PROFILING EUROPEAN CLIL CLASSROOMS

CULTIX
Learn about Specific Neighbouring
Countries/Regions and/or Minority Groups
In Europe there appear to be both macro and micro integration processes running
simultaneously. One involves the integration of nation states within Europe. The other
involves increased contact between regions and communities. For example in the last
decade some borders have changed radically which has directly impacted on the lives
and aspirations of citizens. This has led to a need, in some environments, to actively teach
about neighbouring countries, or, in some cases, minority groups residing within the
learner’s own country. CLIL is used as a tool to facilitate this type of learning.
Key CLIL Features
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Important for environments which are officially considered monolingual, yet which
contain features of bilingual environments
Recently emerged as a means to handle issues relating to regional-political conditions
where even if cross-border contact has been minimal in the past, the future invites
much greater contact
Even within a country contact between people of different ethnic/linguistic
background may have been limited in the past for socio-economic reasons, leading
to established forms of mutual prejudice. CLIL is used to promote understanding
and awareness through language-enhanced methodologies
Examples
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Common for programmes in border region schools (e.g. school-hopping involving
teachers or learners) where student and teaching resources can be shared to fulfil
single objectives
Module focussed on attitude development based, for example, on previous teaching
through subjects such as geography or sociology
These days the languages a student needs may not be foreign at all – they might
be used right there on the doorstep of the college (VocTalk)
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