Content And Language Integrated Learning Instruction Research Articles

Exposure or age? The effect of additional CLIL instruction on young learners’ grammatical complexity while performing an oral task

The purported foreign language gains of content and language integrated learning (CLIL) over traditional EFL (English as a foreign language) programs with young learners are still unclear. Specifically, little is known about how CLIL time and timing impact grammatical complexity. Additionally, mediating factors such as socioeconomic status (SES) and extramural exposure have been rarely controlled in the existing literature. This study analysed grammatical complexity in four groups of young learners in Spain ( n = 108) during an oral task. The sample comprised: (1) an EFL-only group (1,766 EFL hours), (2) a low-exposure CLIL group (1,766 EFL hours + 707 CLIL hours), (3) a high-exposure CLIL group (1,766 EFL hours + 2,473 CLIL hours), and (4) a younger high-exposure CLIL group (1,545 EFL hours + 2,164 CLIL hours). All groups were matched for SES and extramural exposure. The analysis included independent ratings and computational measures of overall sentence complexity, subordination, and coordination. Distribution, Kruskal–Wallis and post-hoc tests were conducted. Results showed significant differences in favour of the high-exposure groups over the EFL-only group in the ratings and in two of the computational measures: overall sentence complexity and subordination. This evidence highlights the potential of high-exposure CLIL to supplement grammatical instruction in EFL programs. Our results also suggest that the comparatively higher exposure of the younger high-exposure CLIL group has the potential to override the one-year cognitive advantage of the older, EFL-only learners.

Lexical Availability in Multilingual CLIL: Gender-dependent Differences in English and French

It has been suggested that Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) positively affects learners’ content-related vocabulary. While CLIL has become increasingly popular throughout Spain, the language of instruction in this learning environment has predominantly been English, largely to the neglect of other languages. Calls have consequently been made to conduct comparative research across other languages to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of CLIL irrespective of the language of instruction. In addition, female learners have been found to outperform males in areas of vocabulary such as lexical availability (LA) in English. However, given suggestions that CLIL may blur gender differences, it is unclear whether this difference is also found in a multilingual CLIL context. This study thus aims to determine whether an English advantage is observed in LA in a multilingual CLIL environment, and whether this advantage varies in male and female learners. Results indicate that there is a clear dominance in English over French, regardless of gender. However, analysis across different grades reveals that CLIL instruction has a clear effect on the students’ LA in different languages, but in different ways for male and female learners. The findings are of key importance to CLIL stakeholders wishing to support male and female learners in multilingual classrooms.

Multimodality in CLIL assessment: implications for teacher assessment literacy

ABSTRACT Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) features the integration of content learning and additional language learning. With the increasing recognition that representation and construction of content knowledge often involve multiple semiotic modes, it follows that the ‘language’ dimension in CLIL should be extended to a multimodal dimension. Researchers have been examining the affordance of multimodal resources in facilitating CLIL instruction, but little attention has been paid to CLIL assessment, where students’ knowledge is assessed in their less proficient language. It is then worth exploring whether and how CLIL assessment allows students to mobilise multimodal resources to demonstrate their actual learning. Through in-depth individual interviews with 10 purposefully sampled secondary school CLIL teachers in Asian contexts and examining their assessment materials, this study investigates teachers’ perceptions and practices of using multimodal resources in CLIL assessment. It is found that although teachers are aware of the affordance of multimodal resources in making assessment questions accessible to students and mediating students’ content knowledge expression, teachers generally need more systematic knowledge and skills to design effective multimodal assessment tasks, develop multimodal assessment criteria, and provide feedback on students’ multimodal production. These findings have important implications for CLIL assessment design and CLIL teacher assessment literacy.

Using the Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) Approach to Teach Elementary Fourth Grade Mathematics: An Action Research

