Abstract
Although CLIL was intended to be for all, reality shows that this is not always the case. This means that benefits from CLIL programs risk being only available for a “limited” few. While this should be solved on different (policy) levels, it is worth investigating how these benefits from CLIL can be made available to other programmes with a wider scope and target population by using the same teaching materials. It has been stated before that CLIL uses best practices in education, meaning that its classroom principles are not limited to CLIL alone. In this chapter, the Fractio Quest app will be analysed to see what kind of teaching programs can benefit from these materials. The analysis shows that the way in which language learning is supported via this app can be used in contexts where newcomers are involved.
TopBackground
CLIL is a form of multilingual education whereby content or specific subjects such as mathematics, geography, etc. are taught in an additional language (Garcia & Flores, 2012). For most students, this additional language will be a second or foreign language, in which -at the onset of the programme- they have acquired a lower proficiency level than their mother tongue. From its inception onwards, CLIL was claimed to be non-elitist and for all pupils (Egger et al., 2012; Hüttner & Smit, 2014). Heavily inspired by the Canadian immersion programs (Westhoff, 1994), it was brought to life to help fulfil the European goal that all learners should have functional proficiency in two languages besides their mother tongue (European Commission 1995, 2005; High Level Group 2007; Marsh 2002). Grosser (1999) claims that the “mother tongue + 2”- formulation was put forward because “The ability to communicate in three languages is considered essential for two main reasons: it helps European citizens to understand each other, and it prepares them for the requirements of the European labour market. Put simply, it makes Europeans feel European” (p.16). The term “plurilingualism” was introduced to specify that communication in several languages is possible, even if the speakers are not fully proficient in all these languages (Council of Europe, 2001). Knowledge of multiple languages was, and to this day still is, clearly seen as an enabler and CLIL-education was to play a crucial role in its acquisition.
Research by Maljers et al. (2007) on practices of European CLIL described (among others) how different European countries described the aims of CLIL. They came to four main points, namely (i) the promotion of linguistic diversity; (ii) promoting language learning; (iii) increasing the learner’s proficiency; and (iv) internationalization. Gallardo-del-Puerto and Blanco-Suárez, (2021) added learners’ autonomy to this list, which again emphasises the “enabling-part” that is so important in the quest toward plurilingualism.
By 2006 Eurydice concluded that there were CLIL-provisions in nearly all European countries (Eurydice, 2006). However, it remains important to point out that the manner as well as the extent to which CLIL is implemented is and remains hugely diverse. Surmont et al. (2015) pointed out how beliefs and historical elements predicted to what extent (local) governments would embrace CLIL and either stimulate or restrict the introduction of CLIL into the curriculum. Moreover, Bulté et al. (2021) note that the differences are not only present in the linguistic and regional landscape, but also in for example the number of CLIL hours and target language instruction per week, the starting grade, program duration, potential selection procedures, teacher training and classroom practice.
Key Terms in this Chapter
CLIL: Content and language integrated learning, which is an educational approach in which more than one instruction language is used in the curriculum. Pupils who are normally taught in Dutch can then receive their mathematics class in French (for example).
Fractio Quest: App that was developed in an Erasmus+ project that focusses on improving knowledge and understanding of fractions while also working on overall target language proficiency.
GBL: Game-based learning is a form of education in which competitive, interactive and fun workforms are used to stimulate the learning process of the learner.
Differentiation: Within a classroom giving different assignments, support, evaluations depending on the needs of the learners in the class, in order to have all the learners reach the same goal. Everybody must reach the same goal, but the road towards that goal does not need to be the same.
TVO: Taalgericht vakonderwijs, which is a sheltered content model, in which attention is not only paid to content goals but also to language goals. This means the “content” teacher is aware of the language used in the classroom and makes sure it does not interfere with content learning.
4Cs: Pedagogical framework developed by Do Coyle that states that in a CLIL classroom, attention should be paid to content, culture, communication and cognition.
OKAN: Onthaalklas voor Anderstalige Nieuwkomers, which is a class for newcomers in Flanders where newcomers under the age of 18 learn Dutch for one year before starting in regular education.