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Bridge Education Group TEFL TESOL Certifications

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What Is CLIL and What Is Not? Introduction to CLIL - Content and Language Integrated Learning

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Using CLIL to help primary students think and learn in English

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Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL)

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Bridge Education Group TEFL TESOL Certifications

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Teaching demonstration of how a CLIL lesson works with young learners

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Are you a language teacher who, apart from your job, is extremely passionate about something else, like cooking, hiking, biology, or spreading positivity around you? If yes, this is the article for you! In this blog post, we will discuss what the very effective Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL methodology) approach is and how it can be integrated into your language teaching to engage your learners. Through CLIL you will boost your students' excitement and teach them important life skills in addition to immersing them to their target language. This is one more effective language teaching methodology that will bring the learning results you want out of everyone and is usable in ESL, ELT and foreign language teaching.

What is CLIL or Content and Language Integrated Learning?

CLIL stands for Content and Language Integrated Learning and as the term suggests, this approach is used to teach students about a new subject in a language foreign to them. Through CLIL, students not only learn a second language but also learn about a topic totally new to them, for example drawing or climate change. If students are familiar with the subject then the approach is not CLIL. Therefore the success of this approach relies on the integration of the new language and the new learning content. The subject can be anything really, from painting and physics to life skills. If you are out of ideas, reach out to your school's subject teachers to get recommendations or even ready-made lesson plans!

Think of yourself in a class, learning painting through Italian or English if it is not your native language. Keep in mind you are familiar neither with painting techniques nor with the target language. During the first classes, you will hear the teacher mentioning the word quite often. In the beginning, you are dependent on the instructor's body language and gestures in order to understand the tasks you need to perform. Observing their body language and the items the teacher is showing, you will soon realise that stands for . In other words, what you will work on during these classes is paintings!

This is a simple example of the CLIL approach and how a CLIL teacher operates. In order to learn what dipinto, paesaggio (landscape) and(portrait) mean you will only need to attend the painting lessons, observe and listen to the teacher.

What are the benefits of using CLIL in language learning?

The CLIL approach has gained popularity in language teaching as it offers various benefits to both language learners and educators. Here are some of the key benefits of using the CLIL lessons in language teaching:

In summary, the CLIL approach offers a holistic and immersive way for students to learn a second language while acquiring knowledge in other subject areas.

What are the challenges in Content and Language Integrated Learning?

The fact that the target language is new might confuse the learners at the beginning, as they have to focus on both the target matter and using their foreign language skills. By assignments, group work and discussion in the classroom, students will eventually become part of a routine and nothing will seem abnormal or too difficult anymore. In order for the teacher to prepare suitable learning materials and efficiently teach, they should develop their knowledge of the target subject. This is of course a substantial time investment from the CLIL teacher especially if there are no ready-made learning content available. At the same time, the classes are best to be designed in a way that students have a good comprehension of the subject taught and of the foreign language used to teach the topic. Teachers should also be aware of the skills and difficulties of each student, and scaffold the learning activities according to the students' learning process. Concept checking questions are a teacher's right hand when using the CLIL approach!

The elements of a CLIL lesson in foreign language teaching

Learning a language using the CLIL approach is done implicitly. Students learn the language naturally, through conversation, observation and socializing, where learning grammar is not the primary goal. Students are also focused on a subject, for example, maths or woodworking, that interests them and the fact that acquiring more linguistic knowledge will help them learn the target matter better is very motivating.

Language teachers should not be off using CLIL just because it is used for subject teaching. The point is not to be expert in a target matter, for example biology, as you, the language teacher, can add the CLIL approach in a lesson hour.

The elements of a successful CLIL lesson based on 4Cs curriculum (Coyle 1999 & Coyle 2008) are:

Content - progression in knowledge, skills and understanding related to specific elements of a defined curriculum.

Communication - using language to learn whilst learning to use language.

Cognition - developing thinking skills which link concept formation (abstract and concrete), understanding and language.

Culture - exposure to alternative perspectives and shared understandings, which deepen awareness of otherness and self

A practical example of CLIL approach in a language classroom

Based on the week's/month's topic, as an introductory or wrap-up lesson you can try out the CLIL approach in your classroom. For example, you might have taught key vocabulary about nature and the countryside, and building from this, planning a flower or gardening activity could be very exciting for your students as they will see this lesson as a game or, better say, a break time. The only difference is that for this CLIL lesson you will place yourself as an experienced gardening instructor.

