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8/13/2019 Assignment CLIL2
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ASSIGNMENT CLIL
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In such a globalized world as the one we are living in, where English is the most used
language for businesses and to find a good job, we need to increase the job
opportunities of our youngsters. In order to reach this, it is important to achieve a good
level of English. Thus English has turned from an object of study to a core study
(Graddol, 2006).
If we want to reach a major linguistic achievement, it is obvious that we need to
increase the time exposure of the students to the language, but only using the subject
of English as a foreign language. Besides, from my point of view, language teaching
and the content of that language teaching, since early ages to tertiary education, does
not change in our education system. This would be a reason why our students suffer
from lack of motivation and why the level of English in Spain is so low. As David
Graddol pointed out if you start learning English at the age of 6, by the age of 16 you
really need to have something different being taught in English. That is the main reason
for shifting into language content development.
This idea of the content linked to the one of the increasing time exposure to English
has made to introduce content subjects being taught in English, thus creating CLIL.
The problem in traditional language teaching, as we have seen, lies in the content.
These language methods have content disposable that is, the content is used to
explain language issues. What CLIL claims is that the content has to be looked in the
syllabus. So far so good.
However, who is going to teach that content in the target language?
Language teachers do not have the competence to teach content subject accurately,
same as content teachers do not have the linguistic competence to explain the
language, as well as, the content.
When taking into consideration this politics of language teaching byLAC which states
that All teachers are language teachers, we may have the following problem that
Swain noticedin her study of SLA. She says that although grammar was taught, it was
taught discretely and when immersion students did produce, few of their linguistic
errors were responded to, and when their errors were responded to, they were not
responded to in any systematic way by the teachers. This leads us to a lack of
8/13/2019 Assignment CLIL2
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ASSIGNMENT CLIL
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accuracy in the second language, promoted by the fact that the subject teacher is
either not an expert in the language or he or she is only using the language only as a
vehicle to achieve the content.
It is true that CLIL moves along the lines of EFL for whom the principle of intelligibility
is of primary importance, rather than native-like accuracy. Nevertheless, I cannot see
why you cant achieve both soft skills and language accuracy. Otherwise if we do not
stick to the rules of the language and everybody speaks what they think it is the correct
way, there will be a moment when we wont be able to communicate because we will
be talking different languages.
This problem would be solved if an inter-departmental work is carried on. The language
expert can introduce the linguistic structures needed to succeed in the content subject
with accuracy. Besides language teachers can introduce Cognitive Academic
Language Proficiency, which students can carry on practicing in content subjects, as
well as, carry on developing Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills. Doing this we
make sure that our students carry on improving their social and pragmatic aspects of
their interlanguage.
Moreover, there isnt enough time in the class for a teacher to teach the material and
pay attention to the accurate use of the language, that is why the inter-departmental
work is so important. If we dont do that, we may run the risk of our students not
acquiring the levels that are supposed to achieve in their age established by the
curriculum.
I strongly feel that if we want CLIL to work, it is necessary to adapt it to the necessities
of the students; given that, the kind of CLIL that worked in a country or even small
community doesnt mean that it is going to work in another. We have to take into
consideration the idea that CLIL comes from countries whose inhabitants were almost
bilingual, or from countries where the learning of another language was considered
very important. Whereas in Spain, we do not have that culture
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