Implementing clil programmes

1. II ENCUENTRO FORMATIVO PARA PROFESORES DE INGLÉS
From blackboards to whiteboards: from skills to competences
Granada English Teachers Association, April 24th 2010
INPLEMENTATION OF MULTILINGUAL
TEACHING PROGRAMMES:
USING CLIL APPROACHES RESPECTFULLY
Víctor Pavón Vázquez
University of Córdoba (Spain)

2. Getting into the unknown…
 Content and language integrated learning (CLIL) is taking English
language teaching by storm, but why? Is CLIL the new
methodological revolution, comparable to the impact that the
communicative approach had on ELT years ago? Or is CLIL simply
a new teaching trend that is here today and gone tomorrow?

3. The context
 According to the Eurobarometer 2005, Spain holds post no. 21
among the 25 members of the European Union. (Eurobarometer
237-Wave 63.4: Europeans and Languages. European Commission. 2005.
p. 3)
 Whereas there are some different cases in Spain, the multilingual
model proposed by the European Union is also being applied in
the region of Andalusia with a long-term project.

4. A piece of warning
 “In communities struggling with language issues, undisciplined
thinking can generate myths that are presented as fact, backed up
with skewed logic, with circumstancial evidence, with the use of
false and unsupported assumptions, and by the agendas of politics
that smother real debate. All this makes it hard for objective more
constructive well-researched realities to take hold.” (Mehisto, P. 2009.
“Managing Multilingual Education: structuring stakeholder dialogue and
collaboration”. V. Pavón, J. Ávila (eds.), Aplicaciones didácticas para la enseñanza
integrada de lengua y contenidos. Consejería de Educación, Junta de Andalucía-
Universidad de Córdoba. 9-27)

5. Mainstays of application of CLIL
 1. What does “content and language integrated learning” mean?
 2. What type of curricular design?
 3. Methodological aspects: what’s the role of language and content
teachers?

6. What does CLIL mean?
 “CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) advocates
assimilating the academic content of nonlinguistic subjects via a
foreign language, which simultaneously promotes the acquisition of
content knowledge and the use of the target language. It involves
a methodological style that encourages teachers and students to
use the language as a means of communication, thus promoting
language and content development in the process.” (Gerdes, T. &
Pavón, V. 2008. “Talking CLIL”, It’s for Teachers Magazine, 110: 14-17)
 There are many different ways of implementing CLIL, whatever the
term is used (immersion, bilingualism, multilingualism, language
across the curriculum, etc.) all the different models propose to
teach content subjects through a foreign language in one way or
another.

7. Basics of CLIL
 The foreign language is used as a vehicle for accessing information.
 The foreign language is used for instruction and communication.
 Learning the language and learning content are part of the same
process.
 Development of cognitive flexibility and reflection upon the
linguistic and communicative functioning of both languages is key.
 Emphasizes the promotion of additive bilingualism (Lessow-Hurley, J.
2000. The Foundations of Dual Language Instruction. 3rd edition. New York:
Longman).

8. Benefits
 The learning of a foreign language is seen as more attractive
when we use linguistic resources that offer a means of acquiring
information.
 Metalinguistic and intellectual improvement: students are forced
to use a greater variety of communication strategies.
 Emphasis on the creative use of the language provides
stimulation in the learning process.

9. Benefits
 CLIL increases of quantity and quality of exposition to the L2.
 Learning the language becomes more functional and
communicative in a CLIL context.

10. Benefits
 CLIL encourages teachers to use a ‘learning by doing’ approach,
as well as developing Multiple Intelligences.

11. Benefits
 The intercultural connection: language use develops positive
attitudes towards other languages, people and cultures.

12. Benefits
 CLIL taps into preferred language learning styles for which there
is often too little time available in formal language lessons
(Cummins’ basic interpersonal communication skills (BICS) and
cognitive academic language processing (CALP). (Cummins, J. 1984.
Bilingualism and Special Education. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters)

13. The different types of CLIL
 Content-based language instruction: bringing academic content
into the language classes.
 Language-sensitive content instruction: changing strategies,
techniques and materials to facilitate the assimilation of contents.

