Using CLIL to Kill Two Birds With One Stone

CLIL or Content Language Integrated Learning is becoming quite the buzzword in language learning circles. Basically, it's teaching a subject using English to students who don't speak English as their native language. An example of this would be to teach history in English to French speakers in France.


CLIL and Its Effect on EFL
CLIL gets particularly neat if you can further connect the language and subject. You could teach about the American Civil War in English, or perhaps talk about Picasso in Spanish. Many EFL teachers already use CLIL in their classes, they just haven't put a name to it.

My Personal Experience
I've taught art, science, social studies, and history in English. It hasn't been easy. While I studied art at school, teaching science and history was quite challenging. I had to study the material a lot before I could even teach it and if students asked me questions that weren't in that chapter I couldn't always answer them.

Benefits
There are lots of benefits to using CLIL, perhaps the best one is that students get more contact with the target language. Their vocabulary will increase and they'll get more chances to practice using it. CLIL is also motivating since the focus often moves from grammar and vocabulary to content. It also raises the bar for students since they are learning something new in a foreign language and not just the foreign language in a contrived environment. Another added benefit is that students can learn two things at once: a subject and a language. In addition, CLIL can be used with all levels and ages.


Drawbacks
If CLIL is as great as people proclaim it to be, what are the drawbacks? Well, for one, it can fail miserably if not implemented correctly. Since you're teaching two things at once, you could waste twice as much time than if you were just teaching one subject. The other major drawback is that teachers have to be proficient in both a language and the subject they're teaching.

Useful Links

• The BBC's Teaching English has an article as well and activities about CLIL. 
• Cambridge has a couple of guides, such as teaching history and teaching maths and CLIL basics.
• Chiew Pang wrote A CLIL To Climb.
• The European Commission Languages website has info and links.
• Jeremy Harmer wrote a blog post about the pros and cons of using CLIL.
• International House has a course on how to teach CLIL. 
• One Stop English has an entire section with nearly 1000 resources on CLIL as well as a quick intro.
• The UK's National Centre for Language has an introduction and info for English, French, and German.

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Learning Styles: Gardner

Updated 18 May 2013

I wrote about different learning styles previously and this post will talk about one of the most well-known research about learning styles was done by Dr. Howard Gardner about Multiple Intelligences.

I got this information from a conference I went to a couple of years ago in Piura, Peru. Unfortunately the presenter didn't put their name on the worksheet, so I don't know exactly who to give credit to.

Linguistically: They think in words.

• They enjoy reading, writing, telling stories, and playing word games.
• They need books, CDs, writing material, paper, diaries, dialogues, discussion, debate, and stories.

Logically-Mathematically: They use reasoning.

• They enjoy experimenting, questioning, logical puzzles, and calculating.
• They need things to explore and think about.
• They like science materials, manipulatives, trips to planetariums or science museums.

Spatially: They think in images and pictures.

• They enjoy designing, drawing, and visualising.
• They need art, legos, videos, movies, slides, imagination games, puzzles, illustrated books.
• They like trips to art galleries and museums.

Bodily-Kinesthetically: They learn by moving.

• They enjoy dancing, running, building, touching, and gesturing.
• They need role plays, drama, things to build, sports, tactile experiences, and hands-on learning.

Musically: They think in rhythms and melodies.

• They need music and instruments.
• They enjoy singing, whistling, humming, tapping their hands and feet, and listening.

Interpersonally: They learn by talking with other people.

• They enjoy leading, organising, relating, manipulating, and talking.
• They need friends, group games, community events, clubs, and mentors.

Intrapersonally: They learn by thinking alone.

• They enjoy setting goals, meditating, dreaming, being quiet, and planning.
• They need time alone, self paced projects, and choices. 

If you want to learn more, there are a number of books written about Multiple Intelligences. You might also be interested in . . .

