Using CLIL to Inform Your Media Literacy Lessons

Teachers who try to integrate media literacy as content in an English class might find this challenging. If
you want to incorporate media literacy activities or even design whole units and lessons around media
literacy, you will probably need to do some additional planning, particularly for the language needed to
support these new types of activities. Here are a few tips that will help you feel more confident engaging
your English language learners with media literacy content.

C ON T E N T A N D L A N GU A GE I N T E GR A T E D L E A R N IN G ( C L IL )

First, let’s look at an approach used widely in English language instruction called Content and Language
Integrated Learning or CLIL. Coyle, Hood, and March (2010) defined CLIL as “a dual-focused educational
approach in which an additional language is used for the learning and teaching of both content and
language” (p. 1). In English language classrooms we often incorporate cross-curricular subjects and
topics, such as science, history, or social studies. For example, if you have a thematic unit about animal
habitats and the layers of the rainforest in your English class, you are taking a CLIL approach by
integrating science content with your English language instruction. Similarly, when you integrate media
literacy into your English language lessons, you are teaching both content and language. If you decide to
integrate media literacy as content in your English language curriculum for middle school or lower
secondary age students, 11-14 years old, you might focus a thematic unit on whether children should be
allowed to watch YouTube or about how to check news sources for misinformation.

T H R E E T Y P E S OF L A N GU A G E IN C L IL

Coyle, Hood, and Marsh (2010) defined three types of language that can help us understand our
students’ language needs in a CLIL environment:

Language of learning
Language for learning
Language through learning

Below are explanations of each type of language with examples provided in Table 1 related to a CLIL
lesson on creating media messages.

Language of learning represents the language needed for learners to access basic concepts and skills
relating to the lesson theme or topic. This includes all language related to the topic of your lesson. For
example, if your media literacy lesson focuses on teaching students to create media messages through
an advertisement using a Media Questions and Answer (Q&A) Routine, then the language of learning
will be asking and answering the key questions.

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Online Professional English Network (OPEN), sponsored by the U.S. Department of State with
funding provided by the U.S. government and administered by FHI 360. This work is licensed
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Language for learning is the language that supports the learning of the content--that is, the language
needed to operate in the classroom environment in English. For example, if you want to do activities
with pair or group work or use activities like discussion or debate, students need additional language
resources to engage in these tasks. To continue with the example related to creating media messages,
students will need language to carry out the group work, such as expressions for sharing ideas with each
other (e.g., I think… I don’t think…I like your idea, but I have another idea…)

Language through learning refers to language that students need during the learning process that
cannot always be predicted. This language emerges naturally through the lesson, particularly with
communicative lessons that encourage students to explore topics related to their lives and interests. For
example, when creating media messages in groups, students could choose to create a print ad or
commercial about any product they want (e.g., creating a print ad about VITA-X).

Table 1. CLIL Language Table for lesson on creating media messages

CLIL Language Table

Language OF Learning Language FOR Learning Language THROUGH Learning

Subject-specific language Subject compatible language Emerging language from

(language from your lesson) (supports the learning specific contexts
of content) (unpredictable)

Lesson: Students learn how to Group Work Activity: Students Unpredictable context: Students
create media messages using a work in groups to create a will decide what they will
Q&A routine. media product. advertise based on their group’s
interests.

Language focus: Asking and
answering the key questions
about a media product:
● What product am I
choosing to advertise?
● Why am I making this ad?
● What creative techniques
am I using in this ad?
● What are the obvious
messages in my ad?
● What do I want people to
think (or feel) about this
product?
● What kinds of people will I
include in my ad? Why?
● What are the indirect
messages in this ad?
Language focus: Expressions Language focus: Vocabulary and
for sharing ideas: expressions depending on what
the group decides to advertise
I think… and the type of media they want
I believe… to create. For example, if
I don’t think… students create an ad for a
I like your idea, but I have special vitamin product called
another idea… VITA-X, they will have to look up
Why do you think that? language related to vitamins and
Why do you want to do that? health.
We should…
Let’s try…

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U S I N G T H E C L I L L A N GU A GE T A B L E

The CLIL Language Table can be a useful tool for lesson planning. After analyzing the language needed to
integrate media literacy as content, you can determine how much language is new for your students.
For example, if students have never seen your Media Q&A routine questions prior to this lesson and are
not used to the expressions for sharing ideas to do group work, then students will find the Creating
Media Messages activity quite challenging. After all, there will also be necessary unpredictable language
based on what students decide to create an ad about. However, if students have previously used the
Media Q&A Routine to analyze media and if they are familiar with doing group work, they should be
able to do this activity successfully with some support. For example, you can provide a handout with the
questions to guide the discussion and provide an anchor chart with the expressions for sharing ideas
(see Figure 1). Anchor charts are posters created by teachers with words or concepts to anchor or
support instruction. This will ensure that your media literacy lesson will be a success.

Figure 1. Anchor chart with expressions for sharing ideas.

ANCHOR CHART
Expressions for Sharing Ideas

I think…
I believe…
I don’t think…
I like your idea, but I have another idea…
Why do you think that?
Why do you want to do that?
We should…
Let’s try…

By understanding these three types of language as defined by Coyle, Hood, and Marsh (2010)--language
of, for, and through learning--teachers can more effectively develop English lessons that integrate media
literacy as content. Using the CLIL Language Table, you can plan for all the language students will need
for your media literacy lessons.

Reference

Coyle, D., Hood, P., & Marsh, D. (2010). CLIL: Content and language integrated learning. Cambridge
University Press.
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