Lithuania - CLIL in Lithuania

CONTENT AND LANGUAGE TEACHING IN LITHUANIA 

1. Pre primary level. It has become a fashion to offer language classes (mainly English) in some kindergartens.

2. Primary level. A foreign language is being taught from year 1 only in some profiled schools.

3. Secondary level. Beginning with the secondary level all schools provide studies of foreign languages. This lasts approximately for 7 years. In some gymnasiums students study such subjects as Economics or Physics in a foreign language, but this is not a very common practice.

4. Tertiary level. All students study foreign languages at least for a year.Higher education institutions in Lithuania are of two types: universities and colleges. They may be both State and non-State. At present there are 15 state (10 universities and 5 academies) and 7 non-state (4 university-type and 3 colleges) higher education institutions in Lithuania. They are as follows: Kaunas University of Medicine; Kaunas University of Technology; Klaipeda University; Law University of Lithuania; Lithuanian Academy of Music; Lithuanian Academy of Physical Education; Lithuanian University of Agriculture; Lithuanian Veterinary Academy; The General Jonas Zemaitis Military Academy of Lithuania; Siauliai University; Vilnius Academy of Arts; Vilnius Gediminas Technical University; Vilnius Pedagogical University; Vilnius University; Vytautas Magnus University.

Four of them train language specialists, others develop general skills of students in foreign languages up the advanced level.

Studies of foreign languages differ a great deal among the universities. The length of language studies usually is restricted to one academic year. During this year some universities offer the courses of general English/German/French. When the students have reached the required level of language skills, at some universities they are allowed to continue language studies choosing some alternatives like Business English, English for Academic Purposes, Introduction into TOEFL, etc. Other universities right from the beginning offer specialised language studies (ESP), depending on the profile of the Faculty. It may be English for Law, English for Economics and Management, English for Environmental Studies, etc. In 10 universities of Lithuania courses on content through languages are prepared and it is possible to deliver them under demand for foreign students. These courses are usually given by native language professionals.

Still, there are universities, which offer a variety of subjects to be taught in foreign languages. This is a common practice in Social Sciences, some subjects in Economics and Engineering, etc. Some universities have special units like International Study Centres that organise most of the studies in a foreign language. Students have a possibility to attend the courses offered by the visiting or native professors.

Ruta Veteryte Management Teacher ruta.veteryte@ukc.ktu.lt

Vilmante Liubiniene English/ESP Teacher vilmante.liubiniene@af.ktu.lt