• Dale's Cone of Experience: best ways to learn 
• Dunn and Dunn: environmental, emotional, social, physiological, psychological
• Gregorc: abstract, concrete, random, sequential
• Honey and Mumford: activist, reflector, theorist, pragmatist
• How boys and girls learn differently: different ways of thinking between genders
• Learning Pyramid: how teaching methods affect how much you learn  
• Kolb: converger, accomodator, assimilator, diverger
• Meyers-Briggs: sensation, intuition, feeling, thinking
• VAK: visual, audio, kinesthetic

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Pros and Cons of Teaching Content Courses

From sustain.inside.tru.ca

Some teachers think that teaching content / subject courses is much better than teaching the 4 skills and in fact look down on those who teach the 4 skills. There are a variety of content courses out there.

• They can be extensions of English courses, such as presentation or academic writing.
• They can be subjects within the students' normal classes, such as math or science.
• They can English for Specific Purposes, like Aviation English. 

There are advantages and disadvantages to teaching these types of courses. Many schools, from elementary to university are trying to teach subject courses in English to up their ratings. Let's assume that these courses are taught be a native or near-native English speaker and not a local teacher who barely speaks English but is required to teach in English so just stumbles over the words as they read from the textbook.

Pros

• More rewarding for the teacher and the students.
• Students may be more motivated.
• Teachers might get higher evals if the students have a high level of English.
• Teachers can use a higher level of English in these types of courses.

Cons

• More work for the teacher.
• May be too difficult for the student.
• Teachers might get lower evals if it's a required course but the English is too high for the students.
• Students might feel resentful because they are trying to learn about their major and not English. They also might be required to buy two books: one in English and a translation.

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Cool Link: Preschool by Stormie

Although it's mainly created in order to sell material, there are still free resources available on Preschool by Stormie.

There is information about teaching prep and a potpourri of ideas. Things such as behavious management, bulletin boards, schedules, health and safety, parent / teacher conferences and staff relationships are just a few of the ideas covered in the teaching prep section. The potpourri of ideas includes topics such as birthdays, technology in the classroom, art, fine motor skills, math, science, music and more.



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Cool Link: PreKinders

If you teach young learners, then take a look at PreKinders. It's full of resources for Pre-K teachers.They have material for themes, math, literacy, science, art, fine motor skills, music, worksheets, technology, assessment, cooking, activity centres, teaching tips, Christian resources, and miscellaneous tips for the classroom.

It's got everything you need all in one place. It's easy to navigate and has a simple theme. There aren't flashy adverts either, just good resources. It's no wonder they've won awards for their site.


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Cool Link: Discovery Education

Discovery Education has resources for administrators, teachers, parents and students. Students can get help with their homework or check out some of their neat programmes they have such as Young Scientist Challenge or Explore the Blue.

They also have some great resources for teachers. Whether you teach young learners or high schoolers, there's something useful that you could use in your class. They've got resources for science, math, social studies and English. They also have lesson plans, worksheets, tips for teen drivers, brain boosters, and a whole lot more. So whether you're looking for material to use in class or resources to help your students study at home, be sure to check out Discovery Education.


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Cool Link: ABC Teach

If you teach K-8 or at an international school, then take a look at ABC Teach. They've got lots of free materials, like subjects, reading comprehension, holidays, ABCs, interactive, as well as sections divided by levels, and even a special needs section. It's easy to navigate, bright, and colourful.

There is also a tools section which allows you to generate all types of worksheets such as games like bingo and sudoku, or activity sheets, spelling, and ABCs.

They also have a paid membership section which costs about $40 a year. They also have discounts for groups, schools, and districts.

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Job Site: Serious Teachers

Serious Teachers came out a couple of years ago and has quickly become a success.You can search for jobs via country or situation, such as camps, university jobs, Science, etc.

You can quickly view the job title, location, and salary. By clicking on "view" you can view more details and then you can apply to the jobs that you want. You're allowed to upload a variety of documents, such as a CV, cover letter, your passport, or TEFL cert.

Although I like Serious Teachers, the main disadvantage it has is that you have no idea when the jobs were posted and some postings are rather old. Other than that, it's a pretty good site.


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Cool Link: Kid Zone

Made for kids preschool to grade 5, Kid Zone has worksheets for a variety of different subjects. They have their resources arranged by grade as well as topic. Their topics are animals, geography, language arts, lesson plans, magic tricks, math, science, and thematic units.

