WHAT IS CLIL?

WHAT IS CLIL?

1. What is meant by CLIL?

   • "Hard" CLIL
     • A form of subteaching in L2 which highlights academic achievement in a subject, and treats language development as important, but as a bonus.
     • This programme occupies ALL the hours allocated to the subject.
     • This kind of CLIL programme offers one or two subjects in L2, for one, two or more years full-time.
     • Here, language teaching can sometimes have little or no involvement in the CLIL programme.
   • "Soft" CLIL
     • This kind of CLIL programme looks for high achievement in the subject, but it also places emphasis on language development.
     • This programme may be offered for a short period - half a year maybe - and it only occupies a portion of the hours available to the subject.
     • This type may involve language teachers in several roles within the CLIL programme and make an emphasis on collaboration between subject and language staff.
   • In CLIL programmes, L2 is the MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION (MoI)

2. Education in a second language: diversity of contexts

   • Education through the medium of L2 happens in varying contexts all over the world. CLIL is a relation in this family of similar practices (educational practices).
   • However, as these practices differ considerably, it is important to establish what the features of their contexts are, and what makes them succeed or fail (which factors) -->
     • The educational background of learners.
     • The level of learners' L2 ability.
     • The degree to which learners are literate in L1, and have acquired strong CALP (Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency) in L1.
     • The degree to which teachers are trained to teach subjects in L2..
     • The degree to which teachers are sufficiently fluent in L2.
     • Whether the whole curriculum or just a part of it is taught in L2.
     • Learners' exposure to L2 in the community.
     • The degree to which the authorities are informed about L2-medium education and provide appropriate support.

3. ·

   • It is a form of state schooling originated in Canada.
     • Immersion programmes can start at various points of schooling career: "early" (Kindergarten), "Mid" (9-10 years old), "late" (secondary).
     • Immersion programmes also vary in the amount of curriculum time delivered in immersion.
       • "Total Immersion" (100%)
       • "Partial immersion" (50%).
     • Learners often starts with low ability in L2 and are not normally exposed to the language in the community.
     • The MoI in an immersion programme is normally a high-status language.
     • Schools running this programme support development in this first language and aim for "additive bilingualism" (a second language is added to the first, instead of replacing it).
     • Teachers in immersion programmes are normally bilingual.
     • These programmes tend to be populated by learners from backgrounds with HIGHER SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS (SES)
     • Learners are considered to achieve good levels of both subject knowledge and L2 ability. However, sometimes, learners are said to have insufficient accuracy in productive skills.

4. Minority education

   • Minority education provides for the schooling of language minorities. (Mingrant and immigrant communities in industrialized countries)..
     • Minority children learn the whole curriculum in L2 at all ages and levels of language ability.
     • Learners are educated mainly in mainstream classrooms, and in addition, they learn L2 in withdrawal classes.
     • Exposure to the MoI in the community tends to be high.
     • Learners often come from low-SES families.
       • Cummins states that it is crucial for minority learners to acquire academic language ability in L2. Learners may become conversationally fluent in L2 relatively quickly, but it may take many years of formal intervention for them to develop the level of CALP necessary to learn in L2.
     • Forms of practice in minority education can vary from mainstream subject classrooms to the students being withdrawn from mainstream lessons for weekly sessions in L2 development.
     • Teacher-education also vary from sophisticated university-based training to the absence of any teacher development opportunities at all.
     • Research on the field has shown that bilingual education is more beneficial to learners than unsupported immersion in mainstream classrooms.

5. Bilingual education

   • "Maintenance bilingual education"
     • This model educates minority language learners in two languages.
     • Half or more of the curriculum is taught in the minority student's home language.
     • This model enables children to maintain their home language and to achieve academically in core curriculum subjects on par with conventional education.
   • "Dual-language bilingual programmes"
     • Here, language-minority students and language-majority students are taught in the same classrooms.
     • Language are separated as MoIs, they may be used on alternate days or in alternate subject lessons.
     • Dual-language programmes aim to produce bilingual and multicultural learners, and also for higher levels of subject knowledges.
     • Dual-language bilingual schools cater for all grades.

