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CLIL: A lesson framework

Submitted by admin on 31 January, 2006 - 12:00.
In the first of these articles, Content and Language Integrated Learning, I gave an introduction
to this field. In this second article I will look more closely at how CLIL is realised in the
classroom and suggest a framework for planning CLIL lessons.

• Underlying principles

• Classroom principles

• Lesson framework

• Conclusion

Underlying principles
The principles behind Content and Language Integrated Learning include global statements such
as 'all teachers are teachers of language' (The Bullock Report - A Language for Life, 1975)
to the wide-ranging advantages of cross-curricular bilingual teaching in statements from the
Content and Language Integrated Project (CLIP). The benefits of CLIL may be seen in
terms of cultural awareness, internationalisation, language competence, preparation for both
study and working life, and increased motivation.

While CLIL may be the best-fit methodology for language teaching and learning in a multilingual
Europe, the literature suggests that there remains a dearth of CLIL-type materials, and a lack of
teacher training programmes to prepare both language and subject teachers for CLIL teaching.
The theory may be solid, but questions remain about how theory translates into classroom
practice.

Classroom principles
Some of the basic principles of CLIL are that in the CLIL classroom:

• Language is used to learn as well as to communicate

• It is the subject matter which determines the language needed to learn.

A CLIL lesson is therefore not a language lesson neither is it a subject lesson transmitted in a
foreign language. According to the 4Cs curriculum (Coyle 1999), a successful CLIL lesson should
combine elements of the following:

• Content - Progression in knowledge, skills and understanding related to specific elements of a

defined curriculum
• Communication - Using language to learn whilst learning to use language

• Cognition - Developing thinking skills which link concept formation (abstract and concrete),
understanding and language

• Culture - Exposure to alternative perspectives and shared understandings, which deepen

awareness of otherness and self.

In a CLIL lesson, all four language skills should be combined. The skills are seen thus:

• Listening is a normal input activity, vital for language learning

• Reading, using meaningful material, is the major source of input

• Speaking focuses on fluency. Accuracy is seen as subordinate

• Writing is a series of lexical activities through which grammar is recycled.

For teachers from an ELT background, CLIL lessons exhibit the following characteristics:

• Integrate language and skills, and receptive and productive skills

• Lessons are often based on reading or listening texts / passages

• The language focus in a lesson does not consider structural grading

• Language is functional and dictated by the context of the subject

• Language is approached lexically rather than grammatically

• Learner styles are taken into account in task types.

In many ways, then, a CLIL lesson is similar to an ELT integrated skills lesson, except that it
includes exploration of language, is delivered by a teacher versed in CLIL methodology and is
based on material directly related to a content-based subject. Both content and language are
explored in a CLIL lesson. A CLIL 'approach' is not far removed from humanistic, communicative
and lexical approaches in ELT, and aims to guide language
processing and supports language production in the same way that an ELT course would by
teaching techniques for exploiting reading or listening texts and structures for supporting spoken
or written language.

Lesson framework
 A CLIL lesson looks at content and language in equal measure, and often follows a four-stage
framework.

Processing the text

The best texts are those accompanied by illustrations so that learners can visualise what they
are reading. When working in a foreign language, learners need structural markers in texts to
help them find their way
through the content. These markers may be linguistic (headings, sub-headings) and/or
diagrammatic. Once a 'core knowledge' has been identified, the organisation of the text can be
analysed.

Identification and organisation of knowledge

Texts are often represented diagrammatically. These structures are known as 'ideational
frameworks' or 'diagrams of thinking', and are used to help learners categorise the ideas and
information in a text. Diagram
types include tree diagrams for classification, groups, hierarchies, flow diagrams and timelines
for sequenced thinking such as instructions and historical information, tabular diagrams
describing people and places, and combinations of these. The structure of the text is used to
facilitate learning and the creation of activities which focus on both language development and
core content knowledge.

Language identification
Learners are expected to be able to reproduce the core of the text in their own words. Since
learners will need to use both simple and more complex language, there is no grading of
language involved, but it is a good idea for the teacher to highlight useful language in the text
and to categorise it according to function. Learners may need the language of comparison and
contrast, location or describing a process, but may also need cer ain discourse markers, adverb
phrases or prepositional phrases. Collocations, semi-fixed expressions and set phrases may also
be given attention as well as subject specific and academic vocabulary.

