Content And Language Integrated Learning Students Research Articles

Unpacking Chinese young learners’ L2 learning motivation: Does CLIL make a difference?

AbstractThis study aimed to compare the English language learning motivation of two cohorts of Chinese primary school learners in a Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) and a non‐CLIL instructional setting. A total of 270 learners from third, fourth and fifth grades in the CLIL programme (N = 184) and the non‐CLIL programme (N = 86) participated in this study. Data were collected through a young learners’ L2 motivation questionnaire. Results indicated that CLIL learners overall displayed a significantly higher level of L2 motivation than their non‐CLIL counterparts in the Ideal L2 Self domain and L2 Learning Experience. However, students in the non‐CLIL programme overall rated themselves higher in the Ought‐to L2 Self domain. When comparing L2 motivation levels between CLIL and non‐CLIL sub‐groups in different grades, we found that the non‐CLIL subsamples’ mean motivational scores witnessed a continuous decline with the increase of grade in the scales of Ideal L2 Self, Ought‐to L2 Self and Parental Expectations. Regarding Cultural Interest and L2 Learning Experience, CLIL students in both the fourth‐ and fifth‐grade cohorts exhibited a significantly higher level of motivation than their non‐CLIL peers. This study provides empirical evidence supporting the implementation of CLIL programme as a potential strategy to boost young learners’ motivation towards L2 learning.

Unlocking CLIL success: exploring the interplay between students’ self-regulation levels, linguistic challenges and learning outcomes in Hong Kong secondary education

The pedagogical approach—Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL)—has been widely adopted around the globe with its dual aims of developing students’ second language (L2) proficiency and mastering content knowledge simultaneously. However, its effectiveness remains inconsistent. This inconsistency has led researchers to call for an investigation into the perspectives of CLIL students to understand the factors behind the success and failure of CLIL implementation. To address this gap, this study explores CLIL students’ perspectives through the lens of self-regulation and examines the relationships between CLIL students’ self-regulation levels, linguistic challenges, and learning outcomes. Involving 167 junior secondary students from three schools in Hong Kong that adopted different CLIL models in Hong Kong, the study revealed moderate self-regulation levels and varying linguistic challenges among CLIL students, with listening being identified as the most difficult skill. A significant, moderately positive correlation was found between self-regulation levels and perceived linguistic challenges. Multiple regression analysis also found that motivation was a key predictor of both L2 proficiency and content subject achievement, while other self-regulation constructs (self-preparation, self-monitoring, and self-reflection) showed non-significant predictive values. Pedagogical implications are provided to develop students’ self-regulation skills and address perceived linguistic challenges, ultimately enhancing the learning experience and outcomes for CLIL students of diverse abilities.

Self‐concept and self‐visions in CLIL and non‐CLIL learners and their effect on motivation

AbstractTo date, most studies that explore the differences in motivation between content and language‐integrated learning (CLIL) and non‐CLIL learners have been mainly quantitative or have not controlled for differences in socio‐economic status (SES). While many researchers agree that CLIL learners tend to have greater motivation than non‐CLIL learners, there has been little explanation of the reasons behind this difference, perhaps partly because the field lacks studies from the perspective of CLIL students themselves. Based on the L2 motivational self‐system and the construct of self‐concept, this study employed a mixed‐methods approach to explore CLIL and non‐CLIL learners’ current and future self‐visions. Fifteen‐year‐old learners in the Madrid region (n = 348) completed a questionnaire that considered their SES levels as well as experiences related to the scales of English self‐concept, academic self‐concept, and teacher expectations. The same learners were then invited to take part in focus groups in which researchers delved into the reasoning behind their motivation. Despite no significant difference in SES levels between CLIL and non‐CLIL learner groups, CLIL participants are found to display a slightly more positive self‐concept and more robust ideal L2 self‐visions, which may explain the perceived greater motivation among CLIL learners to study (in) English. Furthermore, the L2 ought‐to self is found to be a secondary, yet potentially positive force toward higher motivation.

CLIL Students’ Academic Language Performance on a Non-curricular Topic: a Comparison Between High-Exposure and Low-Exposure Groups

In Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) contexts, when students are prompted to express content in a second language, they are expected to draw on their knowledge of the topic at hand and use linguistic resources they have learnt implicitly or explicitly in the content and/or language class. In some CLIL programs, while some students study academic subjects like history in the L2, other students study fewer and more practical subjects such as art. This is the case with high-exposure (HE) and low-exposure (LE) groups, respectively, in the Madrid bilingual secondary school programs. Thus, HE students are expected to perform better in the expression of academic content in the L2, but it is not clear if this is also the case when prompted to write about a topic that is not part of their curriculum. In this study, we compare the texts written by groups of CLIL students with different degrees of exposure to English (HE and LE) in response to a prompt on the Women’s Movement (Feminism) eliciting Cognitive Discourse Functions, such as defining or evaluating, among others. The aim of the study was to compare how HE and LE students make specialist-knowledge claims and use their voices in this topic, which they have not been instructed in, across different CDFs. Results show differences both across groups (HE and LE) and across CDFs, showing an advantage for knowledge transfer in the HE group.

