Understanding CLIL: Language, Cognition, and Teaching Strategies

Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) is a powerful approach that combines learning a subject with learning a new language at the same time. It is much more than just teaching language alongside content—it creates a rich environment where students develop language skills through meaningful, real-world tasks connected to academic subjects.

1. The Role of Language in CLIL

Language in CLIL classrooms is absolutely key. It’s not just about using language to communicate simple ideas; language here shapes thinking and helps students explore concepts deeply. When students use language to talk, write, or explain, they are also learning how to think critically and solve problems.

For example, when a science teacher asks students to describe the water cycle in a new language, students are not only practicing vocabulary—they are also organizing their thoughts and understanding how different ideas relate to each other. This kind of purposeful language use helps develop what researchers call cognitive academic language proficiency (CALP), which is essential for success in school and beyond (Cummins, 2000).

In CLIL, teachers support this development by linking language closely with subject content, tasks, and thinking processes. Language is a tool for learning, not just communication.

2. Language Development: From Basic to Complex

CLIL helps students use language in more complex ways. Unlike traditional language classes that might focus mostly on basic conversation skills (also known as Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills or BICS), CLIL pushes learners to use language for academic purposes. This means mastering new types of language, like specific vocabulary, formal expressions, and complex sentence structures.

At the same time, it’s important to remember that all learners need language teaching tailored to their level and needs. Early CLIL stages may focus more on basic language chunks and key vocabulary, while advanced stages require more focus on grammar, academic language, and expressing abstract ideas (Coyle, Hood, & Marsh, 2010).

3. The Importance of Planning for Language

One of the essential skills for CLIL teachers is language planning. This means teachers must anticipate the language students will need to understand and express subject content. It’s not enough to know the science or history; teachers must identify the key vocabulary, useful sentence structures, and functional language that help students succeed.

For instance, a math teacher might prepare sentence starters like "The answer is..." or "We can solve this problem by..." to guide students in explaining their reasoning. Teachers also use techniques like modelling, repetition, and scaffolding to help students gain confidence.

4. Scaffolding Language and Content

Scaffolding is a term that means providing support to help students reach higher levels of understanding and language use. In CLIL classrooms, scaffolding can take many forms:

• Using visuals, diagrams, and real objects (called realia) to make meaning clear.
• Breaking down tasks into smaller steps.
• Providing word banks or sentence frames.
• Asking guiding questions that encourage deeper thinking.

This support gradually fades as students become more independent. It’s like teaching someone to ride a bike: you start by holding the bike steady, then slowly let go as they find their balance.

5. Cognitive Skills in CLIL

Learning in CLIL is not just about language or content alone—it’s also about thinking skills. Teachers encourage students to move from basic recall (e.g., remembering facts) to higher-order thinking like analysing, evaluating, and creating new ideas. This progression follows Bloom’s Taxonomy, a well-known framework for classifying educational goals (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001).

Effective CLIL lessons include questions and tasks that challenge students to think critically and creatively. For example, instead of just listing the parts of a plant, students might compare how different plants adapt to their environments or design an experiment to test growth conditions.

6. Differentiation and Consolidation

Every student learns differently, and CLIL teachers must pay attention to individual needs. This means differentiating tasks to support both more able and less able learners, considering their language level and cognitive skills.

Consolidation—reviewing and practicing what has been learned—is crucial. Teachers revisit content and language through engaging activities, encouraging students to use language in new ways and reinforcing understanding. Homework, group work, and interactive games can all help consolidate learning.

Reflecting on CLIL Statements

Let’s consider some common ideas about CLIL to see if they hold up, with explanations grounded in research and classroom practice.

1. "CLIL allows learners to use language in more complex ways." This is true. Because CLIL focuses on academic content, students encounter and use more advanced vocabulary and structures than in typical language classes (Coyle et al., 2010).
2. "CLIL teachers correct content vocabulary and some pronunciation but don’t usually correct grammatical errors." Partly true. CLIL teachers often prioritize meaning and fluency, especially during content tasks. However, they do support grammar indirectly through modelling and feedback, especially when errors affect understanding (Dalton-Puffer, 2011).
3. "All learners need specific language teaching at both early and advanced stages of CLIL programmes." Absolutely. Language needs evolve, so teaching must adapt—from focusing on basic vocabulary to more complex language functions over time (Marsh, 2002).
4. "CLIL teachers need to plan for language used in their subject." Yes, this is essential. Effective CLIL teaching involves anticipating the language students need and preparing strategies to teach it alongside the content (Coyle, 2007).

Final Thoughts

CLIL is an exciting way to help learners develop language and content knowledge together, fostering confident, critical thinkers ready for the challenges ahead. As future bilingual educators, your role is to create supportive environments where language grows naturally through meaningful learning. Remember, language is not just a tool for communication—it is the foundation for thought, creativity, and connection.

By carefully planning language, scaffolding learning, and encouraging cognitive growth, you empower your students to use language powerfully and purposefully—both inside and outside the classroom.

References

Anderson, L. W., & Krathwohl, D. R. (Eds.). (2001). A taxonomy for learning, teaching, and assessing: A revision of Bloom's taxonomy of educational objectives. Longman.

Cummins, J. (2000). Language, power and pedagogy: Bilingual children in the crossfire. Multilingual Matters.

Coyle, D. (2007). Content and language integrated learning: Towards a connected research agenda for CLIL pedagogies. The International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 10(5), 543–562. https://doi.org/10.2167/beb453.0

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

Dalton-Puffer, C. (2011). Content-and-language integrated learning: From practice to principles? Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 31, 182-204.

Marsh, D. (2002). CLIL/EMILE – The European dimension: Actions, trends and foresight potential. European Commission.