Tasks for students

There is little difference in task-type between a CLIL lesson and a skills-based ELT lesson. A
variety of tasks should be provided, taking into account the learning purpose and learner styles
and preferences. Receptive skill activities are of the 'read/listen and do' genre. A menu of
listening activities might be:

• Listen and label a diagram/picture/map/graph/chart

• Listen and fill in a table

• Listen and make notes on specific information (dates, figures, times)

• Listen and reorder information

• Listen and identify location/speakers/places

• Listen and label the stages of a process/instructions/sequences of a text

• Listen and fill in the gaps in a text

Tasks designed for production need to be subject-orientated, so that both content and language
are recycled. Since content is to be focused on, more language support than usual in an ELT
lesson may be required.
Typical speaking activities include:

• Question loops - questions and answers, terms and definitions, halves of sentences

• Information gap activities with a question sheet to support

• Trivia search - 'things you know' and 'things you want to know'

• Word guessing games

• Class surveys using questionnaires

• 20 Questions - provide language support frame for questions

• Students present information from a visual using a language support handout.

Conclusion
From a language point of view the CLIL 'approach' contains nothing new to the EL teacher. CLIL
aims to guide language processing and 'support language production in the same way as ELT by
teaching strategies for
reading and listening and structures and lexis for spoken or written language. What is different
is that the language teacher is also the subject teacher, or that the subject teacher is also able
to exploit opportunities for
developing language skills. This is the essence of the CLIL teacher training issue.

Further reading
Forum for Across the Curriculum Teaching - www.factworld.info/
Comenius Project TL2L - www.tl2l.nl/
European Centre for Modern Languages - www.ecml.at/
Norwich Institute for Language Education - www.nile-elt.com
Science Across the Curriculum - www.scienceacross.org
EuroCLIC - www.euroclic.org
The National Centre for Languages (CILT) - www.cilt.org.uk
Content and Language Integrated Project (CLIP) - www.cilt.org.uk/clip/

Steve Darn, Izmir University of Economics, Turkey

The BBC and British Council are not responsible for the content of external web sites,
neither do we endorse them. These are the recommendations of the writer.
1
Teacher training for Content and Language Integrated Learning
Jarmila Novotná, Marie Hofmannová
Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Education
jarmila.novotna@pedf.cuni.cz, marie.hofmannova@pedf.cuni.cz
Abstract: The paper is focusing on teacher training for Content and
Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) in the Czech Republic. The
authors are interested in optimal ways of developing professional skills of
prospective teachers – useful strategies for teaching mathematics in
.English to Czech learners
1. Introduction
Education has a rich tradition and has always played an important part
in Czech history. After 1989 it has been undergoing rapid development.
The transition proceeds from demonopolisation to a qualitative
diversification of educational opportunities. In foreign language teaching,
several new trends can be observed in Czech schools of today. One of
them is Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL). The approach
relates to European Commission document on education „Teaching and
learning. Towards the learning society” which declares proficiency in
three Community languages as a prior objective, and suggests, in a list of
methods, teaching content in a foreign language as a way to contribute to
.achieving this objective
CLIL aims to create an improvement in both the foreign language and
the non-language area competence, general categories being motivational
and cognitive impact of the positive attitudes triggered by using CLIL,
and the linguistic and methodological utilisation of the non-language
content material. It is believed that content, e.g. mathematics, and a
foreign language, e.g. English, can be better developed through gradual
interplay (25 – 100 % of the content is taught in a foreign language). 2
(Pavesi et al., 2001)
In the second half of 1990’s CLIL was introduced to a limited number
of upper school schools in the Czech Republic. Up to six content subjects
are taught in a foreign language, e.g. German, Spanish, French, Italian,
English, or Russian. For successful implementation of the programme to
schools, special attention needs to be paid to the development of
.appropriate – CLIL specific – teacher competences

