One of the main characteristics of CLIL is that students learn about content e.g. science, ethics or physical educationand through an additional language other than their mother tongue. When it comes to evaluate the potential of CLIL, the pros and also the challenges of teaching content and language at the same time have to be considered. Therefore, it should also be differentiated that there are differences between Hard CLIL and Soft CLIL. Hard CLIL focuses on the main goal of acquisition of subject knowledge. It is taught by a teacher of this specific subject who has to follow the curriculum. Other than that, Soft CLIL puts emphasis on language benefits and takes up parts of the curriculum of a subject only. There, the teacher of a foreign language holds the lesson or units.
During our seminar, we focused on Soft CLIL but there is still a lack of already prepared and tested material for both types of CLIL. The choice of which CLIL is implemented often depends on several factors like teacher availability, amount of time, the capacity to implement CLIL in general, networking etc.13 It is obvious that there has to be thoughtful planning before implementing CLIL in schools. But not only before implementing CLIL in the classrooms but also while preparing specific units there has to be thoughtful planning as well because there is a lot to convey in CLIL lessons e.g the vocabulary and basic skills like reading, listening, writing, speaking as well as the subject content. To plan a good lesson, the teacher has to be and has to prepare much material using e.g. scaffolding and glossaries. This fact can cause time problems for the teacher. Apart from that a challenging factor could be the overload of subject input. Some students struggle with language issues and therefore could have problems to process the content in the appropriate depth. That makes it necessary to very closely supervise the process but this, depending on the number of students, can sometimes be quite challenging. The teacher has to provide a range of necessary vocabulary with subject terminology to make sure the students are able to follow the content.
Table of Contents
1 School garden project – Herb witches
1.1 Learning goals
1.2 Aims of the sequence
1.3 Lesson Plan –The two sequences I taught
1.4 Differentiation
1.5 Assesment
1.6 Evaluation of my sequence
2 A CLIL unit based on a picture book
2.1 Learning objectives
2.2 Sequences of the unit
2.3 Core activities
2.4 Expected practical outcomes
3 Short essay
Research Objectives and Topics
This work explores the practical implementation of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) in primary school settings, specifically focusing on two distinct teaching sequences: a herb garden project and a lesson unit centered around a picture book. The primary objective is to analyze how CLIL can foster language acquisition while teaching subject-specific content, identifying the challenges and opportunities for differentiation and assessment in diverse, heterogeneous learning groups.
- Design and execution of cross-curricular CLIL lesson sequences.
- Application of pedagogical strategies for differentiating instruction to accommodate varying student needs.
- Methods for formative and summative assessment in a CLIL context.
- Critical reflection on teachers' roles in creating meaningful, student-centered learning experiences.
Excerpt from the Book
1.4 Differentiation
The learning groups in foreign language teaching are mostly characterized by heterogeneity. Inclusion of all learning groups represents a target dimension of educational policy. It holds opportunities for learners, but can also be a great challenge for all involved. In this chapter I am going to analyse the different dimensions of differentiation that we offered during the sequence I taught. For my analysis, I will focus on the different support aspects elaborated by Frank Haß in 2013. Before doing so, I would like to give information about the group of learners we taught during the (first) project day. All in all we had 13 students with mixed gender and different cultural backgrounds and mother tongues in our project group „herb witches“. As well, there was a learner who told us he has a diagnosed dyslexia.
We can already see that the group of learners was very heterogeneous. Furthermore, it is to note that every learner has an individual development level as well as an individual zone of proximal development. Therefore, it is not possible to make out what a group of learners can or can not work out on their own or what abilities they have developed in general (as a group) because this is a very individual assessment. According to that, it is to state, that every student needs a different support and that’s why teachers have to offer support regarding different dimensions. As we did not knew the students before, we were happy to be in the fortunate position to have three teaching persons to care for the needs of the students.
Summary of Chapters
1 School garden project – Herb witches: This chapter details a project-based learning sequence involving herb identification and sensory activities, focusing on cross-curricular links and planning.
1.1 Learning goals: Defined objectives for the herb project covering foreign language skills, science, art, physical education, and ethics.
1.2 Aims of the sequence: A specific breakdown of learning goals for the sensory games and the herbal tea/tea label creation phases.
1.3 Lesson Plan –The two sequences I taught: A structured overview of teacher and student activities, social forms, and materials used in the two main phases of the herb project.
1.4 Differentiation: An analysis of how to provide targeted support to heterogeneous groups based on educational theory and specific learning needs.
1.5 Assesment: A discussion on informal and formal assessment techniques tailored for monitoring content and language acquisition in a CLIL setting.
1.6 Evaluation of my sequence: A critical review of the project against pedagogical criteria such as flexibility, clear objectives, and the provision of various learning styles.
2 A CLIL unit based on a picture book: An introduction to using the book "Hamilton's Hats" for CLIL purposes, summarizing content and analyzing its teaching potential.
2.1 Learning objectives: Educational goals mapped to the curricula of Saxony-Anhalt, covering subject-specific and process-related outcomes.
2.2 Sequences of the unit: A syllabus overview for the five-day lesson unit, outlining language and content focuses for each session.
2.3 Core activities: Descriptions of the instructional activities, including reading, role play, mind mapping, and creative crafts.
2.4 Expected practical outcomes: A list of anticipated student abilities and outcomes resulting from each specific task within the unit.
3 Short essay: A reflective conclusion discussing the broader advantages and challenges of implementing CLIL in schools, emphasizing its potential for motivating students.
Keywords
CLIL, Primary School, Foreign Language Teaching, Differentiation, Assessment, Content Acquisition, Language Acquisition, Heterogeneity, Cross-curricular, Lesson Planning, Herb Project, Picture Book, Narrative Patterns, Learning Objectives, Reflective Teaching
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this publication?
This work examines the practical application of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) in primary schools, exploring how teachers can integrate language learning with subject matter through concrete projects.
What are the central thematic fields covered?
The central themes include CLIL unit planning, cross-curricular lesson design, pedagogical differentiation, and classroom assessment methods adjusted for mixed-ability groups.
What is the primary goal of the research?
The primary goal is to analyze the effectiveness of specific CLIL sequences and to reflect on how instructional design, adaptability, and clear objectives facilitate progress in both language and content acquisition.
Which scientific methods are employed for the implementation?
The author utilizes empirical project-based teaching, combined with lesson planning grounded in current primary school curricula and pedagogical theory, to observe and evaluate the learning process.
What topics are explored in the main part of the work?
The main part documents two major projects: a "Herb Witches" garden project and a literary unit based on "Hamilton's Hats," detailing objectives, lesson plans, differentiation strategies, and evaluation criteria.
How is the term "CLIL" characterized in this context?
The work distinguishes between Hard CLIL and Soft CLIL, ultimately focusing on Soft CLIL approaches that leverage foreign language benefits within parts of a subject's curriculum.
How did the author support students with dyslexia during the herb project?
Support was provided by allowing sufficient time for reading and writing, avoiding fixed outcomes, and allowing students to use herb dictionaries as a scaffold for their tasks.
Why was "Hamilton's Hats" chosen for a CLIL unit?
The book was chosen for its age-appropriate text, rich vocabulary, clear illustrations that align with the narrative, and its potential for cross-curricular links to ethics and science.
What is the significance of the "Hat guessing chain" mentioned?
The "Hat guessing chain" serves as a formative assessment tool where students describe and identify different hat types, allowing the teacher to monitor language and content understanding informally.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Jennifer Müller (Autor:in), 2022, A School Garden Project. A Planned CLIL Unit, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1356372
