Reading 2: Exploring CLIL

Reading 2: Exploring CLIL

by Peeter Mehisto

Nowadays language and cross-cultural communication skills are considered basic skills which are a necessity in our lifestyle. CLIL can help us to develop our students cultural skills and because of that we should help them to learn the language through CLIL, since it is a very efficient methodology. 

CLIL is a dual-focused educational approach in which an additional language is used for the learning and teaching of both content and language. CLIL programmes help student to achieve grade-appropriate levels of subjects taught through CLIL and of the CLIL language. Besides them help students to appreciate other cultures and to acquire cognitive and social skills required for success in an ever-changing word.

The learning in CLIL is scaffolded which mean that language and content are presented in manageable chunks, one step at a time, to make sure that students understand and apply new knowledge and skills.  Besides, the language has a gradual progress, first with visuals and gestures and then including new words and expressions. It is not recommended to do translation due to it can eliminate the need for learning CLIL language.

Integration and cooperation is the CLIL's spirit. Work in group in order to get the proposed objectives.  Teachers shouldn't be expected to do it all.

CLIL programmes cater all students because language and cross-cultural skills are needed by all. They do not just belong to a select few.

CLIL is respectful of other languages. First language is not influenced by the second one. In fact the first language skills of CLIL students can even be better the skills of others that not use CLIL in their learning process.

CLIL doesn't affect negatively to the content learning, but CLIL students can lag behind their mates in non-CLIL programmes when they start learning through a second language. Despite of that the lag is temporary.

CLIL allow teachers to be creative as it is not an inflexible methodology. It is important that time is used efficiently.

Some ways of supporting language development: word walls, peer self-repair, brainstorming language...

I have never been involved in real CLIL lessons but I believe that it is a big challenge to achieve the aim of allow the students to learn a content through another language which is not their L1. I think that they will need a lot of help but because of that they need the teacher to scaffold their process.