<p>行政院通過雙語國家政策後，許多縣市選擇CLIL為主要雙語教學模式，本研究透過教學行動研究反思與修正的歷程，建構可行的數學CLIL教學模式。研究者設計角度及三角形兩個幾何單元的教學，於110年10月6日至28日在國小四年級實施，蒐集室觀察紀錄、訪談、文件資料、省思札記、中、英語單元成就測驗等資料，進行綜合分析。本研究主要發現如下：1. CLIL的學習情境可視學生需求提供中文輔助，課堂融入70%的英語，並採異質分組促進同儕溝通互動。2. 課程設計可依學科內容設計不同難度的操作活動與統整型的素養任務。3. 教學實施可調整數學教科書活動安排，將相同數學概念整併，規劃符合CLIL內容和語言循環的教學活動。4. 學習評量在課堂中著重英語聽和說形成性評量，課堂最後回到中文數學課本習題檢核數學概念。5. 全班學生數學表現穩定，未因CLIL教學影響學習成效，但部分學生會受到英語單字、句型閱讀能力影響數學答題表現。</p> <p> </p><p>After the Executive Yuan passed “Bilingual Nation 2030”, many county(city) governments chose CLIL as the primary bilingual teaching model. This study constructed the practicable CLIL mathematics teaching model through the process of reflection and revision of the teaching action research. I designed two geometry units in angles and triangles, which were implemented in the fourth grade of elementary school from October 6 to 28, 110. I collected classroom observations, interviews, documents, personal journals and achievement tests in Chinese and English for comprehensive analysis. The following findings are presented: 1. CLIL learning contexts can provide Chinese according to students’ needs, integrate 70% of English into the classroom, and arrange heterogeneous groupings to promote peer communication and interaction. 2. Curriculum design can arrange hands-on activities and integrated literacy assignments with different levels of difficulty according to the subject content. 3. Teaching implementation can adjust the arrangement of mathematics textbook activities, integrate the same mathematical concepts, and plan by the CLIL content and language cycle. 4. Learning assessment focuses on English listening and speaking formative assessment in the classroom, and finally returns to the Chinese mathematics textbook exercises to check mathematical concepts. 5. All students’ performance in mathematics was stable and not affected by the CLIL instruction, but some students’ performance in mathematics was affected by their ability to read English words and sentences.</p> <p> </p>

STEAM pedagogy in foreign language education: An endeavour to broaden CLIL pedagogy through 6E’s framework

This study addressed the dilemma in Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) teaching. It argued that a STEAM pedagogy (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) can inform and broaden CLIL pedagogy through 6E’s framework (engage, explore, explain, engineer, enrich, and evaluate). The authors first theoretically highlighted how STEAM pedagogy addressed some of the issues concerning CLIL instruction and showed that 6E’s framework cohered with the 4C’s (culture, content, cognition, and communication) of pluriliteracies approach to CLIL. We then actuated this conceptualization through a case study exploring Indonesian EFL learners’ engagement in 16-meeting CLIL lessons by examining their multidimensional learning experiences, affectivity, and emotionality. Data were oriented to the contextual variables of effective learning from learners’ standpoint and collected through Academic Emotion Questionnaire (AEQ), language learning attitude battery, and reflection sheet distributed to 204 college learners in six CLIL classes with 6E’s framework. The findings demonstrated the potency of 6E’s framework to provide vital scaffolding for discipline-specific literacies through scientific inquiry in language learning. The framework stimulated intensive multidimensional learning, positive academic emotions, and positive attitudes toward CLIL lessons. Students’ reflections underscored how the framework paved engaging authentic language tasks and science projects as essential drives for intrinsic motivation to learn content and language despite limited linguistic repertoires.

Integrating Hybrid Learning in Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) approach for Enhanced Language Proficiency

In an era where education is increasingly defined by digital integration and flexibility, this study ventures into the intersection of two powerful pedagogical approaches- hybrid learning and Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL). The research examines how the fusion of these methods impacts the language proficiency of Class 8th students, providing a fresh perspective on modern educational strategies. Using a quasi-experimental design, the study assesses the language outcomes of students receiving hybrid CLIL instruction against those following traditional CLIL methods, focusing on key areas such as vocabulary, grammar, reading comprehension and writing skills. The findings reveal a significant edge for the hybrid CLIL group, whose language proficiency soared across all measured areas, outperforming their peers in traditional settings. The study underscores the value of a blended learning environment where digital tools and in-person instruction converge, creating an adaptive, learner-centered approach that enhances both content understanding and language development. By bridging the gap between physical classrooms and virtual resources, hybrid CLIL empowers students to navigate complex linguistic and cognitive tasks more effectively. This study not only redefines the potential of CLIL in contemporary education but also opens doors for future pedagogical innovations, suggesting that hybrid learning is not just an option but a necessity for cultivating 21st-century learners. The findings offer a roadmap for educators and policymakers seeking to embrace new teaching models that meet the evolving demands of education.

