CLIL: A Suit for All Seasons

Authors

  • Francesca Costa
  • Lauretta D’Angelo

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5294/laclil.2011.4.1.1

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.


Author Biographies

Francesca Costa

Francesca Costa is currently a contract university lecturer in English Linguistics at the Cattolica del Sacro Cuore University of Milan and in Scientific English at the University of Pavia, Italy. Since 2001 she has been involved in teaching, teacher training, and research in Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL). She has published several articles on this subject in journals as well as linguistic and didactic material. At the moment she is studying towards a Doctorate in Education on CLIL/ICLHE at the Open University, UK.At present she is doing a doctoral research program at the Faculdad de Ciencias de la Educación at the University of Zaragoza (Spain) on the profile of the CLIL teacher for the non-linguistic discipline.

Lauretta D’Angelo

Lauretta D’Angelo is a teacher, teacher-trainer and researcher.  Her background and fields of research are the teaching/learning of foreign languages with a particular focus on the CLIL approach, the European teaching experience, and intercultural dialogue. She has edited many publications on topics related to these fields and authored various articles for national and international journals and textbooks. At present she is doing a doctoral research program at the Faculdad de Ciencias de la Educación at the University of Zaragoza (Spain) on the profile of the CLIL teacher for the non-linguistic discipline.

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Published

2011-04-30

Issue

Vol. 4 No. 1 (2011)

Section

Articles

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