CLIL Explained: Understand Content and Language Integrated Learning in Minutes

Описание: Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) is one of the most widely adopted approaches in modern TESOL. Rather than teaching language as a separate subject, CLIL integrates language learning with academic subject content such as science, geography, or environmental studies. Developed in Europe in the 1990s, CLIL has been used to promote multilingualism while maintaining strong content learning in schools and universities across Europe and beyond.

In this episode of TESOL Methods Explained, I break down how CLIL works as a teaching approach. We explore how language is treated as a resource for communicating meaning about content, not an end in itself. You’ll see how grammar is taught according to its role in expressing content, rather than according to grammatical difficulty, and how CLIL classrooms develop both CALP (Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency) and BICS (Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills) through academic vocabulary, subject-specific genres, and integrated skills in the TESOLclassroom.

By the end of the episode, you will understand the strengths and limitations of CLIL, how it differs from Content-Based Instruction (CBI) and Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT), particularly in terms of context, learner level, and curriculum origin, and why success can vary significantly across contexts. Even if you do not teach full CLIL courses, CLIL principles such as scaffolding, integrated skills teaching, and focus on disciplinary language continue to shape project work, academic language teaching, and content-focused instruction across TESOL settings.

#CLIL #tesol #TESOLMethods #LanguageTeaching #appliedlinguistics

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00:00 Introduction to CLIL
00:40 What is CLIL?
01:45 Origins of CLIL
02:27 Core Principles of CLIL
03:59 CLIL in Practice
05:06 Roles and Challenges in CLIL
06:02 Strengths and Criticisms of CLIL
07:01 Why CLIL Matters for TESOL
07:54 Conclusion and Further Resources