You can bring in class plants and flowers (both common and some more rarely seen items) and organise a gardening, watering and flower decoration lesson. Display the items for your students to see. Do not forget to also provide the tools necessary. The reason we suggest that is the students will meet the items on lesson day (and not prior to that as they would if they were asked to bring the tools themselves), so there will be the element of the surprise for the upcoming lesson.

If your school's facilities allow it, you can take the students outdoors and give them a gardening class. Speak to them while you put the plants in the soil. Hold the items and repeat the word. For example, hold the plant pot and repeat " maceta". In that way, the children will learn what plant pot means in Spanish, in our case, without you translating the words. Students will remember the vocabulary better when they can make the real visual connection to the item. As soon as you have finished your gardening lesson, always revise the key vocabulary by showing the items once more with the help of your students (for example using Flashcards to do so would be a great way to help students recall these vocabulary items).

Remember to also check out our another article on the 10 best language teaching strategies for more inspiration and ideas for your next language class!
If you're a language teacher who's looking for inspiration to try out new language teaching methods, then check out Sanako's Youtube Channel for instructional videos to some of the most advanced, evidence-based approaches to language teaching and the key concepts behind them. References used in this blog post:
B. F. KLIMOVA CLIL and the teaching of foreign languages. [Online] Elsevier Database. Available from: http://www.sciencedirect.com

Pearson. What is Content and Language Integrated Learning

FluentU. CLIL: What it is and why language teachers will find it delightful
This blog post was last updated 20 September, 2023.

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What is CLIL and how to use it in language teaching?

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CLIL stands for Content and Language Integrated Learning and it is used to teach students about a new subject in a language foreign to them.

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BridgeUniverse - TEFL Blog, News, Tips & Resources

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By Dorothy Zemach
July 6, 2021

Bilingual education isn't just for bilingual communities. Thanks to research that shows learning a second language has benefits for just about everyone, schools all over the world are looking for ways to bring these benefits to their students. One growing teaching trend within bilingual education is CLIL methodology. What is CLIL exactly? To take advantage of this integrative approach, teachers and school administrations need a thorough understanding of the theories behind it as well as proper training on how to apply those theories in concrete ways within their institution.
If you're new to teaching, you'll want to get initial training and qualification with a TEFL certificate. You can explore our online TEFL courses to get started!
CLIL stands for Content and Language Integrated Learning. This means studying another subject (for example, science, history, or literature) and learning a language, such as English, at the same time - integrating the two subjects. The definition is broad because the integration can happen in many different ways.

Professor Do Coyle, who together with education researcher and author Dr. David Marsh coined the term CLIL, explains, "[T]here isn't just one model. ... It can be a theme. It can be principles. You can spend a lot of time on this or a short time on this. But the fundamental principle of CLIL is that there is an integration between using language to learn and learning to use language through the development of content." In this article, we'll explore what exactly that means and, in particular, how it's used in English language teaching.

Although the term "CLIL" is modern, the technique is as old as learning itself. Any time someone learned about something else - engineering, art, cooking - while they learned and practiced a foreign language, they were using CLIL, even if they didn't realize it!

The approach became more formalized in the 1960s, in language immersion programs in Canada and with Languages Across the Curriculum (LAC) programs and Foreign Languages Across the Curriculum (FLAC) programs in the UK and the US. Many of these classes involved native English speakers studying a subject in a foreign language and included study-abroad programs.

David Marsh and Do Coyle came up with the term CLIL in the mid-1990s, at a time when governments, schools, and individuals were all starting to realize the importance of knowing more than one language. The movement was especially strong in Europe, and it's growing around the world in response to globalization.

What are the core features of CLIL methodology?

A successful CLIL program depends on the cooperation between language teachers and content teachers. Each is an expert in his or her own field, so they need to share both their respective principles and information.

The content teacher

A content teacher is someone who teaches a subject - for example, music, architecture, or biology. However, using CLIL as an approach is more than just switching to English to teach another subject. Content teachers are not normally experts in language acquisition or pedagogy. Therefore, to teach their subjects, content teachers usually require some amount of training and might also use both their students' native language and English, a technique known as translanguaging. They'll also depend on the support of the language teacher.

The language teacher

The language teacher is primarily responsible for teaching English (or another language), but in CLIL methodology, he or she also supports the content teacher by introducing relevant vocabulary and functional language related to a given subject (history or biology, for example) and by emphasizing critical thinking.

