further in the design and implementation of CLIL programmes.

Operationalising Pluriliteracies in a Lesson Planning Tool for Vocational CLIL Teachers

Whilst researchers agree that the integration of content and language goals is the operative principle behind any successful CLIL programme, there is an ongoing debate over how we can best conceptualise this integration for practical use. A promising way of integrating content and language goals in CLIL teaching is foregrounding the subject/pluriliteracies skills relevant to the respective CLIL subjects, and using them as a guide to offer targeted language support and multimodal scaffolding measures. Yet the content teachers typically involved in CLIL programmes in Austria are seldom trained in subject literacy education or foreign language teaching methodology, which makes the task of translating a content and language integrated model into CLIL practice especially demanding. This becomes even more challenging at Austrian technical colleges, where CLIL programmes typically focus on highly specialised technical content subjects in which cognitive demand is high in terms of both content and language. To support teachers at technical colleges in implementing an integrated CLIL model, this project aims at developing a CLIL lesson planning tool that operationalises subject literacy for the context of technical colleges. Following a design-based research (DBR) approach, the tool is designed in collaboration with two novice CLIL teachers and tested in their respective subjects recycling technology and control engineering. Both the process and the outcome of this project offer new insights into CLIL lesson planning and vocational CLIL in general. The lesson planning tool itself holds the potential to improve CLIL practice in the often-neglected context of vocational CLIL, thus bridging the gap between theory and practice.

The Interaction between Language Skills and Cross-Cultural Competences in Bilingual Programs

Language and culture are intrinsically intertwined, and culture should not be considered as an expendable fifth skill in language teaching. Bilingual programs are expected to be a key element to enhance culture learning and to develop intercultural competence due to the extensive use of the L2. This study aimed at exploring the effects of bilingual programs for the development of the formerly mentioned skills in language learners. It also sought to contrast students’ insights with teachers’ perceptions on the implementation of bilingual programs and their effects on students’ language and culture learning. The sample consisted of 136 students and 35 Spanish teachers. The results should be carefully interpreted as they showed that there is no significant difference between the perception of bilingual and non-bilingual students in their development of intercultural competence and culture learning. Additionally, content teachers usually adhere to narratives of resistance towards CLIL programs. We concluded that the current implementation of bilingual programs should be specifically addressed. In this regard, it is important to focus on teacher training and to foster exchange programs for teachers and students. Moreover, addressing the availability of human and material resources is essential.

Vietnamese Students’ Voices on the Strengths and Weaknesses of a Newly Formed CLIL Program in a Regional Public University

Vietnamese Students’ Voices on the Strengths and Weaknesses of a Newly Formed CLIL Program in a Regional Public University

Elementary School First Graders’ Acquisition of Productive L2 French Grammar in Regular and CLIL Programs

This study presents productive L2 French grammar data obtained at the end of grade 1 from 186 elementary school children learning French in bilingual (CLIL) or in regular school programs in Germany. The children completed a picture description task to assess their productive oral L2 French grammar skills and two standardized cognitive tests on nonverbal intelligence and sustained attention. The results did not indicate any significant effects of the cognitive tests or of child-internal variables (in this case gender, language background and educational background). However, children in the regular French program unexpectedly outperformed their peers in the bilingual French program. Classroom observations and information provided by teachers suggest that this finding may, at least in part, be due to the fact that in grade 1 there were only minor differences between the two programs in terms of L2 exposure time and teaching methodology.

Translation in CLIL

AbstractTranslation in CLIL? It may seem a contradiction in terms. CLIL means Content and Language Integrated Learning, and is based on the assumption that content is taught through the second/foreign language. No room is left to the learners’ mother tongue, which is either declared off limits or used in very limited cases. So, what is the role of translation in CLIL? Is there any place for it at all? In the past few years, there has been a series of hectic efforts put in by schools and universities to organise CLIL programmes and teacher training courses, and a number of studies have appeared to help with the process. In spite of the wide support that is now being given to the use of the first language in language learning, CLIL proponents tend to neglect the role of translation in content and language learning. Drawing on current research on CLIL, this study sets out to investigate the nature of the contribution that translation makes to language and content learning. The work is grounded on research conducted on empirical data drawn from CLIL courses taught since 2005, inspired by social constructivist pedagogy in a networked learning environment, and a collaborative translation approach.

