LOST IN CLIL????Content and language integrated learning (CLIL) across Europe: approaches and quality issues in higher education

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Anca Greere & Anne RäsänenLANQUA subproject 3 coordinators

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LANQUA

5 Thematic Subprojects:

1. Intercultural Communication2. Language teacher education 3. Content Language Integrated

Learning4. Literature and Culture5. Language Learning

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Outline

1. Setting the scene2. Definition of CLIL in the subproject3. Variation of approaches: CLIL steps4. Variation of pedagogical features5. Quality issues – problems,

solutions, learning outcomes, case studies => TOOLKIT

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Preliminary Questions ???• What are the reasons for implementing CLIL?• Is there a planned/staged-out approach to CLIL

implementation?• At what levels of education is CLIL mostly practiced (e.g. BA,

MA, PhD, CPD)?• Are these full-size L2 mediated programmes or modules offered

systematically?• What subjects/domains are most likely to take up CLIL?• How are learning outcomes defined? Are learning outcomes

specified for both language and content? • How is CLIL delivered (e.g. contact hours, blended learning,

e‑learning options)? • Is there coordination between language-specialists and subject-

specialists (e.g. joint planning of syllabus and learning outcomes, team teaching)?

• How are students’ needs dealt with? Is there any language support offered to students prior or during the content courses?

• How are educators’ needs dealt with? Is there any language support offered to subject-specialists? Is there any content-related support offered to language-specialists?

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Asking Management (majority of answers in the preliminary survey)

Q: Are there any aims for language AND communication development?

A: NO

Q: Are subject knowledge and communication skills both assessed?

A:'NO, only knowledge skills are assessed explicitly. Assessment of communication skills would make no sense. 

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Asking Students (some answers to the preliminary survey)

Q: How do you find the language and communication skills of your teacher?

A:”In the general course the lector had to switch to German to explain difficult things in more detail, so he hadn´t good skills in the foreign language. The other course was a specific English course which was perfectly structured and performed.”

A: “The English skills of my teacher in my English course were very good. For me he talked like a native …The teacher in the other course, I was enrolled, was weak. Everyone recognized that he had to teach in English for the first time. So it was hard to listen to the speech, but sometimes it was really funny!”

Q: . Do you think that teaching through a foreign language requires different pedagogical skills from teaching through the local language?

Comment:” The question has to do with pedagogical skills that we students are not entitled to know and discuss about”

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Definition of CLIL

CLIL is generally defined as a pedagogical approach which has a dual (integrated) aim: learning of the subject matter (content) and learning of the (second/foreign/target) language used as the medium of instruction for the content

in SP3, CLIL is seen as a continuum or an umbrella term for all those approaches in which some form of specific and academic language support is offered to HE students in order to facilitate their learning of the content through that language, or in which multilingual and multicultural competence is pedagogically promoted during content learning

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Anne Räsänen 2010

NON-CLIL

FROM NON-CLIL TO CLIL(in second/foreign language mediated higher education)

- no concern for language learning, other agendas - no (pedagogical) collaboration btw any teachers

- e.g. visiting experts giving individual lectures-incidental, unsystematic, limited exposure (<25%)

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Anne Räsänen 2010

NON-CLIL

FROM NON-CLIL TO CLIL(in second/foreign language mediated higher education)

- language specialists providing discipline-specific language teaching to support learning

- no (systematic) collaboration with subject specialists, language teacher chooses materials

- possible power plays, role formation

PRE-CLILLSP /

Discipline-Based

LanguageTeaching

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Anne Räsänen 2010

NON-CLIL

Pre-CLIL/LSP

Discipline-Based

LanguageTeaching

PARTIAL CLIL(language, LAP)

FROM NON-CLIL TO CLIL(in second/foreign language mediated higher education)

- pre-sessional teaching of language, discourse,academic practices etc. to support students’ learning

in the content course/programme that follows - possible collaboration between teachers

-language learning outcomes specified according to content learning needs

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Anne Räsänen 2010

NON-CLIL

PRE-CLILLSP /

Discipline-Based

LanguageTeaching

FROM NON-CLIL TO CLIL(in second/foreign language mediated higher education)

