CLIL: A Suit for All Seasons

Abstract

A frequently mentioned advantage of CLIL is that it is a theory of practice, with an intrinsic flexibility and heterogeneity; nonetheless, there is often confusion regarding the factors of success and failure among teachers applying the approach, which often leads them to unwittingly misapply CLIL. This article first presents several definitions of CLIL, and the practical and theoretical assumptions at its core, and then analyzes a number of longitudinal studies from such places as Canada, the Netherlands, Spain, Hong Kong, the Philippines, and Malaysia in order to identify factors that contribute to the relative success or failure of this methodological approach. Drawing on a basis of research and training courses for CLIL teachers, this study presents its unique and defining factors and presents guidelines for teachers who wish to apply it.

Analysing teachers' roles regarding cross-curricular coordination in Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL)

“…Bonnet (2012: 66) states that the "added value of CLIL" needs to be questioned. In fact, in some contexts research confirms the negative effect of CLIL on learners' knowledge of content subjects and on their command of the language of instruction, partly attributed to the inappropriate input they receive from their teachers (Costa and D'Angelo 2011). For some, it is possible that the purported benefits of CLIL stem from external factors, such as the socioeducational background of CLIL students, rather than to CLIL tuition itself (Bonnet 2012;Bruton 2011Bruton , 2013Costa and D'Angelo 2011).…”

Integrating content and language in English language teaching in secondary education: Models, benefits, and challenges

“…However, this whole array of models which seem to stress the perception that CLIL is a suit for all seasons (Costa & D'Angelo, 2011) may also be a shortcoming for CBI-CLIL education. It may give the impression that anything that deals with a certain type of content may be called CLIL (Marsh, 2008, p. 244).…”

“…CLIL is an approach in which various methodologies are used to achieve a dual-focused form of instruction in language and content. Furthermore, CLIL researchers use the term umbrella and several definitions (Costa & D'Angelo, 2011;Haataja, 2007a, p. 9) to refer to the curricular variations prescribed in Europe (Bentley, 2010, p. 5-7;Dalton-Puffer, Nikula, & Smit, 2010;Lorenzo, Casal, & Moore, 2010, p. 419;Marsh & Wolff, 2007). …”

Is CLIL becoming a hub connecting research, policy, and practice?

“…However many countries around the world are starting to implement extensive curriculum reforms with the intention of retooling knowledge-oriented economies required to operate in a globalized world (Graddol, 2006b). In this regard, CLIL has made significant contributions to educational institutions worldwide, as in the cases of Argentina, (Dario Luis Banegas, 2012;Darío Luis Banegas, 2012;Pistorio, 2009), Colombia (McDougald & Anderson, 2015;McDougald, 2009McDougald, , 2015Rodríguez, 2011), and Italy (Aiello, Di Martino, & Di Sabato, 2015;Costa & Coleman, 2010;Favilli, Maffei, & Peroni, 2012;Grandinetti, Langellotti, & Ting, 2013), as well as in countries such as Canada, the Netherlands, Spain, Hong Kong, the Philippines, and Malaysia, through which we can explore relative successes or failures of a CLIL approach (Costa & D' Angelo, 2011).…”