Content and language integrated learning (CLIL) is an approach to education in which a subject and a language are taught simultaneously. It is a methodology that promotes bilingual education while blending language and content. This method is typically used to teach English to adults.
CLIL has a broad definition because it is an approach customized to the student’s needs; for example, teaching science to a group of children when English is their second language. It is important to note that when a teacher focuses on content and language integrated learning, they are only teaching new material. CLIL is not a way to simplify content or to go over topics the students already know; rather, it is a way to introduce new subjects and a new language at the same time.
Success in CLIL is when a student successfully learns new language skills and has a comprehensive understanding of the topic at hand.
Where Did CLIL Originate?
The technique of learning a language and another topic concurrently has been used since the beginning of time. Any time someone tries to learn how to cook, paint, engineer and/or build something in a language other than their own, they are practicing CLIL. This method has been used across cultures when merging ideas between people and places, long before the invention of mass-produced written language with the printing press.
The term “content and language integrated learning” was developed in the mid-1990s by professors David Marsh and Do Coyle of the University of Jyväskylä in Finland. The idea of CLIL came during a time when schools and governments were realizing the benefits that came with understanding more than one language. At first, this educational movement was particularly strong in Europe, but it has since gained popularity worldwide in response to the rapid globalization taking place over the past 20 years.
How and Why CLIL Works
There are a few underlying principles to how and why content and language integrated learning is successful in students of all ages.
Language Is Learned in Context
It can be hard for language learners to truly grasp a new language if they don’t have any context for what they are studying. After all, how impactful can lists of vocabulary words be, if the student doesn’t have a place or situation to utilize them in? But when a student learns with CLIL, every new word and grammatical concept is immediately relevant and useful. When the subject matter and lesson become tangible for the student, each word and phrase they learn becomes meaningful. Instead of presenting a vocabulary list to a student and they have to imagine a situation where they can utilize what they learn, a CLIL lesson gives a framework for immediate use of the language.
Language Is Learned Authentically and Naturally
CLIL ensures that the student can hear and grasp the language as it is actually spoken and written. It can be hard for students to grasp the idiosyncrasies of a new language without relating it to a real-life experience. CLIL allows students to hear how the language is used in a native setting. This method mimics how we learned our language when we were kids. With CLIL, there are no formal grammar lessons, rather the teacher will just use the new language in action as a force of communication. You’re not dedicating a slot of time purely to learning a language, such as a traditional Spanish class. Instead, the focus is on the subject matter at hand as it is being taught in the target language.
Language Is Tied to Motivation
Typically, students who learn via CLIL are intrinsically motivated because they enjoy the topic at hand. And because the subject matter and new language are taught hand in hand, a student is more willing to focus and be inspired to learn. CLIL works hard to fuel a more in-depth type of learning, as the student is driven to succeed.
What Are the Benefits of CLIL?
There are so many benefits of CLIL for learners, no matter the age of the student or subject matter taught.
A Second Language Increases Memory
Learning a second language has proven to improve one’s memory. A study completed by Dr. Thomas Bak, a professor at the Edinburgh School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language further proves this theory. He found that bilingual students performed better on attention tests and had a stronger memory compared to those who only spoke one language. Dr. Bak’s study spanned decades of research; he started his study back in 1947 by testing 835 11-year-old participants on a multitude of cognitive tests. The same group was retested in 2008 and 2010 when the participants were in their 70s. The results showed that the bilingual students performed better than expected, with the strongest effects being seen in general intelligence and reading. It is believed that a person’s memory is improved because learning a second language works to develop different areas of the mind, while strengthening the brain’s ability to focus.
CLIL Develops Critical Thinking Skills
When a student learns a subject and a language at the same time, they are forced to develop critical thinking skills. This is because learning a language exercises our brain as our brain works out meaning.
CLIL Increases Motivation
It only makes sense that when a student is learning about a subject they are interested in, they’re going to be more inclined to pay attention to the lesson. That means they will dedicate themselves to learning the language as it is being taught to them because they genuinely want to learn about the subject.
CLIL Allows Students to Become Better Problem Solvers
With a CLIL lesson, a student is constantly problem-solving. They’re realizing which words they understand, which phrases they don’t and the value of circumlocution while making connections between what is going on in their brain and what is right in front of them.
Learning a Second Language Strengthens the Mind
Learning a second language will help the mind stay sharper, for longer. For monolingual adults, the average age of the first signs of dementia is 71.5 years old. Comparatively, those first signs happen after 75.5 years for those who speak two or more languages.
CLIL Helps Improve Academic Skills
Language skills are often divided into two different groups: BICS (basic interpersonal communication skills) and CALP (cognitive academic language proficiency). BICS is the easiest to develop and includes personal communications. CALP on the other hand can take 5-7 years to fully form. In order to develop these skills, students will need to digest, evaluate and synthesize information in a foreign language. Academic content and newspapers can help students learn English or other foreign languages by helping them dissect and interpret information in the target language.
How to Get Started With CLIL
Getting started with content and language integrated learning isn’t that difficult. Here are two steps that can lead you down the right path.
Create Your Own Materials
There are many educational resources you can create as a teacher that align with the CLIL approach. This can be anything from interactive puzzles and games to hands-on activities. However, creating this content is often time-consuming and requires a large amount of prep time, which may be unrealistic for most. Additionally, as students become more advanced, they will need academically rigorous content, which includes newspapers, books and other thought-provoking articles.
License Content
If you are too busy to create your own content, another option is to license educational content. NYTLicensing offers several ready-to-use solutions that can be customized to your needs. There are classroom exercises, news articles, print publications and language learning material to help students learn English. With these resources, they can build comprehension, vocabulary, grammar and more at your disposal. Plus, the NYTLicensing Group has a large archive of material to help expand your lessons, including science, technology, finance and business.
Final Thoughts
Content and language integrated learning is an educational approach that can shape the minds of students all over the world. CLIL requires a strong content offering, and NYTLicensing can help with all of your content needs, in a variety of different languages.
