Aine Furlong - The role of CLIL and plurilingualism in teaching languages

The role of CLIL and plurilingualism
in teaching languages
Áine Furlong
afurlong@wit.ie
Áine Furlong, EAQUALS, April 2013

21st Century challenges and realities
Identity vs Identities
Interdisciplinarity (thinking across boundaries)
Diversity (being across boundaries)

Identity vs Identities
Challenges for language learning and teaching
The challenge of PlurilingualismThe challenge of CLIL

Rationale for CLIL and plurilingualism in Europe
• European nation-states can no longer be viewed as
monolingual entities.
• Communication is now international
• European population is characterised by mobility and
migration
• Europe needs to invest in its diversity
• CLIL and plurilingualism provide an authentic L2
learning context

The plurilingual and pluricultural competence
• Plurilingual repertoires often reduced
to juxtaposed monolingual abilities
• The Council of Europe recommends that languages be treated
as a whole
• A person’s plurilingual competence is viewed as a social
agent, has proficiency, of varying degrees, in several
languages and experience of several cultures” (CEFRL,
Council of Europe, 2001, p. 168)

European rationale for language learning: transform
the language learner into a language user

How does the language learner become a
language user?
When the learner uses language in a variety of contexts:
• as a learning instrument = centrality of language to all learning;
• in any of the language skills = speaking and/or reading, listening,
writing;
• autonomously = language use beyond the classroom;
• Individually and collaboratively = communication.

European pedagogical developments:
broader contexts for language learning
In the classroom: language as a learning instrument =
Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) - Science
through French/ German/ etc .-,
Beyond the classroom: multiple contexts for language use =
Technology, e-Learning, tandem exchanges, spaces in-between
Individual autonomy and collaborative autonomy =
Technology, e-Learning, task-based learning, tandem exchanges,
plurilingualism/culturalism
In any of the language skills =
Plurilingualism/culturalism

CLIL definitions
Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL)
is a dual-focused educational approach in which
an additional language is used for the learning
and teaching of both content and language
(Mehisto, Marsh & Frigols, 2009)

CLIL is a language-sensitive approach to content (Clegg 2002)
Language Content

Key principles for CLIL
Methodology is at the core:
a language-sensitive approach to everything we do
• Re-thinking how and when certain types of subject
matter and language/s are taught
• Interdisciplinary mindset
• The major concern is Education, not multilingualism
(multilingualism is the added value)
CLIL is context-dependent
(as many CLIL models as there are learning contexts)

Research in CLIL
• Language attainment
But more research needed in:
• Cognitive engagement of learners,
• Affective dimensions, attitudes and motivation
• Specific situation of CLIL teachers (needs and
solutions)
* Teacher motivation through quality, CLIL specific
teacher education, appears to be central to
successful CLIL programmes (Ball and Lindsay,
2010, see also Harris et al, 2006)Áine Furlong, EAQUALS, April 2013

CLIL models: context-dependent
• The context determines the type of CLIL/EMILE programme that will be
adopted.
• The programme will be situated along a continuum from language
driven to content-driven and should aim to be dual-focused.
Language driven Content-driven
content is used to teach content is more
L2 structures and skills important than
the language
(immersion and
bilingual and earlier
CLIL programmes)

CLIL models
• Theme-based module
• Schools in different countries share the teaching
of a specific course or module
• Bilingual education (a significant part of the
curriculum is taught for a number of years
through CLIL)
• Language-based approach: language teacher
scaffolds content language (authentic experience
during language class)

More CLIL models
• Vocational CLIL (closely related to competence-
based approach)
• Plurilingual education (more than one language is
used through CLIL during different years)
• *Adjunct CLIL (language teaching runs parallel to
content teaching, but is subject-specific)
• Language-embedded courses developed from the
beginning with language development objectives
(Content and language specialists work together).

A framework for CLIL:
Do Coyle’s 4/5 Cs (2010)
Culture
Culture
Culture
Content Communication
Cognition
Context
ContextContext
Context

Rosie Tanner’s and Jason Skeet’s + 4 Cs = 8 Cs
(December 2011)
Collaboration
Choices
Creativity
Connections

Preparing for a language-sensitive
approach
BICS
x
Y CALP
Low
Cognitive demand
High
contextualisation
Low
contextualisation
High
Cognitive demand
Adapted from
Cummins (1984)
3 4
2 1
High cognitive demands
Low
cognitive demands
Adapted from the CLIL matrix
project (2004-06)
Low linguistic
demands
High
linguistic
demands

You need a plan!

CLIL classics: Graphic Organisers

Reading strategies, e.g. awareness of text
structures (LICI handbook – available online)

Culture in CLIL
• A learning space for intercultural competence
is not automatically present in CLIL classrooms
(Dalton-Puffer 2009)
• Culture is a potential in CLIL (Coyle 2010)
• CLIL: not the purveyor of culture (Ball 2010)

Culture in 21st Century
=
Diversity and dynamism
Because
There is no culture of one
because
Culture is communication and communication is culture
(Hall, 1959, p. 186)

Plurilingualism/culturalism and CLIL
• Culture in CLIL as a dynamic construct based
on the reality of diversity in class (living in a
diverse and dynamic world)
• Plurilingualism/culturalism in content : a
pedagogical tool
• Doing culture vs teaching culture

So… How can we reconcile
content + languages + cultures?
1. "CLIL is methodologically neutral” (Little
2003)
2. A plurilingual approach is not content-
dependent (Candelier, ALA 2006)
Therefore, any subject may introduce a
plurilingual aspect to the content.

