Cafe CLIL - What's in it for the subject teachers, what's in it for the language teachers? (251015)

Cafe CLIL - What's in it for the subject teachers, what's in it for the language teachers? (251015)



Audio file of the recording

AI Summary:
Keith and Phil explored benefits and challenges of CLIL in education both for language teachers, and content teachers.

Links mentioned:
1 Building bridges https://www.factworld.info/en/CLIL-Conference-Building-Bridges
2 CEFR https://www.coe.int/en/web/common-european-framework-reference-languages/home
3 SAW https://www.factworld.info/en/Science-Across-the-World
4 Georgia trainer CPD https://www.factworld.info/en/Georgia-CLIL-Trainer-CPD
5 Basque Health unit https://www.ekigunea.eus/dbh/en/edukia/sec2/english/eng-2-2/U/5?lang=eu
6 COOP CLIL https://www.factworld.info/en/Austria-COOP-CLIL-2015
7 Litterati https://www.litterati.org/

CLIL Evolution
Keith and Phil discussed benefits of CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) for both subject and language teachers. They reflected on how language teaching has evolved, particularly in European contexts, and highlighted the gap between theoretical curricula and practical classroom implementation. They noted that while textbooks play a role in shaping content presentation, language textbooks could adopt more subject-like approaches. The conversation touched on challenges of professional development in language teaching and the rarity of dual-discipline undergraduate courses in many countries, which can help prepare teachers for CLIL situations.

CLIL in Vocational Education
Keith shared his experience with trainer training in Georgia, where the government, Ministry of Education, and British Council were working on rewriting a curriculum to integrate subject and language disciplines under a thematic structure. They discussed the potential of CLIL in vocational education, with Phil sharing an anecdote from Montevideo about a grandmother who was surprised to hear her grandson enjoy English because of the practical activities they did in class.

Action-Oriented Language Learning Approaches
The importance of action-oriented teaching approaches with a focus on doing activities rather than directly teaching language. They explored how language naturally emerges when students engage in practical tasks. Keith shared his experience with the Science Across the World program, which took an ethnographic approach to language learning by embedding language within real-world science observations and activities.

Data Skills in Language Teaching
The potential for language teachers to incorporate data handling and real-life skills into their teaching, emphasizing its connection to behavior change and environmental awareness. They highlighted how language teachers can use data analysis to foster critical thinking and communication skills, drawing parallels to subject-specific teaching approaches. Keith shared an example from his school where students collected and analyzed data on litter, leading to behavioral changes in students and their families. Phil suggested that language teachers could adapt data analysis tasks, such as describing, analyzing, and drawing conclusions from data, to enhance students' language skills across different genres.

Data-Driven Language Education Strategies
 Phil and Keith discussed the role of data and procedures in language education, emphasizing the importance of integrating content, procedures, and language in curriculum development. They shared examples from their experiences, including road safety education in Bulgaria and a CLIL training program in Austria (COOP CLIL), to illustrate how teachers can learn from each other and adapt their approaches. They also addressed Isabella's question about the future of language teachers, suggesting that the evolving role of language teachers involves adapting to new challenges and collaborating with subject teachers to create more effective curriculum links.

Adapting Language Teaching Approaches
Phil and Keith discussed the integration of action-oriented approaches and situational competencies in language teaching. They proposed rethinking language learning materials, suggesting a restructuring of textbooks and digital platforms to better align with these approaches. Keith highlighted the potential for exploring contemporary and conceptual subjects, such as environmental issues, through foreign language learning, and Phil agreed that such changes are not difficult to implement, offering an example of extending concepts over several chapters rather than a couple of pages.

Publishing Language Education Materials
Phil and Keith discussed the limitations of current language education publishing and the need for more innovative approaches. They agreed that while the status quo in publishing dominates classroom practices, there is potential for change if more CLIL experienced practitioners, or "frogs," can influence the industry. They also discussed the importance of starting small, such as pairing subject teachers with language teachers to gradually integrate content and language teaching. They identified themes for future discussions, including thinking skills and curriculum bridging.