Does CLIL enable us to teach languages better?

Does it enable you (in your

context) to teach languages better?

CLIL “offers opportunities to allow youngsters to use another language naturally, in

such a way that they soon forget about the language and only focus on the learning
topic.” (Marsh, 2002). This also helps learners to gain knowledge and skills through
non- native language in different areas and prepare them for modern world. Thus, my
opinion about it, can be a little bit controversial even for me as I consider that
sometimes can be challenging to teach language through CLIL since teachers tend to
feel uncomfortable when they have a lack of the target language and also this can coin
a gap in the language learning as the teacher can transmit the errors and mistakes to
students. Based on my experience, I have seen some of my coworkers struggling with
it as they have the knowledge required for the subject but they do not have the
sufficient level in the target language, hence, it makes harder their teaching process
and also sometimes they feel that they are not being efficient and are not attaining the
objective of the curriculum, and it makes them feel anxious. In contrast, CLIL, provides
situations in which the attention of the students is based on the learning activity which
is not the language itself. (Marsh, 2002) Therefore, through it we can provide students
the chance to learn to ‘think’ in the language, not just learn about the language itself as
the main learning focus. Besides, this enables us to teach language better since
students develop confidence, increase academic cognitive processes, develop
communicative skills and are capable to enhance inter-cultural understanding. So what
I can conclude about it is that CLIL can be successful just if teachers are well prepared
and trained in it and also have the knowledge required in both, the language and the
subjects; but in my point of view it can not be forced to make it happen just because
the teacher knows the language or vice versa.

Reference

Ball, P. (n.d). Content and Language Integrated Learning. Funiber

Marsh, D. (2002). Using Languages to Learn and Learning to Use Languages.

Retrieved from http://archive.ecml.at/mtp2/CLILmatrix/pdf/1UK.pdf