An introduction to

CLIL
Content and Language Integrated
Learning

SURYA PRAKASH.SUSARLA

Surya Prakash

How it all started

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Todays presentation
What is CLIL?
How to CLIL (a very quick example!)
Benefits and challenges
Questions?

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What is CLIL?
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 (Coyle, Hood and Marsh, 2010, p. 1)
It has dual (integrated) aims:
learning of the subject matter (content)
learning of the L2 used as the medium of instruction

for the content.

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Surya Prakash

CLIL encompasses a continuum of approaches in which

some form of specific academic language support is

offered to students in order to facilitate their learning of
the content through another language
CLIL is not just immersion (teaching in another language)

because language is explicitly taught (Ting 2011)

CLIL can be hard or soft
hard CLIL most of the lesson is conducted in the other language

OR content is given primacy

soft CLIL only some of the lesson is conducted in the other

language OR language is given primacy.

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L2 teaching and subject teaching in

L2 compared
Second language teaching

Key Features

Conventional FL
teaching

Topic/contentbased language
teaching (soft
CLIL?)

Subject teaching in L2
(hard CLIL?)

Subject teaching
through L2 immersion

Priority in
planning:

Language

Language

Subject

Subject

Taught by:

Language or class
teacher

Language teacher

Subject teacher

Assessment of:

Language

Language

At higher levels, a subject

teacher who can also
teach language or who
can team teach with a
language teacher
Subject and language

Teaching focus:

Language
teaching

Language
teaching

Subject teaching with

language support

Subject teaching

Materials:

Language

Language/subject

Subject and language

Subject

Syllabus:

Language
syllabus: general
purposes
SL methodologies

Language
syllabus: CALP

Content syllabus and

CALP

Subject

SL methodologies

Language-supported
subject-teaching

Subject teaching

Methodology:

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Subject

The 4Cs of CLIL

According to the 4Cs curriculum (Coyle 1999), a successful CLIL lesson should combine:
Content

The knowledge, concepts, and skills of the discipline (e.g. Science, IT, Arts).

Communication

The communication of meaning about the knowledge, concepts, and skills being learned (e.g.
stating facts in science, giving instructions on using software, describing emotions in response to
music).

Cognition

The thinking skills which make sense of knowledge, experience, and the world around us (e.g.
remembering, understanding, evaluating, critiquing, reflecting, creating LOT & HOT).

Culture

The interaction and engagement with the world around us:

social

(e.g. social conventions for expressing oneself in the target language),

pedagogical
disciplinary

(e.g. classroom conventions for learning and classroom interaction)

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(e.g. scientific conventions for preparing reports to disseminate knowledge).

A Sample CLIL
lesson
States of matter

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Lesson stages
1) Warmer setting the stage
2) Connecting to students thoughts, feelings or
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)

prior knowledge
Sharing learning outcomes
Introducing new vocabulary
Introducing new content
Reinforcement and reflection on new content
Applying new knowledge
Evaluation
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1.Warmer

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2. Connecting with students thoughts,

feelings or prior knowledge
solid

liquid

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gas

3. Learning outcomes
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
Use a particle model to explain the behaviour of

particles in a solid, liquid and gas

Use a particle model to explain changes of state
Complete a table of aspects of kinetic theory by
reading an information report
Write a simple information report on changes
produced by adding or removing heat on states
of matter.

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Surya Prakash

4. Introducing key
vocabulary
Pair work matching

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Vocabulary matching
kinetic (adj.)

having movement

theory (n.)

an idea that explains something

to behave (v.)

to do something in a particular way

particle (n.)

a very small part of something

force (n.)

physical energy

to vary (v.)

to be different

to vibrate (v.)

to shake with quick, small movements

fixed (adj.)

not able to move

to roll (v.)

to turn smoothly
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5. Introducing new content

Read the information report and update your

table:

solid

Example
Distance
between
particles
Forces between
particles
Movement of
particles

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liquid

gas

Example
Distance
between
particles
Forces between
particles
Movement of
particles

solid

liquid

gas

desk

water

air

very small /
very close
together

small/ /close
together

large/ far apart

strong

less strong

weak

vibrate in fixed
place

roll over one

another

move freely

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6. Reflection and
reinforcement
Deconstructing genre: The

Information Report
Purpose and social function
Participants, processes and tense

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6. Reflection and
reinforcement
Make groups of six to eight.
At the teachers instruction, work

with your team mates to demonstrate

a state of matter.

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7. Applying new
knowledge

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Language support
-nominalisation
Noun

Verb (active)

evaporation
sublimation
condensation
freezing
melting
adding
removing

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Verb (passive)

Further language support

Melting is the process in which a solid turns to

a liquid when heat is added.

Evaporation is the process through
which ..................... .....................................
when heat is ........................
Freezing is the process
whereby ...................................... ....................
...................... when heat is ...........................
Condensation is the process through
which .................. ............................................
. when heat is ........................
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Scaffold
Substance

State

Heat/cool

Distance
between
particles

New state

Name of
change of
state

Coconut oil

solid

heat

increases

liquid

melting

Water

heat

Coconut oil

cool

Steam

cool

Naphthalene

solid

heat

Naphthalene

gas

cool

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Your turn writing task

Read the table from left to right and write a

short explanation e.g.

When coconut oil, a solid, is heated, the
distance between the particles increases and
the new state is liquid coconut oil. The
name of the change of state from a solid to a
liquid is called melting.
Homework: Organise your sentences into an
information report on Creating changes to
states of matter
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8.Evaluation
Ask students to read some of their sentences

aloud.
Review of homework in the following lesson

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Why CLIL?
in formal educational settings, second

languages are best learned when the focus is

on mastery of content rather than on mastery
of language per se (Richards & Rodgers,
2001: 209)
CLIL encompasses language of, for and
through learning, which corresponds to:
the essential vocabulary and grammar related

to content
the language needed to interact and
communicate understanding in the classroom
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new language
that emerges through learning

Students need to develop not only Basic

Interpersonal Communicative Skills (BICS) i.e.

skills needed for social, conversational
situations but also Cognitive Academic
Language Proficiency (CALP), i.e. the abstract
and formal language needed for academic
study (Cummins, cited in Bentley, 2010: 8)

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Challenges
Teacher competencies content AND

language
Cognitive demands on students may cause
anxiety and demotivation stemming from fear
of failure >
emphasis on short-term learning goals to build

student confidence;
provision of support within their ZPD (Vygotsky,
1978); pair and group work;
role of teacher as facilitator rather than knower
modification and scaffolding of authentic
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So why bother?
I found using
CLIL made my
students more
active and
interested. They
think now that
learning English
has a real
purpose.
Surya Prakash

Surya Prakash