- courses/programmes provided

systematically by subject specialiststo mixed, multicultural and

multilingual groups (>25% exposure)-language learning expected due to

exposure, but no specified outcomes; often implicit aims and criteria - collaboration possible, but rare

PARTIAL CLIL

(language)

PARTIAL CLIL(content)

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Anne Räsänen 2010

NON-CLIL

PRE-CLILLSP /

Discipline-Based

LanguageTeaching

FROM NON-CLIL TO CLIL(in second/foreign language mediated higher education)

PARTIALCLIL

(language)

PARTIALCLIL

(content)

- language supportcoordinated with/

integrated in subject studies and

takes place simultaneously

-joint planning andspecified outcomesand criteria for both

content and language

ADJUNCT-CLIL

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Anne Räsänen 2010

NON-CLIL

PRE-CLILLSP /

Discipline-Based

LanguageTeaching

PARTIALCLIL

(language)

ADJUNCT-CLIL

FROM NON-CLIL TO CLIL(in second/foreign language mediated higher education)

-fully dualapproachand full

integrationacrosssubject

teaching by subjectspecialist

or via teamteaching

CLIL

PARTIALCLIL

(content)

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STEPS FROM NON-CLIL TO CLIL(in L2 & FL mediated higher education)

- no concern for language learning,

other agendas - no (pedagogical)

collaboration- e.g. visiting experts,

individual lectures-incidental,

unsystematic, limited exposure (<25%)

- language specialists providing discipline-specific LT to support learning

- no (systematic) collaboration- with subject specialists,

FL teacher chooses materials- possible power plays,

role formation

PRE-CLIL/LSP Discipline-

BasedLanguageTeaching

-pre-sessional teaching of language, discourse, academic practices etc. to

support students’ learning in the content course/programme that follows

- possible collaboration btw teachers-language learning outcomes specified according to content learning needs

Partial CLIL(language)

Partial CLIL(content)

-courses/programmes provided systematically

by subject specialiststo mixed, multicultural

and multilingual groups (>25% exposure)

-language learning expected due to exposure, but outcomes not

specified; implicit aims and criteria - collaboration possible, but rare

NON-CLIL

ADJUNCT-CLIL

-fully dual approachand full

integration oflanguage

across subjectteaching

by subjectspecialist or

via team teaching-specified

outcomes andcriteria for

both contentand language

CLIL

- language supportcoordinated with/

integrated in subject studies and takes place simultaneously

-joint planning btwteachers and

specified outcomesand criteria for both

content and language

LANQUA/CLIL Anne Räsänen/2010

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Quality Assurance ???

• Are there external Quality Assurance Mechanisms (national: QA bodies/agencies, international: ISO standards)?

• Are there internal Quality Assurance Mechanisms (e.g. institutional, faculty, programme level)?

• What are the areas of QA (e.g. staff competences, student competences, infrastructure, curriculum planning, etc.)

• Is there a coherent institutional language policy including CLIL issues? Is it applied?

• Is evaluation by peers practiced? Is there any washback effect?

• Is evaluation by students practiced? Is there any washback effect?

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Quality Issues

• Collaboration between content specialists and language specialists in planning, aims-setting, materials design, and formulation of learning outcomes and assessment criteria in order to assure an informed CLIL approach and curriculum for courses and programmes

• Increased language awareness in content instruction• Awareness of new focuses in language instruction (e.g.

language use vs. language accuracy)• New pedagogical profiles of both content and language

teachers • Support systems for students and teachers• Institutional and management issues (e.g. resources,

funding, professional development requirements, evaluation)

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Case studies

• University of Nicosia, CYPRUS: Implementing a CLIL Approach with German in HE Training of Tourism Professionals

• University of Toulouse 1 Capitole, FRANCE: Facing the Challenges of CLIL at the School of Economics

• University of Luxembourg, LUXEMBOURG: Developing Multilingual Learning and Plurilingual Communication through the Teacher Education Programme

• University of Fribourg, SWITZERLAND: Analyzing CLIL pedagogical strategies at the Faculty of Science

• University of Trento, ITALY: Promoting Collaboration between Content Teachers and Language Teachers for the Master’s In European and International Studies