14. Implementing a CLIL programme: first decisions
 A) Dual model (same contents are treated in both languages).
 B) Cross-curricular model (only some sections of different subjects
are taught with an L2).
 C) Reinforcement model (teaching content with an L2 is
preceeded by specific linguistic work in language classes).
(Adapted from Pérez-Vidal, C., N. Campanale (Ed.). 2005. Content and Language
Integrated Learning (CLIL) in Europe. Barcelona: Universidad Pompeu Fabra. 29-30)

15. Implementing a CLIL programme: first decisions
 “What is certain is that there is no single model for CLIL and that
for approaches to be effective they have to be contextualised,
evaluated and understood in situ and ‘owned’ by all those
involved” (Coyle, D. 2009. CLIL Across Educational Levels. Madrid: Richmond /
Santillana, vii)

16. Implementing a CLIL programme: initial stages
 Consider some fundamental aspects:
 teachers’ linguistic and methodological competence;
 students’ linguistic knowledge; and
 the cognitive demands of the subjects involved.
 The main concerns should be:
 to give some flexibility in the selection of the subjects to be
taught through the foreign language;
 to progressively increase the time devoted to the instruction
through the foreign language.

17. Implementing a CLIL programme: the basics
 1. Aim for the gradual increase of the schools involved every year.
 2. Make a sensible selection of the subjects to be taught and
learnt through a foreign language.

18. Implementing a CLIL programme: the basics
 3. Consider curricular design:
Languages Integrated Curriculum
and Content-Language Integrated
Curriculum.
http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/averroes/impe/web/contenido?pag=/contenidos/B/InnovacionE

19. Implementing a CLIL programme: the basics
 4. Tailor of each particular
educational context:
coordination and elaboration
of Integrated Units as the
cornerstone of CLIL

20. Implementing a CLIL programme: the basics
 5. Plan training programs for
the linguistic and
methodological training of
teachers.
 6. Integrate ICT with CLIL

21. Problems (I)
 Could CLIL be frustrating for a student who is good at history but
not good at English?
 “Very often teachers experience anxiety about getting quick
results, thus leading to CLIL models with a ready-to-start plan,
which translates into simply changing the language of instruction in
class. Unfortunately, students who are non-linguistically proficient
are doomed to academic failure when using the target language.”
(Gerdes & Pavón, 2008. Talking CLIL”, It’s for Teachers Magazine, 110:17)

22. Problems (II)
 How do we navigate the troubled waters of language accuracy and
comprehension.
 Will quantity and quality of contents be reduced? What is
essential?

23. Problems (III)
 Quality of the training program.
 And the big question: ‘closed’ curriculum or ‘open’ curriculum?
 - advantages and disadvantages of following a guide
 - the problem of language instrumental diversity

24. Changes in methodology for content teachers
 Change from lecturing to participative classes: it is not teaching
“things” with another language but teaching to understand,
manipulate and use: from lecturer to facilitator.
 Develop activities to promote BICS and CALP.

25. Changes in methodology for content teachers
 Use of a task-based approach: explaining a graph, describing a
process, reporting an event, interpreting scientific, artistic or
cultural texts, telling the solution to a problem, justification of
individual opinions, etc.
 Put emphasis on collaborative/cooperative work

26. Changes in methodology for content teachers
 Plan for double or multiple processing of texts.
 Train learners to discover: tasks which promote noticing.

27. Changes in methodology for language teachers
 Focus on fluency activities and on the oral aspect of the language.
 Develop strategies and techiques to help transmission of information.

28. Changes in methodology for language teachers
 Re-structure language contents to support the assimilation of
academic content.
 Give feedback on language and language progress.
 Change the perception of the foreign language: from a subject to
a tool.

29. And… what about the materials?
 It is important to use visuals to establish context and provide
stimulating learning: ICT, Flashcards, Posters, hands on
experiments, etc.

30. And… what about the materials?
 ICT offers a practical classroom application: useful websites

31. And… what about the materials?
 Websites can be used by both teachers, in planning, and
students for hands-on activities such as Web Quests.

32. And… what about the materials?

33. victor.pavon@uco.es
II ENCUENTRO FORMATIVO PARA PROFESORES DE INGLÉS
From blackboards to whiteboards: from skills to competences
Granada English Teachers Association, April 24th 2010