#9 What about Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL)?

Von Humbold said one century before I was born “You cannot teach a language, only create the condition under which it might be learning”. Therefore, as a teacher I ask myself which tools do I know to create this condition?

 

We studied more than once what CLIL means; we also said it must be done correctly in order to make it useful and effective. But I can't keep asking myself HOW am I going to do it?

After reading Do Coyle's article I could organize my knowledge about this topic a little bit better. But I thought I had to do more research in order to create a meaningful concept about it.

Our main goal as teachers is to developed our students skills so they will be ready for their future in this changing century we are. This world is in need of creativity, problem solving and innovation to face the challenges in the global economy. Some young people are creating new platforms and schools to help other young people to develop their creativity. This is the case of The college of everything, I met the creators in Madrid some months ago and their task is being so effective I am trying to organize something for teachers with them so, we will work on this in the classroom.

But going back to the CLIL topic, I think what makes CLIL so useful is that it involves memory, speed, attention, problem solving and flexibility. Working in teams or groups, the students develop social skills as well as they build their own knowledge. 

What has to do the teacher? The teacher makes the correct questions that make the student to feel like learning. The activities must connect with the real world and the relationship between teacher and students should be equal. 

Using different tasks make the learning look like scaffolding, a way of learning in which the student is the center and it goes through all the steps, building his/her learning. Using English or any non-native language in a subject lesson gives meaning to the foreign language.

In words of Chris Lehmann, CLIL turns information into meaning and meaning into wisdom. 

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