6. English-medium education in developing countries

   • In some parts of the world, the vast majority of learners learn through an L2.
     • In these contexts, L2-medium education may start from day one of schooling or after three years of education in local language.
     • Education in L2 is system-wide, and students learn most subjects in L2.
     • Because of these context being developing countries, the majority of the learners come from low-SES, and print-illiterate backgrounds.
     • Societal exposure to the MoI may be low.
     • Infraestructure to support the development of Education in L2 is often inexistent.

7. Recent English-medium science and maths programmes

   • System-wide programmes
     • THey involve all children, often from day one of schooling.
     • Somme programmes do not involve the whole curriculum,but sections of it such as science and Maths.
     • Here, exposure to L2 is low.
     • In these programmes, large numbers of learners and teachers can struggle with English as MoI.
   • Self-selecting programmes
     • Learners come from high-SES.
     • Here, exposure to L2 at home and in the community can be high.
     • These programmes tend to deliver good results in both subjects and language.

8. How is CLIL different?

   • CLIL differs from many of the programms described before, as CLIL:
     • Tends to be taught in one or a limited number of subjects.
     • Tends to be self-selecting
     • learners have a basic minimum level of L2 ability when they enter a programme.
     • Is dependent on good levels of CALP on the part of the learners.
     • Is normally offered in in secondary schools, although in can be CLIL courses in primary schools.
     • tends not to pursue overtly "political" aims, but to a wider cultural view.

9. Criteria for success in CLIL

   • Learner L2 ability
     • Subject teachers can teach their subject to learners with good, intermediate or below levels of ability in the MoI.
     • When L2 level is low (bottom line), the learner needs to learn both the new language and the new subject concepts.
     • A skilled teacher working with learners whose abilities are bottom line, can maintain levels of subject knowledge.
     • Learners who know a subject well, and are well motivated, can cope with lower levels of L2 ability.
     • Most of schools, when offereing a CLIL programme, often think about whether the learners know enough L2.
   • Exposure to L2
     • CLIL learners can benefit from living in a society in which exposure to L2 is fairly high.
     • They can also benefit from learning more than half of the curriculum through L2.
   • Literacy and cognitive skills
     • Learners with good L1 literact skills and academic language profiency are better equipped to learn in L2.
     • Learners can transfer their L1 abilities to the L2.
   • Socio-economic status
     • Learners from all socio-educational background can succeed in CLIL programmes.
     • Learners with lower SES need more support while going through CLIL programmes.
     • Learners with good educated families, what gives them and educational advantage in L1, are more likely to learn easier in school through L2..
     • Learners from a high SES progress more effectively.
     • Transfer of academic language skills can occur in either direction, from L1 to L2 or vice versa.
   • Teacher L2 ability
     • Teachers must feel confident enoguh in both to control the language of the subject and to give expression to a good range of pedagogical strategies in order to teach it.
   • Teacher pedagogical skill
     • CLIL teachers need to be trained to use CLIL pedagogy, especially if they are working wiht learners with L2 abilities still in development.
   • Resourcing
     • The most valuable resource is learning materials.
     • As there are not much material that support CLIL programmes in the way they need to, teachers often have to source improvised materials and then build it in their own language support for their classes.
   • Self-selecting or system-wide programmes
     • Self-selecting programmes
       • They select learners who are best fitted for the program. (L2 ability, subject ability, motivation, etc.)
       • These programs may be influenced by parental demand.
       • These programmes are unintentionally linked to higher SES.
     • System-wide programmes
       • consists on deliverying the majority or a part of the curriculum through L2, from day one or year 4 of schooling.
   • Time allocation
     • Full-time, long-term CLIL (Full curriculum in L2) requires a greater commitment from a school than Short-term, part-time CLIL (just a part in L2), and schools need to be sure that they have the means to make it work.
   • THe language syllabus
     • Learners who are using a second or foreign language to learn subjects need a kind of teaching which is at least partly focused on the language of these subjects and of the academic learning. (Cross-curricular language skills and L2-medium subject syllabus)
   • Planning
     • Planning may happen at the level of:
       • THe education authority: it may plan a regional CLIL programme, setting standards of resourcing, assessment, procedures, or providing teacher support.
       • the school: it may plan by setting school entry requirements for CLIL programmes, monitoring levels of teacher language ability, funding resources, or encouraging collaboration.
       • The subject teacher: they may plan by developing an L2-medium subject syllabus, designing teaching materials, or collaborating with colleagues.
       • It is crucial for planning that decision-makers be informed about the theory and practice of successful CLIL..