Teaching Thai University Students How to Write Research Abstracts and Research Reports: The Case for Science Using CLIL

This study examines the effectiveness of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) implementation in science subjects and reports on the challenges that content teachers encountered during CLIL instruction. In addition, the study attempts to investigate students’ perceived knowledge of and satisfaction towards the implementation of CLIL. To accomplish these goals, relevant CLIL instructional materials were developed by the researchers and subject content teachers. Content teachers received training in English to apply the designed material and implement the CLIL instruction prior to CLIL classes. A convenience sample of 24 university students participated in this study. They were required to write research abstracts and reports in English according to the knowledge of genre and move-based structure. The data collection was conducted using a mixed qualitative and quantitative method. Student abstracts written in English were also analysed qualitatively to investigate the use of linguistic features, structural elements, and vocabulary. Additionally, six subject content teachers and six students were interviewed about their perceptions of and challenges from CLIL implementation. Student questionnaires about their attitudes towards CLIL implementation were then used to collect quantitative data. Over the seven weeks of CLIL lessons, the interview results revealed that close collaboration between content and language teachers prior to CLIL implementation was necessary to affirm the steps and procedures to be applied in the classroom. Some of the content teachers conveyed the importance of advancing students’ language-related knowledge in expressing scientific ideas in English. Most students also expressed their satisfaction towards CLIL instruction as it facilitates the learning process, helping them improve their writing and reading skills as well as their ability to use academic vocabulary. The findings of this study advance our understanding of how to implement CLIL lessons, including the importance of CLIL-related training, creating instructional materials, and language integration of content and language learning in science at the university level.

The Application of STEAM Education in CLIL--A Case Study of Halloween Jack-O'-Lantern

In recent years, there has been a promotion and emphasis on CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) education. The integration of interdisciplinary concepts and applications in English classrooms has brought new value and significance to English teaching. This study aims to investigate the students’ perceptions by STEAM-Integrated CLIL instruction into English Classroom, a Halloween Jack-O-Lantern as an example. The participations were eight freshman students from different department in a university in central of Taiwan. Through a survey, the research aims to analyze different aspects of STEAM and assess the effectiveness of English learning outcomes. The results indicated that the students were satisfied with the application of STEAM education in CLIL instruction in English classroom.

Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) in European Higher Education

The following article discusses Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) in European higher education, which has become popular in recent years due to the status of English as a foreign language. Firstly, the difference between CLIL and English Medium Instruction (EMI) is explained, then CLIL modules in higher education are presented. Furthermore, CLIL special pedagogy in higher education is described. The subsequent section is devoted to the benefits and challenges of CLIL in higher education as listed in the literature; finally, insight into research on language in the CLIL higher education context is addressed. The data presented in the article is based on an in-depth literature review and research conducted in higher education institutions in Europe. The findings show that even though CLIL has become a popular approach in higher education in recent years, adapting this concept has been a great challenge due to the very little preparation, proper methodological training and complex linguistic learning situations.

Content-specific vocabulary in CLIL: Exploring L2 learning outcomes in a primary education programme in Catalonia

The present study seeks to explore the effects of participating in a content and language integrated learning (CLIL) programme in terms of second language (L2) content-specific vocabulary learning in a primary education school. CLIL instruction has been found to benefit the development of English L2 vocabulary, more receptive than productive. Nonetheless, little is known on content-specific vocabulary learning in CLIL and how it is supported through classroom input with young learners. We explore the impact of a 4-week CLIL programme implemented in a Catalan primary education school with a group of 16 Catalan/Spanish first language (L1) children, aged 10–11 years. Vocabulary learning was measured by means of ad hoc tests, designed on the basis of the input from the CLIL materials and targeting vocabulary depth and breadth. The results indicate that CLIL instruction positively impacted children’s depth and breadth of content-specific vocabulary knowledge. More specifically, the children experienced a significant improvement both in their receptive and productive knowledge of word meaning and form with regard to content-specific lexis. Moreover, with regard to children’s productive vocabulary knowledge as elicited through a written content task, statistical improvement was found in terms of lexical diversity and sophistication, but not lexical density. We argue for the need to use input profiled assessment instruments to appraise L2 vocabulary gains in CLIL.

