LESSONS FROM USING CLIL ON A SCHOOL TRIP

24 students Year 10 1.5 years of Spanish

Background

Cross curricular (Biology, MFL, Geography, D/E)

Aim: Study Biology and Geography through L2 in the field

Focus on a central question: How sustainable is human activity in the Gredos regional park?

Main elements of trip

Students have Geography/Biology lessons in Spanish

Do research in the field Interview local stakeholders Produce a group documentary in Spanish Work in groups to produce a presentation on

their findings to a representative of the national park

In practice..

See if use of CLIL & Harkness discussion would improve student confidence speaking, and improve the quality of their speech

1 key aim

1. CLIL to increase confidence and attainment speaking

2. Harkness Discussion 3. Student Documentary Video to reinforce

learning orally

Key Strategies

◦ CONFIDENCE: Reported levels of confidence rose by 30% Those who were under confident before the trip fell

from 41% to 8%

Results

Results

Found communicative model more purposeful and meaningful:

“Learning it like this was more useful because you had to understand and be able to speak the language to get

anything done”

“I found it much more interesting actually speaking to Spanish people, as this provided a much more legitimate

experience than you would find within a classroom,”

◦ QUALITY OF LANGUAGE: Measured levels rose by 10% Students felt they had made much more progress

compared to normal lessons. They were 36% more positive about their improvement than normal

Results

◦ 6 students reported speaking as their favourite element of the trip

◦ Students reported that they enjoyed this form of teaching more than traditional lessons:  before 47% had registered positive comments about Spanish lessons, this rose to 92% afterwards (+45%)

Results

Key strategies1. CLIL

Teaching other subjects through TL, where both subject and TL are objects of study

CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning)

1. Lots of photos/ graphs/ maps and visual keys

2. Grids to support speaking & key vocabulary alongside most sheets

3. Mini speaking tasks

Key elements to support teaching (CLIL)

CLIL Eg. 1 (Geog)

1. Task Based - match photos with definitions

2. Talk in Spanish to give opinion with the support grid, and with the pictures to point to

CLIL (Eg 2, Geog)

1.Map and photos to give clues, and to point at

2. Support grid for speaking

CLIL (Eg 3, Bio)

1.Task based (used Heroes for grass hoppers)

2. Speaking task – 30 seconds to explain process

CLIL (Eg 4, Bio)

1. How to carry out random sampling

2. Speaking task. 30 second recap. Have photos above, and grids to use.

Harkness Discussion

Discussion leader (ask questions, draw people out)

Summariser Recorder Can add any

other relevant roles

Harkness - roles

Use question forms Use other verb endings more Speak in whole sentences more often Use more incidental language Feel less self conscious

(communication v precision) Can use to practise target

constructions

Harkness - advantages

Harkness topic: river study

Harkness supportFILLERS

Harkness – support for each question

Carousel – discussing the same material

With own group

Members move round to

join a new

group

In a group of their chosing

Livescribe to record

Video documentary

Video DocumentaryPotential disadvantages

Language formulaic/ rehearsed/ read!

Not ‘real communication’

Useful synthesisBenefits

Give students a chance to recap material

Find a way of making them use the language in the field

Fun and memorable Good for

pronunciation (if helped!)

Full report/ more information Google ‘sasowen mfl’ for the report (in

wordpress)

Email: saso@wellingtoncollege.org.uk