Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) is an approach where students learn a subject and a second language at the same time. A science course, for example, can be taught to students in English and they will not only learn about science, but they will also gain relevant vocabulary and language skills.
It’s important to note that CLIL is not a means of simplifying content or reteaching something students already know in a new language. CLIL courses should truly integrate the language and content in order to be successful – and success is determined when both the subject matter and language is learned.
CLIL can work for students of any age, all the way from primary level to university and beyond. So long as the course content and language aims are designed with the students’ needs in mind, there is no limit as to who can benefit from this teaching approach. However, it is most commonly found in primary and secondary school contexts.
Many teachers see CLIL as a more natural way to learn a language; when a subject is taught in that language there is a concrete reason to learn both at the same time. And as students have a real context to learn the language in, they are often more motivated to do so, as they can only get the most of the content if they understand the language around it.
Moreover, being content focused, CLIL classes add an extra dimension to the class and engage students, which is especially advantageous in situations where students are unenthusiastic about learning a language.
CLIL also promotes a deeper level of assimilation, as students are repeatedly exposed to similar language and language functions, and they need to produce and recall information in their second language.
Furthermore, it has the advantage that multiple subjects can be taught in English, so that students’ exposure to the language is increased and their language acquisition is faster.
CLIL also encourages students to develop 21st century skills, including the ability to think critically, be creative, communicate and collaborate.
As CLIL is subject-focused, language teachers may also have to develop their own knowledge of new subjects in order to teach effectively.
They must also structure classes carefully so that the students understand the content of the lesson, as well as the language through which the information is being conveyed.
And when it comes to classroom management, educators need to be very aware of individual student understanding and progress.
It’s therefore important to consistently concept check and scaffold the materials to be sure both the language and content are being learned.
It’s important to have a strategy in place when applying CLIL in your courses. One of the key things to remember is that the language and subject content are given equal weight and that it shouldn’t be treated as a language class nor a subject class simply taught in a foreign language.
According to Coyle’s 4Cs curriculum (1999), a successful CLIL class should include the following four elements:
Using a number of frameworks can help you prepare your lessons and make sure activities are challenging yet achievable for your learners.
Bloom’s Taxonomy, for example, classifies learning objectives in education and puts skills in a hierarchy, from Lower Order Thinking Skills (LOTS) to Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS).
In the diagram below, you can see the levels increasing in complexity from the base up to the triangle’s peak.
The framework shows how different tasks relate to different levels of assimilation. It’s fairly intuitive, but applying this information to your lesson preparation is not always so straightforward.
That’s where the helpful Blooming Verbs list comes in. The following chart shows you how different verbs can correlate to the different stages in the taxonomy, allowing you to formulate questions and design activities that develop your CLIL classes in a logical way.
By using the verbs in the first column you’ll see how much they remember about a topic you have covered previously. Examples might include:
You can then do the same for the subsequent stages of the taxonomy.
The verb chart can also help you design a class project or series of activities that follow a logical sequence using the “Students will be able to…” (SWBAT) framework. This will help you set clear objectives and check progress towards the end of a class, series of classes or course.
Here’s an example of how you can develop a set of objectives using the verb columns to help you navigate Bloom’s Taxonomy:
In this way you will be able to scaffold your materials to ensure that your students are supported step by step while learning subject matter and achieving language learning objectives.
Watching films can be a great way for people to learn English. We all have our favourite movie moments and, even as passive viewers, they're probably teaching you more than you realise. Here's a selection of our favourite scenes, along with the reasons why they're educational as well as entertaining.
It's 6 AM on a Monday morning. Ms. Lopez wakes up early to prepare for the day ahead. She spends the morning reviewing lesson plans, making sure everything is ready for her students. By lunchtime, she is preparing for the afternoon, grabbing a quick bite between classes... but it doesn’t stop there. The school day finishes but Ms. Lopez stays late marking assignments. Finally, on Sunday night, she sits at her kitchen table, surrounded by papers, course books and lesson plans.
Does this sound familiar? You are not alone.
In 2024, app research found that76% of teachers spend at least one hour of their personal time on lesson planning each week, with 43% spending more than three hours. This is a lot of time that could be spent on other important tasks. Teachers need a solution that helps them plan lessons fast, is connected to their course books and is built by learning experts.
Tom Chi is an internet veteran with quite a resumé. His roles have been many and varied – from astrophysical researcher to Fortune 500 consultant and corporate executive, developing new hardware and software products and services.
He worked on Microsoft Outlook when it was in its infancy, was a major influence in taking Yahoo Search from 0 to 90 million users and is now Head of Product Experience at Google X – Alphabet’s secretive division focused on creating technological innovations for the future. It has produced the self-driving car and Google Glass, and its Project Loon aims to provide internet to every square inch of the earth.
At Google X, Tom was in a unique position – always having to think five, ten or even more years ahead in order to conceptualize and build the technology of the future. As you might imagine, this is far from an easy task; not only do the ideas have to be original, but they have to meet people’s future needs – something that is not easy to predict.
So, how does Tom and the others at Google X deliver their vision for the future using today's materials and technology?
That’s where Rapid Prototyping comes in. It’s a concept that allows teams to experiment, learn and adjust prototypes quickly and cheaply, so that projects (and products) get off the ground. Failure is seen as a starting block and an inevitable part of the learning process. Following his workshop, we are going to look further at rapid prototyping and how it can relate to the ELT classroom.