Development of second language productive skills through CLIL in a Japanese university: a pre-experimental longitudinal study

Abstract The benefit of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) for second language (L2) development has been addressed by second language acquisition theory and investigated by empirical studies. However, previous studies have not demonstrated the effectiveness of CLIL precisely as most of their study participants took CLIL and non-CLIL courses concurrently. Additionally, existing studies have focused on the effectiveness of CLIL in primary and secondary education and rarely addressed it in higher education. The present study considered the limitations of the previous studies and investigated the development of L2 English productive skills (i.e., speaking and writing) through CLIL conducted in a university in Japan. This study employed a pre-experimental pretest-posttest design, in which all participants received CLIL instruction for four months undertaking the pretest and posttest. The results showed that their productive skills improved significantly. The analysis of pretest and posttest scores also revealed the specific areas of productive skills that benefitted from CLIL, such as Task Achievement (speaking and writing), Coherence and Cohesion (writing), and Grammatical Range and Accuracy (writing). However, this study revealed that the degree of improvement was small, and that vocabulary and critical thinking skills did not improve significantly. This study’s findings provide empirical evidence for the effectiveness of CLIL itself on L2 development in higher education.

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.

Vietnamese Learners’ Reactions to Content and Language Integrated Learning Programs at a public university

One of the important goals of Vietnamese tertiary education is the acquisition of CLIL (Content-and-language integrated Learning) skills. In order to be successful on the national and international labor market, tertiary education students need to acquire both English as an international language skills and discipline-specific knowledge and skills at high functional levels. This paper reports study results using a quantitative method in which data were collected from a questionnaire from students in CLIL programs at a public university in Vietnam. The findings will provide additional relevant research evidence on student perceptions of CLIL instruction practices in Vietnam which could contribute to the sustainability and future development of dual-focused programs.

What key stakeholders think about CLIL programmes: Commonalities and differences of perspective

The goal of this study is to critically discuss some of the most controversial issues affecting the characterization and implementation practices of CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) programmes from key stakeholders' perspective (teachers, learners and parents). The focus will be placed on examining their voices on what CLIL education actually means, its alleged potential benefits in terms of enhanced L2 competence and increased L2 exposure and use, whether content knowledge is improved by CLIL instruction, whether content is emphasised over language in CLIL assessment and, lastly, whether teachers and learners feel motivated and satisfied with the CLIL experience. With this in mind, and based on methodological triangulation, this paper follows a mixed-method research design for investigating the commonalities and differences of perspective. The stakeholders' voices we draw on in this paper largely coincide with most expectations and with what has been reported in the CLIL literature, though, surprisingly, not all view the need for L2 exposure and use in CLIL classes in the same way. On the whole, CLIL is positively evaluated by all stakeholders, provided these educational programmes are well articulated and effectively implemented in practice, although there is always room for further quality improvement and teacher training.

RECEPTIVE VOCABULARY KNOWLEDGE OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN CLIL INSTRUCTION

Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) has recently attracted the attention of practitioners in the language teaching field. As the name suggests, CLIL is an approach built upon teaching content-based area through a language as a medium. For such a language learning process, one of the important language aspects is vocabulary. The number of words language learners know - vocabulary size - and how well they know those words - vocabulary depth - (overall, the receptive dimension of word knowledge) are crucial foci to consider in language learning. Therefore, the primary concern of the present study is to examine the effects of the CLIL approach on the receptive vocabulary knowledge of university students in a state university. Accordingly, Vocabulary Levels Test (VLT) by Schmitt, Schmitt and Clapham (2001) and Word Association Test (WAT) by Read (2000) are administered to the participants before and after CLIL treatment. The findings indicated that the subjects’ size of vocabulary knowledge has significantly differed with CLIL instruction in time, which means that CLIL instruction has been found to be successful for developing both general and academic vocabulary knowledge. Similarly, an increase in the depth of vocabulary knowledge of participants alongside with the CLIL instruction has been observed, indicating that participants’ quality of vocabulary knowledge evaluated through WAT seems to have improved with CLIL treatment. Further research including less frequent words as well as the productive aspect of word knowledge might shed light on the impacts of CLIL treatment on vocabulary development of language learners, especially university students.
 
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Challenges in the Implementation of CLIL in Higher Education: From ESP to CLIL in the Tourism Classroom

Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) has often been touted as an effective means of enhancing the language proficiency gains among its learners due to its focus on content over form and higher cognitive demand. However, cautions have been raised regarding the varying conditions and contexts that need to be taken into consideration in order to ensure its effectiveness. This study aimed to analyze the outcome of switching from an English for Specific Purposes (ESP) program to a CLIL program in the fourth and fifth semesters of the School of Tourism at the University of Azuay. Study participants were randomly divided into two groups: a CLIL (experimental) and a non-CLIL group (control), where the former received CLIL instruction and the latter received ESP instruction for an average of five hours per week over a period of two consecutive semesters. The findings revealed no significant increases in language proficiency or differences in achievement between the two groups, thus suggesting that the starting language level of learners influenced the results of the CLIL program.