• University of Jyväskylä, FINLAND: A Consolidated Language Support System for International (English-medium) Master’s Degree Programmes

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NON-CLIL

PRE-CLILLSP /

Discipline-Based

LanguageTeaching

PARTIALCLIL

(language)

ADJUNCT-CLIL

FROM NON-CLIL TO CLIL(in second/foreign language mediated higher education)

Jyväskyla, Finland

+[in future]Nicosia,Cyprus

CLIL

PARTIALCLIL

(content)KateTrento,

ItalyFribourg,

Switzerland+

Toulouse,France

+Luxembourg

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CLIL Learning Outcomes

Competence areas identified• Information management and problem-

solving for building expertise (i.e. competence in the field)

• Identity of the profession and its international and multicultural dimension

• Professional networking and teaming• Discipline-specific and social communication

conventions• Life-long learning and self-direction

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CLIL Learning Outcomes(On completion of the Master’s degree, students are expected …)

1/5

...to have acquired:

Multilingual mastery of the field-specific and professional domain. Knowledge and understanding of how information is managed, conceptualised, and communicated in the target languages in the field-specific academic and professional domain and how the body of knowledge in the field can be contributed to through research activities.

...to be able to demonstrate:

Receptive and productive communication competence in the target languages to access, process and critically evaluate information in the field of study, to share information, and to identify, analyse and solve problems in multiprofessional settings of the field.

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CLIL Learning Outcomes(On completion of the Master’s degree, students are expected to …)

2/5

...to have acquired:

Awareness and understanding of the national and international dimension of the professions in the field, including cultural differences and own cultural, academic and professional presuppositions and representations, as well as how they are manifested in the target languages

...to be able to demonstrate:

Skills and strategies to mediate between languages and cultures in social and in professional settings, including effective translanguaging (code-switching, intercomprehension strategies, mediation), intercultural awareness and negotiation of meaning needed in multilingual and multicultural environments. (multiliteracy)

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CLIL Learning Outcomes(On completion of the Master’s degree, students are expected to …)

3/5 ...to have acquired:

Knowledge and understanding of how multilingual and multicultural professional teams, networks and communities operate in both face-to-face and virtual contexts and which interpersonal and intercultural skills are required.

...to be able to demonstrate:

Professional and interpersonal communication skills in the target languages in order to function and interact in specific and interdisciplinary fields, teams, networks and communities, as well as in social contexts.

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CLIL Learning Outcomes(On completion of the Master’s degree, students are expected to …)

4/5 ...to have acquired:

Awareness, knowledge and understanding of the communication conventions in the field and profession in the target languages, for example genre, discourse and register conventions, as well as sensitivity to appropriate language use in academic, professional and social contexts.

...to be able to demonstrate:

Competence in appropriate oral and written communication in target languages in the specific academic field and in professional and social contexts, including communicating own expertise to different audiences.

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CLIL Learning Outcomes(On completion of the Master’s degree, students are expected to …)

5/5 ...to have acquired:

Understanding of the importance of continuously developing one’s own professional expertise through multilingual and multicultural sources and experiences, including ICT‑enhanced environments.

...to be able to demonstrate:

Ability to apply appropriate metacognitive skills and strategies needed for self-directed and integrated content and language learning on a lifelong basis.

Anne Räsänen 2010

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SP3 – Thank you!!!

• Anca Greere – Babeş-Bolyai University, ROMANIA• Anne Räsänen –   Jyväskylän Yliopisto, FINLAND• Gail Taillefer  – Université Toulouse 1 Sciences Sociales, FRANCE• Brigitte Forster Vosicki – Université de Lausanne, SWITZERLAND• Christine Lechner – Pädagogische Hochschule Tirol, AUSTRIA • Antroulla Papakyriakou – University of Nicosia, CYPRUS• María Luz Suárez – Universidad de Deusto, SPAIN• Klára Szabó – Szegedi Tudomanyegyetem, HUNGARY• Marie-Anne Hansen-Pauly – University of Luxembourg, LUXEMBOURG• Kate Riley – Università degli Studi di Trento, ITALY• Anna Liharevschi – Universite de Geneve, SWITZERLAND