CLIL teacher competences .2

1
Acknowledgement: The research was supported by the projects GAČR 406/02/0809 Language
Forms and Their Impact on the Cognitive Processes Development
2
In the following text, L1 means the mother tongue (Czech), L2 the foreign language (English), L3 the
language of the content area (mathematics).
The teacher competence in general seems to cover the subject
knowledge and skills and their application. What attitudes, what
professional skills are to be acquired for the teaching of mathematics
?through the medium of the English language
Language/communication-based competences
Whereas in an English class, communicative competence is the
ultimate aim of teaching, and involves both accuracy and fluency, the
main aim of mathematics teaching is to develop mathematical thinking.
Learning mathematics includes „appropriating ways of speaking
mathematically, that is, learning the language of mathematicians”
(Zazkis, 2000). In schools the mathematical language comprises both
.formal and informal components
CLIL teachers should therefore have a good command of the target
language and resort to the learners’ mother tongue with care. For learners,
however, code switching is a natural communication strategy, and
teachers should allow it, particularly in the first stages of CLIL. Teachers’
task is to flexibly adapt their instructional support bearing in mind that in
order to enable incidental language learning, i.e. language acquisition in
the learners, their main concern should be to scaffold them on their way
towards achieving mathematical competences. Learners, whose attention
is focused on the non-linguistic content, need to have access to
.spontaneous speech, preferably in an interactive context
Methodology-based competences
The teacher’s task is to enable the students develop their individually
different process of knowledge building and meaning construction as well
as positive attitudes (De Corte, 2000). It is a common belief that
mathematics and languages are difficult subjects. Therefore, in order to
help the learners succeed, it is of the utmost importance for the teacher to
examine and analyse possible barriers that might have a negative impact
on learning. The CLIL teacher should be able to suggest ways how these
could be minimised and use a variety of effective teaching strategies that
would help overcome individual learning difficulties.
Class management competences
The teacher’s task is to identify and use dual-focused activities which
simultaneously cater for language and content aspects. From the point of
view of class management, a qualified CLIL teacher should be able to
decide whether teaching the whole class, groups, pairs, or individuals is
appropriate for particular learning purposes, should be able to maintain
learners´ interest and motivation through relevant learning opportunities,
and to consider time management.
 Consequences for teacher education .3
At Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Education, student-
teachers involved in five-year pre-service diploma courses combine two
majors in their studies. Traditionally, mathematics teaching could be
combined with e.g. chemistry, technology, biology, physical education,
etc., recently also with foreign language teaching. The graduates obtain
dual qualification, e.g. for teaching English as a foreign language and
mathematics in Czech. Their qualification applies for secondary schools,
.i.e. for learners aged 11-19
The authors believe that teacher training must be tailored to meet the
specific needs of CLIL instruction which involve not only teaching
strategies, but also school curriculum development and reform. The
present teaching qualification (mathematics in Czech and English as a
.foreign language) does not suffice the new needs
Since the school year 1999/2000, the Department of Mathematics and
the Department of English language and literature of Charles University
in Prague, Faculty of Education, has run a special optional course whose
aim is to give students involved in pre-service teacher education insight
into both theoretical and practical aspects of CLIL, i.e. to extend teacher
education and provide its graduates with enhanced qualifications –
teaching mathematics in English.3 The course covers language and
cultural preparation, classroom observations, microteaching of peers with
the use of innovative teaching methods and approaches, and a variety of
(related activities. (Novotná, Hadj-Moussová & Hofmannová, 2001
The CLIL course develops the participants’ knowledge and skills in
English for further use in the teaching of mathematics, knowledge and
skills in mathematics through the L2, use of reciprocal teaching strategies
with regard to students’ individual differences. The course encourages the
interaction of the L1, L2 and L3, and pays attention to the differences in
the teacher’s work, i.e. teaching mathematics in the L1 and in the L2.
((Novotná & Hofmannová, 2002
In CLIL teacher training programme, the following items are
substantial: interaction of the three languages L1, L2, L3 during teaching
mathematics in L2 with attention paid to advantages, disadvantages and
possible problems that might occur, and differences in the work of a
.mathematics teacher when teaching in L1 and L2
Course organisation
3
In 1999-2001, the authors were involved in the European Socrates Lingua A project TIE-CLIL –
Translanguage in Europe, Content and Language Integrated Language. The major aim of TIE-CLIL
was to provide pre- and in-service development programmes in CLIL for language teachers and subject
teachers through building on existing knowledge of this field, to provide state-of-the-art understanding
of theory and practice. One of the outputs of the project is the book LANGÉ, G. (Ed.). TIE-CLIL
Professional Development Course. Milan: M.I.U.R. 2002, designing modules for CLIL teacher
training.
The two-semester pre-service teacher-training course is aimed at
students from the third year of their studies.4 It takes a form of a seminar,
two 45-minute teaching units per week, with many activities run as a
:workshop. The course covers
 graded lesson observation with the aim to master subject specific
vocabulary and classroom teacher talk, and to elaborate
observation sheets focused on teacher talk and classroom
interaction,
 plenary discussion based on participants’ experience and
observation sheets,
 participants’ individual or group work with a variety of textbooks
and teaching materials suitable for CLIL in comparison with
similar materials in the mother tongue (L1); attention is paid to
possible obstacles based partly on L1 and L2 interference and
partly on the relation of the content matter and background
knowledge of the target language community,
 preparing short teaching sessions - lesson stages, e.g. presentation,
practice,
 micro-teaching of peers with immediate feedback, which takes the
form of analysis and discussion,
 teaching at a selected school where CLIL has been introduced,
 assessment and analysis with the school and university supervisors.
The course was originally designed for teacher training of prospective
teachers of mathematics and English language. It is run in English.
Regardless of this fact, student teachers of other non-language subjects
and foreign languages participate. This feature enriches the course in the
.multilingual perspective
Example of course activities - microteaching of peers (team .4
(teaching
One of the requirements for successful course completion is to prepare
and execute one stage of a mathematics lesson conducted in English. This
is done as a microteaching of peers from the very outset of the course. We
believe that this is the way how course participants can best acquire basic
professional, i.e. teaching skills. Peer teaching episodes are limited and
take from 5 to 20 minutes. They are graded starting from simple game-
like activities suited for the beginning of the class, to the complex, team
teaching where two student teachers perform the presentation and
practice stage of the lesson. As a follow-up they are analysed in the
whole group discussion. The reflection on the teaching experience is
carried out in either English or Czech for all the participants to be better
4
It is easily adaptable for the in-service teacher training.
able to express their attitudes, opinions and feelings. The lesson stages
.are also video recorded for the purposes of research
Throughout the course, the stress is being put on the learners’
comprehension for the future teachers to learn how to adapt their teaching
styles towards the use of interactive strategies. In their teaching practice,
they will need to use a variety of verbal and non-verbal means to
illustrate the meaning, such as repetition, rephrasing, gestures, body
language, exemplification, analogies, representation and visualisation.
Explanation should be accompanied with the use of visual and
multimedia aids. At early stages, emphasis is on the development of
.receptive skills. The use of L1 should be the last resort
In (Naves, 2002), successful CLIL programme teaching strategies are
summarised: Teachers exhibit active teaching behaviours such as clearly
giving instructions, accurately describing tasks, maintaining learners'
engagement in instructional tasks by maintaining task focus, pacing
instruction appropriately, and communicating their expectations for
students' success. In presenting new information, they use appropriate
strategies such as demonstrating, outlining, using visuals, building
redundancy, rephrasing, scaffolding, linking new information to learners'
previous knowledge, etc. to make input comprehensible and context-
.embedded
References
ESP bank: CLIL - tips 4
Author: Adrian Tennant

