CLIL

Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL /klɪl/) is the learning of a traditional school subject, while the content and language of instruction is primarily in a language that is a foreign language for the students.

For example, a course in biology may be taught to students in a foreign language to them, with the main content focus of the class on biology, but the aim of the course being to teach both biology and the foreign language.

Pedagogy

The key idea of CLIL is that the learner is gaining new knowledge about the 'non-language' subject while encountering, using and learning the foreign language. Students learn both 'non-language' subject content and language content integrated together.

Key motivations for CLIL teaching include converting language problems into language potentials, and reinforcing multilingualism. The aim of CLIL teaching is functional rather than native-like competence.

CLIL teaching includes:

• context-embedded lessons
• content-driven lessons (rather than content-based)
• clearly defined outcomes for both language and content
• linguistic scaffolding

CLIL teachings’ focus on both language development and content expertise is what distinguishes CLIL from more general teaching methodologies such as EMI (English-medium instruction) and CBI (content based instruction).

Teacher Training

Teachers who are trained in CLIL are specialists of linguistics, as well as an additional discipline. However, CLIL is widely used by language teachers who are untrained in CLIL. Sometimes untrained CLIL teachers may only have expertise in either their own language or another discipline. One still-to-be resolved issue is that of lecturers possibly having an insufficient level of English and their apparent reluctance to undergo methodological CLIL training.