Content and language integrated learning: enhancing language acquisition and content understanding

Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) is an educational approach that integrates the teaching of content subjects with the learning of a foreign or second language. This article explores the concept of CLIL, its benefits, and provides evidence-based citations to support its effectiveness in language acquisition and content understanding. The benefits of CLIL include enhanced language acquisition, improved content understanding, increased motivation and engagement, and the development of cultural and intercultural competence. Research has shown that CLIL students demonstrate improved language proficiency in all language skills, including listening, speaking, reading, and writing. CLIL also facilitates a deeper understanding of academic content by allowing students to explore complex topics using authentic language. Furthermore, CLIL programs promote active learning and intrinsic motivation, as students perceive the relevance and utility of the language being learned. The integration of language learning with content subjects creates opportunities for cultural and intercultural competence development, as students are exposed to diverse perspectives and collaborate with individuals from different linguistic backgrounds. Multiple studies have provided evidence supporting the effectiveness of CLIL. Research has consistently shown that CLIL programs result in significant improvements in language proficiency, both in receptive and productive skills. Additionally, CLIL students have demonstrated higher levels of motivation and engagement compared to those in traditional language learning settings. The findings from these studies highlight the positive impact of CLIL on language acquisition and content understanding. As the demand for multilingual individuals continues to grow in our interconnected world, CLIL stands as a valuable educational approach that equips learners with language skills and subject knowledge simultaneously. This article serves as a comprehensive overview of CLIL, providing educators, researchers, and policymakers with insights into the benefits and evidence supporting the implementation of CLIL programs in educational settings.

The trade-off between STEM knowledge acquisition and language learning in short-term CLIL implementations

ABSTRACT Bilingual education could solve many challenges introduced by an increasingly internationalised education system. Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), in particular, may equip students with the necessary cultural and communicative skills to succeed in today’s academic environment. However, it is not yet clear how CLIL can be employed effectively in short-term educational contexts where full-term bilingual programmes are not feasible. We designed and assessed a one-day CLIL module for ninth graders at our university’s gene-technology lab. The assessment of our module with 252 grammar school students indicates that a CLIL module does not achieve the same learning success as an equivalent non-CLIL module. Even with additional language scaffolding material, full access to online dictionaries, and the availability of crucial workbook passages in their native language, CLIL students could not achieve the same short-term content learning success. We consequently argue that more attention should be paid to the inherent trade-off between language and content learning when carrying out short-term CLIL programmes. Moreover, we caution against using only content and language scaffolding to mediate this trade-off.

CLIL students’ production of cognitive discourse functions: comparing Finnish and Spanish contexts

This article presents findings from an empirical study in which we investigated Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) students’ linguistic resources in the L2 (English) to convey different Cognitive Discourse Functions (Dalton-Puffer 2013; 2016)—Describe, Compare (Categorize), Report, Evaluate and Explore—in two different contexts. The participants were primary school students (grade 6) participating in CLIL programs in Finland and Spain. To allow comparison, two sets of data were obtained by asking the students to write in response to a similar prompt in the area of social science (History in the Spanish context and Geography in the Finnish context). We compared the frequency of the Cognitive Discourse Functions (CDFs) produced, and the fluency and complexity of students’ realizations of CDFs, using tools of Systemic Functional Linguistics. The results reveal similarities across contexts in the frequency and extension of some of the CDFs produced, and differences in terms of CDF complexity, measured in students’ use of clause complexes, Appraisal resources and complex nominal groups to express different CDFs.

