This paper investigates students' performance in content-subjects in the framework of CLIL programmes in Spain. So far, CLIL research has focused primarily on language attainment in the L2 and the ...L1, but students' achievements as regards content-subjects have been largely ignored. Competence in Science in the L1 is analysed by comparing pupils enrolled in mainstream schools with students in the so-called 'bilingual streams' offering CLIL-based approaches. The main objective is to assess if students learning Science through the L2 (English) outperform their counterparts studying in the L1 (Spanish) as regards content acquisition. The paper analyses a sample of 709 6th grade Primary Education students enrolled in public schools in the Principality of Asturias (Spain). A test to assess students' knowledge in Science and a context questionnaire (measuring participants' socio-economic status) were designed. The main finding is that students learning contents in their L1 perform slightly better than those studying Science through the L2. Furthermore, participants with lower socio-economic status obtain lower scores than those coming from more privileged backgrounds.
Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) is considered a promising approach to enhancing foreign language skills and motivation. However, its impact on students' academic self-concepts remains ...largely unclear.
This study aimed to investigate whether CLIL positively affects students' English self-concepts but harms their math self-concepts in Grade 8 after two years of CLIL participation. Furthermore, the study intended to control for and disentangle selection and preparation effects caused by selective access and increased English instruction before the start of CLIL, as neglecting a priori differences between CLIL and non-CLIL students has led to overestimating CLIL effects in the past.
Participants were 5963 academic-track school students.
Propensity score matching was applied to control for selection effects. Structural equation modeling was used to estimate CLIL effects on English and math self-concepts. The inclusion of control variables allowed for accounting for preparation effects.
CLIL students had significantly higher English self-concepts than non-CLIL students, which could be explained by selection and preparation effects. However, attending CLIL helped to maintain the advantage over non-CLIL students over the first two years of CLIL participation. CLIL had no detrimental effects on students' math self-concepts but left them unaffected.
The study contributes to a deeper understanding of the effects of CLIL on students' self-concepts in different subjects. Furthermore, the results highlight the importance of accounting for both selection and preparation effects in future CLIL studies to obtain unbiased CLIL effect estimates.
•First-time separation of selection, preparation, and CLIL effects on self-concepts.•Panel data, multiple covariates, and matching to control selection and preparation.•CLIL helps maintain, but not extend, pre-existing English self-concept advantages.•CLIL does not harm math self-concept.
Guest editorial Pérez Cañado, María Luisa
International journal of bilingual education and bilingualism,
10/21/2023, Letnik:
26, Številka:
9
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Guest editorial for the special issue 'CLIL for all? Attention to diversity in bilingual education'.
Guest editorial Pérez Cañado, María Luisa
International journal of bilingual education and bilingualism,
10/2023, Letnik:
26, Številka:
9
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Guest editorial for the special issue ‘CLIL for all? Attention to diversity in bilingual education’.
After outlining why a systematic review of research in English medium instruction (EMI) in higher education (HE) is urgently required, we briefly situate the rapidly growing EMI phenomenon in the ...broader field of research in which content and language have been considered and compare HE research outputs with those from other phases of education. An in-depth review of 83 studies in HE documents the growth of EMI in different geographical areas. We describe studies which have investigated university teachers’ beliefs and those of students before attempting to synthesise the evidence on whether teaching academic subjects through the medium of English as a second language (L2) is of benefit to developing English proficiency without a detrimental effect on content learning. We conclude that key stakeholders have serious concerns regarding the introduction and implementation of EMI despite sometimes recognising its inevitability. We also conclude that the research evidence to date is insufficient to assert that EMI benefits language learning nor that it is clearly detrimental to content learning. There are also insufficient studies demonstrating, through the classroom discourse, the kind of practice which may lead to beneficial outcomes. This insufficiency, we argue, is partly due to research methodology problems both at the micro and macro level.
Teaching through a second language (L2) poses many challenges, as second language learners (SLLs) have fewer linguistic resources in the language of instruction. Scaffolding students' learning is a ...possible way of overcoming these challenges, but there are few studies on this in Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) contexts. The present study suggests a framework for how to empirically identify and classify scaffolding. Using the framework, the study investigates how three Norwegian CLIL teachers support learning for second language learners (SLL) through scaffolding. Twelve lessons (science, geography and social science) were filmed in one 11th-grade CLIL class. A coding manual (PLATO) was used to identify the scaffolding strategies the teachers used. The findings indicate that CLIL teachers scaffold their students to comprehend material. However, they provide few strategies to help students solve tasks, such as modelling and strategy use. CLIL teachers scaffold differently in the natural and social sciences; the natural science teaching has more visual aids, whereas the social science teachers allows for more student talk. The results imply that natural and social science teacher complement each other. However, CLIL teachers need to create more specific learning activities to provide their students with more support.