As an example, think of an earth science class. The content teacher explains the water cycle through pictures, demonstrations, English, and if necessary, the students' first language (or L1). In tandem, the English teacher might cover language for explaining sequences and processes (first, next, then, after that), language for cause and effect (because of, due to, results in), and word forms (vapor, evaporate, evaporation).

Coordination of the two

On the institutional level, a successful CLIL program needs a cooperative organizational structure, which means there has to be a way for the content teacher and the language teacher to work with each other, such as a set place and time to meet and coordinate lessons.

This is helped by a supportive school administration that is willing to provide comprehensive CLIL training, appropriate materials, adequate funding, and time.

Finally, the program will depend on willing students and parents who understand the program's methods and goals. Students might need to work in new and unfamiliar ways, so it's important that they and their families trust the teachers and the program.

Although different programs and classes will of course have their own individual goals, broadly speaking, all CLIL programs aim to increase students' subject-area knowledge while at the same time improving their knowledge of and skills in the target language. In addition, students should improve their own ability to learn and come to understand and appreciate a new culture. Finally, students should not lose ground in their native language. They're adding a new language, not replacing the one they already know.

Think of bilingual education - education involving two languages - as a broad field that can encompass different programs and approaches. Some of the other main approaches share some features with CLIL, although they have differences as well. Here are some of the most common approaches that you might hear about and how they are similar to and different from CLIL.

CBI

CBI, which stands for Content-Based Instruction, refers to learning about a subject using the target language. Some people say that CLIL is a type of CBI, although in a true CLIL program, there is a stronger emphasis on the content. In a CBI course, students might use a textbook with a unit about history, then a unit about communication, then a unit about economics, and so on. But the history teacher would not be teaching in English at the same time.

ESP

ESP, which stands for English for Specific Purposes, teaches students the vocabulary and functions they need for certain fields. Often it is job- or career-focused. Example courses include English for Hospitality Workers or English for Air Traffic Controllers.

EMI

EMI, which stands for English as the Medium of Instruction, refers to language immersion courses where all instruction occurs in the target language. This covers everything from language immersion summer camps to international schools that conduct all of their classes in the target language, where students either must demonstrate proficiency in the target language to be admitted or, if their level is low, seek out additional instruction or tutoring. Unlike a CLIL approach, EMI programs discourage the use of students' native language.
Watch a video featuring CLIL expert, Peeter Mehisto, about what this method is - and is not - from Bridge's Content and Language Integrated Learning Specialized Certification Courses:
Students

Just about any type of student can benefit from a CLIL approach. It has been used with all ages and ability levels. However, that doesn't mean that every student will be successful in a CLIL class, any more than every student is successful in any class. But the factors limiting a student's success are not tied to the CLIL approach.

Teachers

CLIL courses can take time and energy to prepare and carry out. A good CLIL teacher is someone who is committed to the approach and is hard-working, dedicated, and passionate about his or her students. In addition, a CLIL teacher should be skilled at communication and flexible because cooperating with the subject-area teacher is essential.

Subjects

While almost any subject can be taught through a CLIL approach, the most suited are ones that involve student cooperation and have a cultural aspect to them. Some examples are the social sciences, the arts, many trades, and some sciences such as biology and chemistry. One study found that math and physics were less suited to a CLIL approach because of their technical nature. A CLIL approach in these classes would probably rely more heavily on L1 use.

Many types of schools and programs can benefit from CLIL. Because CLIL is particularly well-suited to groups of students working together, it's ideal for K-12 classes, universities, and vocational schools - which of course are all places where students learn subjects in addition to language. But CLIL can also be used in sports and clubs, with private students (if the language teacher also has content knowledge), and in online classes.

If CLIL takes extra training and effort on the part of the teacher, why should they adopt this approach? The short answer is because it provides so many benefits to the students.

As students become proficient in two languages, they gain social and cognitive advantages. Studies have shown that bilingual people are, on the whole, more flexible, better problem solvers, and better communicators. In addition, learning a second language can improve a person's memory and even protect against the effects of aging on the brain.

Other benefits include a deeper understanding of the target language, mastery of a subject, improved social and critical thinking skills, and even a stronger, more flexible brain. With all of these advantages to students, why not see if you can incorporate some CLIL principles and practices into your own teaching?

Harness the benefits of this method with Bridge's new CLIL Certification Courses, developed to help teachers and administrators successfully adopt the CLIL approach to bilingual education institute-wide.

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What Is CLIL? The Global Trend in Bilingual Education Explained

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