In content and language integrated learning (CLIL) programmes, attention to language can be easily overlooked
behind the assumption that language learning will take place incidentally. This study aimed at analysing the effects of a balanced
integration of content and language on fifth graders’ foreign language (FL) oral performance. Two groups of participants had been
doing CLIL in the form of an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) subject as of first grade, and yet observations
revealed an important lack of focus on form in these lessons. CLIL materials and lessons that provided enough attention to
language were designed and implemented for three months only in one of the groups. Students were assessed on their FL fluency and
complexity before and after the treatment. Results revealed higher gains in speech rate and number of minimal contributions and a
significantly lower L1 reliance in the case of the treatment group.
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