Learning foreign languages is a process of acquiring authentic contents in cultural contexts. In this respect, bilingual programs provide an effective connection between content-based studies and ...linguistic activities. The European umbrella term CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) not only comprises the aims and objectives of a sustainable format of teaching foreign languages but also the priority of content over language, in other words: language follows content, as in the Bauhaus precept form follows function. But in order to effectively integrate content and language, a comprehensive pedagogical approach is needed that goes beyond existing curricula and guidebooks.
Bernd Klewitz aims at establishing the CLIL methodology by linking content requirements of subject areas, especially those in the social sciences, with linguistic building blocks and tools. The integrative methodology of bilingual programs extends to the study of literature, traditionally a domain of language tuition, but thought to be a seminal part of CLIL as well.
The building blocks and language tools presented in this volume focus on learning foreign languages in cultural contexts, aims, and objectives of CLIL, parameters of an integrated bilingual teaching strategy, dimensions of bilingual learning, elements of a CLIL concept, Literary CLIL, CLIL tools and strategies, modules with worked examples, challenges, and desiderata, and a comprehensive glossary. Each section is completed with an interactive part of review, reflection, and practice.
Engineering lecturers' views on CLIL and EMI Aguilar, Marta
International journal of bilingual education and bilingualism,
09/2017, Letnik:
20, Številka:
6
Journal Article, Publication
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
The present study aims to shed some light on how engineering lecturers teaching in English at a Spanish university view their work (teaching goals) within the current European internationalisation ...trend of offering courses and master programmes in English. A questionnaire where content and language integrated learning (CLIL) and English-medium instruction (EMI) were differentiated and with questions on their self-attributed duties, training preferences, assessment and internationalisation issues, among others, was prepared. The 41 lecturers who participated were asked to identify the modality they were following and their views related to the key factors in their courses. Findings point to the fact that EMI is the modality they follow and that they do not want to shift to CLIL because they refuse to teach language. To gain qualitative information about their beliefs, six lecturers were later interviewed. These interviews suggested that lecturers attach no importance to language integration. More specifically, they do not usually reflect on their lecturing, they welcome the idea of distinguishing both modalities in higher education (HE), they regard English proficiency as a key factor for all stakeholders and finally they think CLIL better suits less proficient students in HE.
Assessing CLIL: a multidisciplinary approach Van Mensel, Luk; Hiligsmann, Philippe
International journal of bilingual education and bilingualism,
05/2023, Letnik:
26, Številka:
5
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Introduction of the Special Issue 'Assessing CLIL: A multidisciplinary approach'.
Expansive assessment seeks to reimagine assessment in content and language integrated learning (CLIL) through the lens of expansive theories of communication (e.g., multimodality, translanguaging). ...However, for expansive assessment to be consequential for students in CLIL classrooms, teachers must be open to recognizing student learning expressed in ways that go beyond what has been traditionally privileged (e.g., written English).
This article reports on two complementary studies of U.S. teachers’ perspectives and practices related to expansive assessment. Study 1 addressed multimodal assessment with pre-service teachers (PSTs) in science. Study 2 addressed translanguaged assessment with in-service teachers (ISTs) in language arts.
Participants in Study 1 were 10 PSTs. Participants in Study 2 were two ISTs from different elementary schools with different instructional arrangements.
Interviews and observations were used to elicit teachers' perspectives on expansive assessment and their practices interpreting students’ performances.
In both studies, teachers' perspectives closely reflected their practices. For example, PSTs whose perspectives eschewed logocentrism tended to recognize evidence of science learning in students' visual responses. However, there were also findings unique to each study. For example, ISTs’ perspectives and practices related to translanguaged assessment were mediated by the language policies at their schools.
The two studies, which examined different teacher populations, assessment approaches, and content areas, converge in highlighting three overarching themes to guide future research: (a) the importance of clarity regarding constructs assessed, (b) the contextual mediation of teachers’ perspectives and practices, and (c) the need for teacher learning across their careers.
•Expansive assessment can offer a more complete picture of students' content learning.•Teachers' perspectives on expansive assessment reflect their assessment practices.•Teachers' perspectives and practices are mediated by their contexts.•Teachers may benefit from critical reflection on their perspectives and practices.
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