CLIL realities through the lens of English and content teachers

This research investigated six established areas for quality (Ortega-Martín et al., 2018) in the implementation of CLIL programmes in a Spanish monolingual autonomous community from the perspective of its teachers, in particular focusing on possible differences of opinion between content and English language teachers, an understudied area. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 36 teachers at four secondary schools in urban Extremadura so as to assess the perceptions of the execution and the effectiveness of current CLIL education programmes, identifying specifically their potential challenges. Significant differences between content teachers and English teachers’ perceptions in six areas under study are examined, from programme management to academic results. Data results indicate that although programmes are viewed quite positively by both groups of teachers, some important areas of difference exist, including the amount of time the L2 is used in a content class and the language skills that are worked in a CLIL environment. To address this gap, suggestions are made to establish more widely accepted standards for CLIL programme objectives.

Promoting equitable literacy expectations in CLIL

Abstract This study explores the impact of two Service-Learning (SL) projects on student teachers’ preparation and perceptions in relation to literacy teaching in English as a foreign language within CLIL programmes. The projects offered hands-on training in preparing and delivering lessons applying Rose and Martin’s (2012) Reading to Learn (R2L) approach to support children at two Madrid primary schools implementing CLIL with high proportions of at-risk pupils and socioculturally diverse student bodies. One hundred and thirteen undergraduate student teachers specialising in English as a Foreign Language at the Complutense University School of Education participated in the SL projects. The projects’ goals included developing the students’ civic engagement and disposition to gain understanding of the potential of a systematic, evidence-based approach to literacy pedagogy for guiding all pupils to acquire the reading and writing abilities needed for educational success. Data from questionnaires, focus group interviews, and reflective journals were collected and analysed. Student teachers faced the challenges of apprehending and effectively applying the R2L strategies in classrooms characterised by pupils’ widely ranging levels of preparation for reading and writing in English. Their reflections show evolution towards readiness and awareness of the possibilities of adopting proactive measures, such as systematic literacy instruction, in order to ensure the progress of pupils as they face the challenges of CLIL in the context of socioeconomic and educational inequity within classrooms and across schools.

A tale of two cities

Abstract This study analyses the implementation of CLIL in two monolingual regions of Spain: Madrid and Andalusia. As a matter of fact, as these two regions have been mostly governed by political parties with contrasting ideologies, this may have affected the way in which CLIL has been implemented. Firstly, this paper will offer a literature review of the outcomes that the CLIL programme has produced in the two regions according to research. Secondly, the implementation of CLIL in each region will be examined by means of a document analysis of the CLIL regulations introduced in the two contexts, on the basis of the following themes: CLIL introduction and development, pupil selection, teacher training and compensation, and the inclusion of other languages. Finally, the discussion will explore whether the different outcomes of CLIL in the two regions may be the result of the ideologies guiding the implementation of the programme and will establish some sociolinguistic principles required to frame bilingual competence in the wider social debate on inequality. The greatest ideological difference observed is pupil selection, which may lead to language poverty in certain layers of society.

Language testing and the role of CLIL exposure in constructing student profiles

Abstract This study examines stakeholders’ views on the streaming of students into one of two strands of differing CLIL exposure (High versus Low) in the transition from primary to secondary in the context of Madrid’s Bilingual Education Program. To this end, three groups of stakeholders – primary school leaders, parents and secondary school teachers – were interviewed so as to gather their perspectives on streaming as pertains to: (1) a high-stakes English language test that determines access to the High- and Low-Exposure strands; and (2) the profiles of students participating in these strands. Findings indicate that school leaders prioritise students’ ongoing language learning progress over the high-stakes context of the test, whilst they acknowledge families’ favourable views of the test. Parents’ affective stances reveal that some students experience a certain degree of anxiety in preparation for the test. In addition, participating in the High- or Low-Exposure strands seems to influence teachers’ perceptions of these students as either high or low achievers. These findings are further discussed in terms of the potential implications of streaming and student selection for (in)equity in CLIL programs.

