CLIL in real practice: How can teachers integrate content and language in instruction and assessment?

Abstract

In Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) programmes, students are learning non-language content subjects through their second/foreign/additional language (L2). It is believed that students will have more opportunities to use the L2 in authentic communicative contexts, thereby learning the L2 more effectively. Theoretically speaking, content and language should be integrated, as language should be learned within meaningful contexts, whereas content is usually accessed through language. However, in real practice, the integration of content and language in classroom practices and assessment remains a challenge to CLIL teachers. In this talk, the speaker will review different models of integrating content and language teaching in CLIL, drawing on different theoretical perspectives and empirical research evidence. These models cover curriculum planning, material and lesson design, as well as classroom instruction. She will also discuss the interplay between cognitive and linguistic demands in CLIL assessment, which is important for valid assessment of students’ learning outcomes. Underlying these proposals of integrating content and language in instruction and assessment is CLIL teachers’ language awareness, which in turn has significant implications for CLIL teacher education.