Online Learning during the Pandemic: A Qualitative Investigation of L2 CLIL Students Perceptions and Learning Challenges in China

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2019, online-based learning has become a prevailing trend for studying subject matters globally. Additionally, there is an increasing number of international schools teaching CLIL courses to domestic students and many of them are conducting classes online during the pandemic in China. Although the Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) approach has been widely researched in European countries [1], there hardly exists investigations of distance learning within the CLIL context in Asia, especially in China. Therefore, to fill the gap, this qualitative study investigates Chinese EFL students' differential perceptions, learning process, and learning challenges towards offline and online CLIL classes. Six participants (four females and two males), who are L2 learners of English of similar ages (from 17 to 19) studying the same curriculum from one international high school in China, participated in semi-structured interviews (each lasting for an hour) to retrospectively reflect upon their learning experiences in online and offline classes. The current study used the thematic approach to perform content analysis on the interview data, in terms of class course delivery, interaction, workload, and flexibility. The findings indicated that the online learning environment adopted more flexible schedules, which gave students more opportunities to search questions online immediately in class and self-initiated review after class. Nevertheless, students were more motivated in offline classes as they had more interactions with teachers and classmates and did not experience distractive technical issues in class. In addition to the new language challenges in online classes, lack of oral practice was the primary obstacle for students to improve their English proficiency and understand the content knowledge. The findings could provide CLIL educators with a deeper understanding of students' online learning attitudes and experiences so that they can better plan classes and prepare students to conquer potential learning challenges.

A replication study to assess CLIL effects on second language learning in Germany: more than selection and preparation effects?

ABSTRACT The effects of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) on students’ foreign language skill development have been overestimated by previous studies, as most studies needed to have considered selection and preparation effects appropriately. We used complete survey data from a 1996–2003 cohort to investigate English skill development of N = 332 German CLIL and N = 6,401 non-CLIL grammar school students from grade seven (M = 12.64, SD = 0.60) to grade eleven (M = 16.72, SD = 0.70). We found selection effects for prior achievement, sociodemographic variables, and cognitive abilities. After propensity score matching, data revealed significant preparation effects of additional English lessons for the CLIL students. When controlling selection and preparation effects, CLIL compensated for the assumed fading out-effect but did not contribute significant added value measured by a C-test. We commend to include selection and preparation effects when analyzing CLIL effects.

Analysis of Teaching Physics Through Interim Language as Preconditions for Humanitarian Training of Science Teachers for Differentiated Approach in CLIL

The paper studies the humanitarian component of CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) science training of teachers by reviewing theoretical researches and practical approaches presented in scientific reports and analyzing the results of an experiment conducted with international first-year students of Volgograd State Medical University (VolgSMU) when studying physics in English as the interim language. The research design involves seeking the humanitarian components of CLIL science teachers’ training by studying scientific reports and analyzing the preparedness of international VolgSMU students in physics. Main findings include determination and the description of significant heterogeneities among the CLIL students related to their preliminary preparedness subject and language components. The research results can be applied to design the CLIL science teachers’ training for (1) conducting the educational process in a non-native language with the application of a differentiated approach and relying on integrated linguistic and methodical techniques, and (2) analyzing the preliminary preparedness of students for CLIL education on the example of teaching physics in English.

Introducing Internationalisation at Home

Taiwan higher education institutions are employing two strategies: Internationalisation at Home (IaH) to promote domestic students’ international exposure and awareness, and Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) to promote language skills and professional knowledge. Higher education institutions recognise the synergy of these two strategies and the opportunity through them to attract international students to study in an English-speaking classroom. What is not known is the reaction of the domestic CLIL students in English as a Foreign Language settings to the introduction of native English speakers into their classroom, and this is the focus of this exploratory study. Results suggest that the domestic students are largely positive about the engagement of the exchange students but also raise the issues of internationalised curriculum and intercultural mixing in the monolingual context.

Socioeconomic Status, English Exposure and CLIL Motivation in High and Low Exposure CLIL Groups

Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) programs are often praised for bringing equity to foreign language learning (e.g., Lorenzo et al., 2020). However, streaming processes, such as those of the Community of Madrid Bilingual Program, may reinforce social inequalities among students (e.g., Llinares & Evnitskaya, 2020). In line with recent research comparing CLIL students’ affective factors in high exposure (HE) and low exposure (LE) tracks (e.g., Fernández-Agüero & Hidalgo-McCabe, 2020), the present study examines potential differences in the socioeconomic status (SES), CLIL motivation and exposure to English of HE and LE students at a bilingual (Spanish/English) secondary school in a low SES town in Madrid. A questionnaire measuring cultural and economic capital, CLIL motivation, and teachers’ use of English was administered to a sample of LE and all HE students in year 10. Results show that the students of lowest and highest SES were concentrated in LE and HE tracks, respectively. In the LE track, CLIL and English teachers used English less frequently, and students exhibited lower intrinsic motivation. For students with lower English proficiency (often of lower SES), access to the cultural and economic capital afforded by knowledge of English may be constrained by fewer meaningful learning opportunities.