Challenging the Notion of CLIL Elitism: A Study of Secondary School Students' Motivation for Choosing CLIL in Norway

AbstractContent and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) has been criticized for being elitist and increasing social differences. This study challenges the notion of elitism by investigating why lower secondary school students attending schools characterized by variations in socio‐economic status (SES) choose to apply for a CLIL program. A content analysis was conducted of 85 motivation letters written by students as part of the application process to two CLIL programs in Norway and of focus group interviews with 102 students during their first, second, or third years in these programs. The findings showed that the main motivation for applying to a CLIL program at both schools was to improve English competence and be part of a positive, bilingual, and challenging learning environment. There were also important differences. For students at the school with high SES, the program was a good fit for their already internationally oriented lifestyle. However, students at the school with low SES perceived CLIL as a step toward a brighter future through social mobility. These results show that a discussion of the possible elitism of CLIL education cannot be based solely on a comparison between the motivations and academic achievements of students inside and outside CLIL programs.

The Forging Links project: Knowledge transference using pre-service teachers’ CLIL units with ICT integration

Knowledge about CLIL teaching approaches and the effective integration of ICT into learning processes seem paramount to the success of CLIL in different contexts. Nevertheless, research has shown that pre-service and in-service teachers feel unprepared for effective CLIL programme implementation. Recent research has pointed out that material design might be a successful way of improving knowledge and an aid to help teachers realise effective ICT integration efforts. This study reports on the results of a project which through the creation of specific materials for schools explores CLIL knowledge and ICT integration together with students’ perceptions in a pre-service teachers training programme. Results indicate awareness of the stages needed to develop CLIL appropriately, and capacity to use ICT in all the stages and to integrate various dimensions of knowledge together with very positive perceptions, which support learning outcomes and point to increased motivation. Nevertheless, the tasks showed ample room for improvement, especially regarding the integration of language and more innovative uses of ICT.

Exploring the pseudo-longitudinal development of specific morphosyntactic features and syntactic complexity in CLIL young learners

Abstract CLIL studies on language specific areas such as morphosyntax are still quite limited, particularly those with young learners. Likewise, the pseudo-evolution of morphosyntactic aspects across age and proficiency deserves particular attention. This paper will fill these gaps by investigating production accuracy and syntactic complexity in two different age/proficiency groups of CLIL primary school learners (grade 4 and 6). In terms of accuracy, L1 Spanish transfer effects associated with the pro-drop parameter (i.e. subject omission and subject-verb inversion), and the third person singular -s morpheme omission will be explored. Syntactic complexity will be operationalised through the production of simple and complex clauses. The findings obtained align with previous research in that the accumulated hours of CLIL + EFL exposure by grade 6 seem to positively affect the development of complexity measures. However, the lack of progress in the case of the rest of the features examined (i.e. subject omission, inversion of the subject and the third person singular -s omission) calls for the incorporation of focus-on-form components in CLIL programmes.

The impact of CLIL on the L2 French and L1 Dutch proficiency of Flemish secondary school pupils

ABSTRACT Since its official introduction in 2014, an increasing number of Flemish secondary schools provide a CLIL program next to their regular monolingual Dutch programs. This longitudinal study investigates the effect of teaching one or several content subjects in French on secondary school pupils’ L2 French listening comprehension (n = 545) and speaking proficiency (n = 273) as well as on their L1 Dutch reading comprehension (n = 579). To ensure comparability between the CLIL and the non-CLIL groups, data collection started at the onset of secondary education, which aligns with the onset of CLIL programs, and information on relevant background variables such as L2 French motivation and anxiety, contact with L2 French outside school and pupils’ socioeconomic status was incorporated in the analyses. The results show that following a CLIL program has a positive impact on the development of French listening and speaking, whereas it does not affect pupils’ L1 Dutch reading comprehension. These results suggest that even a limited amount of CLIL (i.e. one to five hours per week) can have a positive influence on pupils’ proficiency in the target language.