Help, I'm teaching CLIL and I don't even know what that means!!
Did you come back to school and find a surprise on your schedule? Not only are you teaching English, you're teaching a CLIL subject as well. No worries, we've got you covered.
Let's start with the basics: CLIL is the acronym for Content and Language Integrated Learning. That means students will be learning (and you'll be teaching!) a subject in a foreign language. English, in our case.
CLIL can be used for an entire subject, a unit, or even for a single topic. You might already be teaching CLIL without knowing it – have you ever taught learners about a historical event in English, helping them learn the language needed to describe it? If so, you have already used one of the basic principles behind CLIL: learning content through another language, while supporting the language your learners need to engage with it.
Even if your school is not bilingual, you might be scheduled to teach a CLIL class. CLIL is not the same as a bilingual education, although it can be part of it. Bilingual education is a whole-school approach, and CLIL can be used as a tool to achieve that; however, your school may have decided to teach some CLIL subjects without being a bilingual institution. Common CLIL subjects are social science, natural science, physical education, music, and art.
When you're teaching CLIL, it is important to keep in mind that English language learning is not the main focus of the class, despite being the primary language of instruction. Rather, students can explore and improve their English while they are learning about the main subject. What does that mean for you as the teacher? If you are teaching about the water cycle, your main goal is for students to understand and explain evaporation, condensation and precipitation. English helps them get there. You will still support the language they need, but you don't need to turn every grammatical mistake into a teachable moment.
This is the main difference between a CLIL lesson and a traditional ESL lesson: the language skills are developed in the context of the subject being studied. Sometimes, this means more mixed language use, as you may provide explanations or instructions in the non-target language. How much English you use might fluctuate more than it would in an ESL classroom, and there is no “correct” amount to aim for. If providing an explanation in the first language helps learners progress with the subject, that does not mean the CLIL lesson has failed. Simply switch back to English and work from there.
Another difference between CLIL and ESL classrooms is evaluation. In the CLIL classroom, assessment is focused on the target subject. Correction of language is best done during lessons, rather than docking points on exams or from the final grade. Certainly, we expect our students to use English and incorporate new vocabulary, but most of the grade should reflect learners’ understanding of the subject matter. For example, it may be appropriate to correct and evaluate spelling of relevant vocabulary, but communication and learning the target subject should usually take more weight than grammatical accuracy.
There is also some solid learning theory behind what happens in a CLIL classroom. One useful concept is Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD): the space between what learners can do independently and what they can achieve with support from a teacher or their peers. That support might be as simple as a diagram, sentence starter, word bank or a chance to discuss an idea with a partner before answering independently. A well-designed CLIL lesson creates plenty of opportunities for this kind of supported learning through discussion, exploration and collaborative tasks.
Learning subject content through another language encourages learners to engage carefully with meaning: they need to understand, classify, compare and explain new information rather than simply recognise new English words. Research into CLIL has linked this kind of learning with the development of cognitive skills as well as subject knowledge. In the early years, activities that strengthen foundational thinking skills can give learners a base from which more complex thinking can develop. For the teacher, this means planning tasks that do more than ask learners to remember new information: give them opportunities to sort it, compare it, explain it and use it to solve problems.
So far, so good: CLIL means teaching subject content through English while giving students the language support they need to access that content. But knowing what CLIL is doesn't necessarily stop it from feeling daunting the first time you see it on your timetable. So, before you start planning, let's clear up three common worries or myths you may have heard:
1. Myth: CLIL Lesson Planning takes more time than regular planning
Fact: At first, you may need to spend a little more time reading up on CLIL, and possibly the subject you are teaching if it is unfamiliar. There are no mysterious CLIL processes you must complete, or specific activities you must include, to teach a CLIL class. As you become more confident, many CLIL principles will simply become part of the way you plan.
2. Myth: CLIL doesn't really help improve English
Fact: Research has found clear benefits of CLIL for different areas of language development. Learners encounter English in meaningful contexts and have repeated opportunities to use it to engage with subject content.
3. Myth: My students won't learn important subject vocabulary in their first language
Fact: It’s understandable to wonder whether learning subject-specific vocabulary in English means students will miss out on developing that knowledge in their first language. However, this is the opposite of what research shows us – CLIL students actually increase their vocabulary across both languages!
If “What does CLIL even mean!” was your first reaction when you saw your timetable, hopefully the idea feels a little less daunting now. You don't need to become a CLIL expert overnight. Start with the subject learning you want to achieve, think about the language your learners will need to get there, and give them plenty of support and opportunities to use both. And remember, you're not doing it alone: your academic advisor is only an email away to help you get the most from your CLIL materials.
