Explain the core features of CLIL and the importance of

including them in the teaching repertoire.

Publicado el 16 junio, 2015por lantonica
Nowadays, teachers that teach a non-linguistic area in a second language need
competence in this foreign language and training in specifics methodologies and
strategies as CLIL.

So CLIL is a dual-focused educational approach in which an additional

language is used for the learning and teaching of content and language with the
objective of promoting both content and language mastery to predefined levels
(Maljers and others, 2010).

The core features of CLIL are:

1. Multiple focus, because CLIL integrate several subjects and organize

learning through cross-curricular themes or projects.
2. Safe and enriching learning environment. With CLIL teachers use
routine activities, build the student confidence (to experiment with language
and content) and guide the access to authentic learning materials or
environments.
3. Authenticity. CLIL let the students ask for the language help they need,
maximize the accommodation of student interest, make a regular connection
between learning and the students lives and use current materials from the
media and other sources.
4. Active learning. CLIL promote students communicating more than the
teacher and themselves evaluate their progress. Teachers always favour peer
co-operative work.
5. Scaffolding. CLIL encourage to use different learning styles and creative
and critical thinking.
6. Co-operation. The main quality of this feature is that CLIL involve parents
in learning about how to support students.
CLIL supports the holistic development of learners and we have to assume their
features into our teaching repertoire because they are basic to approach our
goals: contents and language learning proficiency.

The importance of ICT in CLIL methodology

Publicado el 16 junio, 2015por lantonica
The core features of CLIL are:

1. Multiple focus
2. Safe and enriching learning environment
3. Authenticity
4. Active learning
5. Scaffolding
6. Co-operation
In order to accomplish these features, teachers have to use multiple resources
and materials, where ICT appear because they provide a rich and varied context.

According to Harlen, W and Qualter, A (2009) there is a vast array of material

on the Internet for students to exploit to gather information and to explore
ideas. ICT is a tool that can be harnessed and used by children to find
information, explore and revise ideas, collect data and record and collate, but
students need a clear purpose for their activities and learn what teachers want
them to learn

In this sense, teachers have to learn how to use ITC such as power point
presentations, interactive digital boards (IDBs), tools from Web 2.0 (blogs,
wikis, etwinning, Moodle,.)

Otherwise, teachers have to learn how to use ICT to support learning, so when it
is appropriate to use this technology and when it is not. A specific example is the
IDB, this technology add value to the learnings, but when teachers adopts a
leader rol reduce children opportunities to develop their thinking skills.

Other point to be consider is the use of published materials or learning software.

World Wide Web offers a lot of resources that saves a lot of planning time but
teachers have to be carefully with the use of the them because it couldnt be
adapted to the differing needs of children.

THE CORE FEATURES OF CLICL AND THE

IMPORTANCE OF INCLUDING THEM IN THE
TEACHING REPERTOIRE
Generally speaking, there are some dimensions in which we can include the main

features of CLIL; these are: language dimension, content, learning, culture and

environment dimensions.

Integrating several subjects and supporting reflection on the learning process,

are features inside the language and content dimension. Besides, its important to
use

routine activities and discourse to build student confidence trying to experiment

with language and content.

As a rule, to improve learning level would be advisable to use different

classrooms in centres such as the maths corner, the science corner, and so on.
Students must communicate more than the teacher and evaluate progress in

achieving learning outcomes.

Moreover the features which are part of the authenticity are considerable in

order to let the students ask for the language help they need, to maximize the

accommodation of student interests and also for making a regular connection

between learning and the students live.

In this context, the scaffolding and cooperation features are included in the

culture and environment dimensions, namely that building on a students existing

knowledge, skills, attitudes, interests and experience, responding to different

learning styles, fostering creative and critical thinking, involving parents in learning

about CLIL and for instance, involving the local community, and planning courses or

lessons in cooperation with CLIL and non CLIL teachers are the best examples of

features that we need to use in our teaching repertoire according to how CLIL
needs

to be used in the right way.

In conclusion, applying in CLIL classes these features, within a few months of

starting the programme, students are usually able to use the CLIL language for

almost all classroom communication.

The core features of CLIL and the importance of including in the teaching
the ICT in CLIL methodology.

People need to speak to communicate and to understand everything around

them. The CLIL is precisely the integration of many of these features into
one's teaching repertoire, which presents a challenge to teachers.
There are different ways to apply the CLIL in the teaching repertoire such
as multiple focus which could be supporting language learning in content
and in language classes, integrating several subjects, organizing learning
through cross-curricular themes and projects, supporting reflection on the
learning process (cognition). Other is to promote a safe and enriching
learning environment or displaying language and content throughout the
classroom, such as the math corner, the science corner and so on. Guiding
access to authentic learning materials and environments and increasing
student language awareness.

The authenticity about this way to learn and teach letting the students ask
for the language help they need, maximizing the accommodation of student
interests in the selection of the topics, tasks... Students make a regular
connection between learning and the students' lives and connect with other
speakers of the CLIL language participating in Comenius projects. They can
use current materials from the media and other interactional sources
combining them with their own knowledge. The CLIL is an active learning
because students communicate more than teachers. They help setting the
content, the language and the learning skills outcomes. The pupils evaluate
the progress they have achieved, favoring peer co-operative work,
negotiating the meaning of language and so on.

One example this methodology is the ICT. It is very important and useful in
education, because we live in a technological society and the school must
adapt it to social progress.

So this is important to link of ICT in the learning progress of students,

because ICT is motivating resource to learn and understand all contents
studied or worked in school. The CLIL is a very practical knowledge,
because it needs a continuous process to acquire a good language
proficiency, learning skills and so on. Thus, is better link of ICT in CLIL
methodology, because I think that helps to make learning meaningful
through websites, where you can practice different interactive
activities, shared different content or ideas with other educational
community. This brings new opportunities for learning into our world.

ICT has some advantages above the traditional books or other resources,
because nowadays teachers can do and create different activities adapted
to our pupils' necessities or work specific content depending on the project
topic. We could do materials to develop cultural awareness.. Using ICT to
teach CLIL is a more enjoyable and engaging way to motivate students
about some topics and enhance the pleasure of culture and learning in the
world.