A comparative study of CLIL implementation in upper secondary school in Sweden and students’ development of L2 English academic vocabulary

Although research on content and language integrated learning (CLIL) has shown that CLIL instruction may enhance students’ second or foreign language learning compared to regular foreign language instruction, there are also studies that have indicated similar language development between CLIL and non-CLIL students. However, CLIL can be organized and implemented in many different ways and thus, it is necessary to identify the specific features of various CLIL contexts when comparing learning outcomes. In this study, CLIL implementation at three Swedish upper secondary schools was explored and compared. Further, students’ development of second language (L2) English productive academic vocabulary was compared over three years between CLIL groups at different schools as well as between CLIL and non-CLIL groups ( n = 230), using corpus-based methods. The results revealed significant differences in the progression of L2 academic vocabulary between CLIL groups that may be attributed to substantial differences in CLIL implementation, e.g. with regard to the time allotted for CLIL, teacher availability and the balance between first language (L1) and L2. At the school where the CLIL group’s L2 productive academic vocabulary progressed more than in other groups, both Swedish and English were languages of instruction, increasing the proportion of English over the three years; in the third year, English dominated as the language of instruction. The results indicated similar development of L2 academic vocabulary between CLIL and non-CLIL groups when CLIL implementation was very limited in scale and scope. Further, the results showed that apart from vocabulary, CLIL teachers of non-language subjects generally paid very little attention to other aspects of language.

What is an ecosystem?

Abstract In Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) contexts, students are expected to express disciplinary knowledge in a second/foreign language. One construct that has proven useful for the identification and realization of language functions in disciplinary knowledge is Dalton-Puffer’s (2013) model of cognitive discourse functions (CDFs). Additionally, Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) has already been proven useful for distinguishing lexico-grammatical features that characterise different CDFs in CLIL students’ productions (e.g., Nashaat-Sobhy & Llinares, 2020; Evnitskaya & Dalton-Puffer, 2020). In this article, we use SFL to analyse the oral and written realisations of the CDF Define by 6th grade students participating in a CLIL program in Madrid, Spain. A total of 83 students responded to the same prompt (on science) in writing (in the form of a blog) as well as orally (in the form of an interview). In the oral interviews the co-construction of definitions by the students with the interviewer (researcher) and another peer are explored using the notion of Legitimation Code Theory and the concept of semantic waves (Maton, 2013). The analysis of students’ definitions is also related to primary CLIL teachers’ evaluations using comparative judgement.

Analysis and insights into written competence of clil and non-clil programs in tertiary context

In 2020 a new faculty was established at Yeoju Technical Institute in Tashkent. This faculty is the first in Uzbekistan that teaches learners dual-focused Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) approach.The research was conducted within one academic year (2 semesters), in experimental and control groups that include CLIL and non-CLIL language learners. The chosen module was Introduction to Academic Writing that compares the writing performance of CLIL and non-CLIL students in terms of 3 dimensions: fluency, accuracy, and complexity of academic writing. The result of the research revealed that the CLIL group showed better results compared with non-CLIL students regarding the frequent usage of academic vocabulary, complexity in structure, and content of writing, demonstrating a more critical approach to the assigned topics.

Building science through questions in Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) classrooms

BackgroundThe growing population of students that are learning science through a Content and Language Integrated Learning approach (CLIL) has led to concerns about these students’ ability to fully participate in a rich classroom discourse to develop content knowledge. A lack of information about science development through classroom discourse in CLIL settings brought us to focus on the questions teachers ask in upper secondary CLIL biology classrooms. Our aim was to understand how these questions effect science content learning opportunities. A multiple-case study design was implemented to examine and understand the complexities of teacher-student interactions. Data were collected in three case studies, each located in a different school (two in Germany and one in Italy), where CLIL senior secondary science classrooms were observed and audio-recorded. Classroom talk transcripts were analyzed using a mixed methods approach to discourse analysis.ResultsFindings suggest that a teacher’s strategic use of questions has the potential to promote both science understanding and science language development. Questioning contingent on students’ answers was observed to both promote content understanding and to lessen the linguistic demand on CLIL students by splitting both reasoning processes and language production into more manageable units. In addition, a higher level of cognitive engagement was present only when students managed to participate in the classroom discourse with answers longer than single utterances. To allow students to actively participate in the classroom discourse, teachers were observed adopting and promoting translanguaging practices, that is, the flexible use of more than one linguistic code. Furthermore, teachers asked language-related questions that promoted both understanding and use of disciplinary language.ConclusionsThe questioning practices observed in this study offer both practitioners and researchers ways of understanding issues of content access in upper secondary CLIL science classrooms. We recommend STEM teachers in CLIL settings not to oversimplify the linguistic demand on students, as this leads to an oversimplification of content. To lessen the linguistic barriers, practical strategies are recommended to support both cognitively and linguistically productive questioning in STEM CLIL classrooms.