The effects of CLIL on content knowledge in monolingual contexts

ABSTRACTThe adoption of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) in Spain has affected educational spending and introduced modifications in learning and assessment procedures for students. While positive effects are noticeable in terms of language learning, evidence concerning the impact on non-linguistic subject areas has been less forthcoming. This study, which forms part of the wider MON-CLIL investigation into CLIL instruction in monolingual areas of Spain, aims to contribute to the developing body of knowledge by comparing academic performance in science in primary education and natural science in compulsory secondary education. In addition to comparing school results for a sample of 93 public, charter (semi-private) and private primary students and 139 public and charter secondary students (total = 232), this study also involved a stepwise discriminant analysis with other potential intervening variables in order to determine the extent to which differences might be due to instruction type or to other factors. Significant differences were detected between certain school types in favour of non-CLIL groups in primary education, while differences also existed between public secondary groups in favour of CLIL. These findings seem to indicate that CLIL instruction had no detrimental effects on the science learning of the secondary learners participating in the study.

CLIL and Productive Vocabulary Acquisition in the Czech Context

This paper sheds light on productive vocabulary development in classes of CLIL (content and language integrated learning). Participants in the study were pupils of lower-secondary school (aged 11-15) in the Czech Republic having experienced CLIL instruction in History or Civics. The investigation was aimed at measuring vocabulary acquisition gained during a year of CLIL. Half of the pupils in the experimental group already had one year of CLIL experience prior to the experiment; the second half of the pupils started with CLIL at the time of the experiment. Both of these groups were compared to one another as well as to a control group with no CLIL instruction. Data collection instruments were created on the basis of standardized Laufer & Nation’s vocabulary levels tests (Laufer & Nation, 1999). As it turned out, previous experience with CLIL as well as the role of the teacher were significant factors. The study points out differences in productive vocabulary development in CLIL in terms of a one-to-two-year time frame. The role of the teacher appeared to have an undeniable importance as well. These factors are discussed in terms of language education improvement.

Enhancing critical thinking through active learning

Abstract Today the Framework for 21st Century Learning developed by the Partnership for 21st Century Learning (P21) is widely recognized and has been used in the U.S., Canada and New Zealand. P21 defines and illustrates the skills and knowledge students need and states that critical thinking is fundamental for twenty-first century success and essential for success in an academic context. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) also values the importance of cultivating critical thinking. However, critical thinking is not a part of the EFL curriculum in Japan, and lessons are not focused on the development of meta-cognitive strategies. How do we help students learn foreign languages and twenty-first Century Skills at the same time? Active learning and content and language integrated learning (CLIL) offer such a learning environment where learners enhance their cognitive skills and gain knowledge while they are learning content and language. This paper reports on a study that explores how active learning with CLIL instruction helps Japanese EFL learners to develop critical thinking skills. In the author’s student-centered instruction based class, critical thinking was stimulated with questions based on the revised Bloom’s taxonomy to develop lower and higher order thinking skills while various scaffolding activities were provided. Pretest-posttest results from the Critical Thinking Disposition Scale (CTDS) and the Cornell Critical Thinking Test (CCTT) Level Z were compared to determine to what extent, if any, EFL learners developed critical thinking disposition and skills through active learning in CLIL classes. The results of the CTDS and CCTT suggest that active learning has value for increasing critical thinking.

The impact of CLIL instruction on content learning: evidence from the Greek context

The present paper aims to look into the effect of content and language integrated learning (CLIL) instruction on learners' content knowledge. The study took place in a Greek primary school where CLIL has been implemented for the last six years. Two groups of 6th graders participate in the study: an experimental group which is taught geography in English and a control group that is taught geography in Greek. The comparison between the two groups is based on two Geography tests that each group took - the experimental group in English and the control group in Greek. The results of the study indicated significantly superior performance of the experimental group in the first test and slightly inferior performance in the second one. Learners' proficiency level in English seems to affect significantly learners' performance in the content tests at the beginning of the school year. Differences in CLIL performance between students of higher and lower proficiency level in English seem to fade out as the year progresses.