Plurilingualism in ConBaT+:
Let’s hear the linguistic repertoires
of our learners
Pluriculturalism in ConBaT+:
Let’s acknowledge that individuals
belong to multiple cultural groups
in their personal, social and
professional lives.

An integrated pedagogy for Conbat+,
1. Focus on tasks
+
2. Tasks activate a focus on content: text or input
+
3. Content accommodates a focus on language/s and
their speakers – i.e. the learners
=
Development of positive attitudes
++++++++++++++++++++++++

Model for an integrated pedagogy: ConBaT+
Content
Tasks LanguageS
http://conbat.ecml.at/Áine Furlong, EAQUALS, April 2013

Example of a language-sensitive
approach to content
• ‘You need to become real experts, so use as many
strategies as you can to become more and more
familiar with the content of the expert card: one of you
explains, the others listen and help, ask each other
questions, quiz each other...
• When your teacher tells you to, work in pairs with
someone from your “expert” group. Take turns
explaining the text to each other without looking at it.
The listener can look at the text and help the speaker
(from A symphony of fractions by Oriol Pallares and
Carlota Petit, ConBaT+).
All language strategies are
stimulated to make the
content accessible.
Reading,
listening,
speaking skills

Progressing to a languageS-sensitive approach
• Allegro, π, mezzo forte, ß, Lied … . Can you think of languages and
cultures that are important in the world of music? And in the world of
maths?
• In some of the expert cards some languages and cultures are
mentioned. In teams, take one of the languages you consider
important in the world of music, and make a new expert card which
contains new relations between music and/or maths and the new
language you have chosen.
• What about your mother tongue? And what about other languages
you may know?
• Taking everything you have learnt in this first and second part of the
project, think of how many of these new music and maths concepts
you can say in the languages you know. Make a word cloud like the
one in activity 1. You can use the online tool Wordle
(www.wordle.com).
• (from “A symphony of fractions” by Oriol Pallares and Carlota Petit)

Example 2 by Christoph SUTER
Trees, Climates and Cultures
1 What does a tree make you think of? Look at the picture
and collect 5 to 10 words that you link to the word tree.
3 What do speakers of your first language think
of in connection with trees?
Are there any specific trees in your first language
culture that are used in connection with other
words?
Ask these questions to three people in your
family. Take notes of their answers and bring
them to class (the notes, not the people ;-) ).
2 In English, the word tree makes people think of
the countryside, greenness, strength and longevity.
Others may think of leafless trees connoting winter and
hardship. Moreover, specific trees might make people
think of certain things, the word oak, for instance, is
often used in connection with words such as solid,
royal, old.

Example 3 by Áine Furlong
Déclaration Universelle des Droits de l’Homme
Article 4
Personne ne sera tenu en esclavage.
a. Libertà dalla tortura
b. d. Libertà dalla schiavitù
c. Diritto alla vita, alla libertà ed alla
sicurezza della propria persona
d. Has the right to liberty and freedom.
e. Has the right to security of person.
f. Has the right to live and live in freedom
and safety
Une langue de votre classe
Consultez
www.knowyourrights2008.org

CLIL and plurilingualism/culturalism at third
level
Transformez ce texte trilingue en texte monolingue
The pratice du coût-plus-marge est-elle loighciúil ? En général,
non. Une approche qui ne considers ni de la demande ni de
value-based pricing, ni de competitors dans la fixation des
luachanna a peu de chances de conduire au profit maximal, qu’il
soit à court ou à long terme. Cette approche perd son sens si les
díolteanna ne correspondent pas aux anticipations.
la valeur perçue tient compte
la concurrence la pratique
logique prix ventes

Successful CLIL programmes rely on:
• Varied language teaching and learning methodologies
(including a plurilingual/cultural orientation)
• Optionality
• Dedicated teacher education characterised by materials
development (e.g. e-learning training model 20/80;
40/60;80/20)
• Collaboration
• Stability

CLIL and Plurilingualism in/for unpredictable times
• Develop ‘new’ loci for language learning: cognition, creativity, risk-
taking, diversity management, information management, coping with
the unknown.
• Highlight the potential contributions of L2 pedagogies to wider
curriculum (McMurry, S. M. (2010). Mathematics as a language:
Understanding and using maths)
Irish and English and Modern Languages
Primary curriculum, 2 subjects at post-primary level, TY, modular system
at third level, interdisciplinarity
European language learning developments over the past 20 years:
portfolio, learner autonomy, study abroad, tandem language learning,
technology for L2 learning and teaching, CLIL,
Plurilingualism/culturalism
Look at what we have…

Aine Furlong - The role of CLIL and plurilingualism in teaching languages

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Aine Furlong - The role of CLIL and plurilingualism in teaching languages