Tips on creating your own CLIL materials

Introduction

Is it difficult to write your own CLIL material? Well, the answer is ‘Yes’ and ‘No’. A lot of it depends on how
experienced you are in writing materials for your classes. If you already do this, then writing CLIL materials
should not be very difficult. The main thing to remember is the shift in focus away from language to content.

What does this shift mean?

Let’s take a lesson where the mode of presentation is a reading text. In many lessons, even ones supposedly
with a skills focus (i.e. Reading for gist, Matching headings to paragraphs, etc), there will be exercises that
focus on the language used in the text. Therefore, if there are lots of examples of the past simple and past
perfect in the text, there will be one or two exercises that look at this area of grammar. If the text has lots of
discourse markers that signpost order/sequence, then there will be an exercise on this. The language focus
might also be lexical: for example, if there are lots of adjectives, then this will be highlighted. In other words,
the text is being used as a vehicle (way) of introducing the language that the teacher wants to present and
practise.

In a CLIL lesson the reading text is chosen purely based on the content or topic. Any exercises focus on the
topical aspect of the text and not on the language used. Any exercises that look at lexis do so only because
the vocabulary is related to the topic (and because understanding the vocabulary will help in understanding
the topic).

Is this shift difficult?

Well, again it’s difficult to give a definitive ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. But, in my experience, language teachers often have a
problem with ‘letting go of grammar’. When we see a text full of a particular area of grammar we rub our hands
and start thinking of ways of manipulating the language. As long as you can resist this urge, then the shift
shouldn’t be difficult.

So, how do I go about writing the material?

1. Start off by selecting a subject area e.g. history, science, art. Select this subject area based on your
students’ interests or something they are covering in another school/college subject class.
2. Next, narrow down the topic to a particular aspect e.g. 'The Romans', 'Making Paper', etc.
3. Look for a text. Here you’ll need to think about the level and also the length (how much time do you
want to spend on reading/listening?). Remember, the text doesn’t have to be a reading text; if you
have access to a good listening text, then this is fine (there are quite a few interesting listening
sites/texts on the Internet.
4. Read the text and familiarize yourself with the content. (You may also wish to discuss the text with
someone who teaches that subject).
5. Think about the best way of exploiting the text. Simple comprehension questions, True/False
statements, gap-fill. Try and make sure that students don’t have to guess: for example, a matching-
words-to-definitions activity before the reading is pointless as they either already know the
words/meaning, (in which case why are they doing the task?), or they don’t and will have to guess.
However, this kind of exercise might be good after the reading when they can look at the words in
context.
6. Try out the material (either on a colleague - maybe even the teacher of the subject you've chosen! -
or on a class) and then rewrite it making it better.

Conclusion

I recently ran an in-service teacher training course where we wrote our own CLIL materials. Teachers worked
in small groups brainstorming ideas, discussing task types, etc. And, at the end of three afternoons, we went
away with some great materials. The two main issues were letting go of a language focus and writing material
for the students rather than a lesson-plan for the teacher (or inspector). So, remember these things and don’t
be worried about writing materials for a subject you know little or nothing about. A lot of the fun is in learning
new things yourself and often your enthusiasm will rub off on the students.