Effects of CLIL on second language learning: Disentangling selection, preparation, and CLIL-effects

The positive effects of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) on the development of students’ foreign language skills may have been overestimated by previous studies, since most studies failed to consider selection and preparation effects appropriately. Therefore, the present study used complete survey data from a 2002–2007 cohort to investigate English skill development of N = 385 German CLIL and N = 5,578 non-CLIL grammar school students from grade seven (M = 12.46, SD = 0.53) to grade eight (M = 14.46, SD = 0.53). Firstly, we found significant selection effects for performance in primary school, sociodemographic variables, and cognitive abilities. Secondly, after propensity score matching, data revealed significant preparation effects of additional second language instruction for the CLIL students. When controlling selection and preparation effects, only a small and non-significant CLIL effect occurred measured by a C-test. We discuss the results with regard to previous inconsistent findings.

Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) Mathematics at the Vietnamese High School

The implementation of content and language integrated learning (CLIL) has been enforced by many education systems across the world as a means of improving their foreign language education or strengthening multilingualism in their society. CLIL in the context of Vietnam has recently been promoted as a means of tackling the country's ineffective English language education and upholding its science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields. This study was conducted to gather information on the teaching of mathematics in English in Vietnamese high schools. Data were collected from a survey and follow-up interviews at 42 high schools across the country. The survey involved 39 school administrators, 78 teachers, and 500 students who had direct experience with teaching and learning mathematics in English while the follow-up interviews were conducted with 14 school administrators and 35 teachers. Statistical analyses performed indicated that CLIL-practising schools in Vietnam performed rather satisfactorily in terms of assessing CLIL learning outcomes and using content and pedagogies appropriate for their CLIL objectives and their school context. CLIL mathematics activities were perceived to be less satisfactory than other CLIL teaching and learning aspects due to practical conditions that constrained the range and diversity of CLIL mathematics activities. Vietnamese schools reported tailoring their CLIL mathematics teaching and learning to suit their particular school settings, which could be seen appropriate at the current early stage of CLIL mathematics implementation in Vietnam. The heavy dependence on foreign-imported curriculum and textbooks, however, still posed challenges in creating meaningful learning outcomes for CLIL students in Vietnam.

CLIL Students’ Affectivity in the Transition between Education Levels: The Effect of Streaming at the Beginning of Secondary Education

ABSTRACT This study looks into the affective factors influencing students’ experiences in Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) at the beginning of bilingual secondary education (at the age of 11–12), when being streamed into two strands with a different degree of exposure to CLIL, depending on their linguistic competence. Results were drawn from 10 structured interviews with students spotted as salient cases in 157 validated questionnaires. Students’ responses to the interviews were analyzed following Grounded Theory. The categories emerging from the analysis are related to students’ values, attitudes and beliefs towards bilingual education, their motivation, perceptions on learning and degree of satisfaction with their strand. Our findings indicate that instrumental motivation plays an important role in these students’ views, which vary depending on the strand: i.e., students in the high-exposure strand seem to see themselves more at ease and in control of their choices, whereas low-exposure strand students experience more ambivalence over the transition.

Exploring content and language co-construction in CLIL with semantic waves

ABSTRACT In content and language integrated learning (CLIL) classrooms, it is assumed that non-language content subjects provide more authentic communicative contexts for students to learn a foreign/second/additional language (L2). However, learning abstract concepts and academic language in an L2 simultaneously is also challenging for CLIL students. It is thus important for CLIL teachers to unpack and repack both abstract concepts and academic discourse for the students. ‘Semantic waves’, which model classroom practices of both unpacking and repacking, is arguably a key to understanding cumulative knowledge-building. Applying the concepts of semantic profiles and semantic waves, this paper analyses the classroom discourse of two CLIL science lessons in Hong Kong. In one lesson, the semantic profile mainly consists of downward shifts. The teacher adopted various useful strategies to unpack science concepts, especially with multimodalities, everyday L2 and students’ L1 resources. Yet, there was limited repacking. In contrast, some repacking was observed in another lesson, where the teacher provided explicit instruction on academic language and guided students through academic writing tasks. A semantic wave can thus be observed there. These findings on strategies for unpacking and repacking provide significant insights into knowledge building in CLIL contexts, and may hence illuminate CLIL pedagogical practices.