The magic tricks are especially cool because kids love amazing their friends and family. At the bottom they have recent updates to the site, so you can always see what's new. Kid Zone is part of a dozen other sites run by the same family. You can see their complete list of sister sites on the bottom right. All their sites are simple, have lots of info and are basically advert free. So be sure to check out this site and their sister sites as well.

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Cool Link: Everything Preschool

With over 30,000 preschool activites you can't go wrong. Everything Preschool has crafts, songs, science, themes, lesson plans, colouring pages, holiday calendars, bulletin boards, alphabet ideas, and more.

It's not geared towards ESL or EFL, but if you teach young learners you know that they learn fast so you could probably use some of their activities. Many of the activities that you find here you should be able to adapt and use with your students.


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Cool Link: Dream English

Kids love to sing and dance and Dream English acknowledges that. They have free mp3s, flashcards, games, chants, phonics, lesson plans and more.

If you're interested in their songs, scroll down and you can see videos about ABCs, colours, numbers, weather, actions, animals, body parts, warmers, holidays, traditional kids' song, and a whole lot more. Below that they have the top free songs and products that you can download. If you teach kids or young learners, check out their site.

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Quick Tip: Teach Your Students Learning Strategies

Everyone is different, so it should come to no surprise that people learn differently and use different learning strategies. Knowing about your students' learning styles can help you teach them some learning strategies.

For example, if one of your students is a musical learner, they would probably learn best if they could hum or create a song rather than just write. Do a bit of research about learning styles and learning strategies and you'll find that not only will your students enjoy your classes more, but they'll learn more as well.

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Cool Link: Songs for Teaching

Songs for Teaching have tons and tons of songs, lyrics, and sound clips to help you in the classroom. They have songs about math, science, seasons, songs for young learners and songs for special education. They help your classroom come alive with music.

Everyone learns differently and there are a variety of learning styles out there; music is just one of them. The more learning styles you can integrate into your class the more likely your students are to learn. So be sure to take a look at this website and use some of their songs in your next class.

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Cool Link: NASA Kids' Club

Science can be fun and exciting and NASA Kids' Club has photos, videos and interactive material about the US Space programme.

They've got games such as Elmo visits NASA as well as a What's New section and a section that shows where the space crew is right now. The neat sounds, lights and colours are sure to keep kids interested as they find out more about science. They have tips for teachers and parents as well, so check out their website.


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Cool Link: How Stuff Works

For curious teenagers and adults, How Stuff Works is great for trivia or science classes.They have lots of topics such as animals, autos, culture, science, and entertainment. You can read and comment on the articles, but that's not all they have available.

They also have shows and videos, such as the Coolest Stuff on the Plaet and Stuff You Should Know. Definitely worth checking out because you'll be sure to learn something new.


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Cool Link: Woodlands Junior

TES has stated that this website is the most visited school website in the UK. Woodlands Junior is a school for children aged 7 to 11 in England.

They have lots of information about a variety of topics such as British life and culture, science, geography, history, the British royal family, games, and other neat things to use in your class. They also have a link to a site for homework help. If you teach primary and middle school children, then you're going to want to take a look at this site.

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Cool Link: Brain Pop

With cool videos and interactive quizzes, Brain Pop is perfect for children whether they're learning science, social studies, ESL, math, health, art, or music.

The bad news is that it's not all free. There is a free trial that you can sign up for. At one of the schools (an international one to boot) I worked at they tried to get a different kid to sign up each week for a free trail, but I wouldn't recommend that because that's not very honest.

If you're teaching kids, try to convince your school to purchase a subscription. They have BrainPOP, BrainPOPL Jr (K-3), BrainPOP Espanol, and BrainPOP ESL.  BrainPOP is great because it takes every day subjects and really makes them interesting.


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Cool Link: America's Library

The Library of Congress has put together America's Story which can be found at America's Library. It has information about the US aimed at young learners, children, and teenagers.

There's lots of information which is organised into 5 different sections:

• meet amazing Americans
• jump back in time
• explore the states
• join America at play
• see, hear, and sing 

They also have a humour section and a road trip section. The great thing about this site is that it can be applicable to a variety of subjects, such as ESL, EFL, science, math, art, or music. Be sure to check out America's Library.

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Cool Link: Super Teacher Worksheets

Super Teacher Worksheets is dedicated to providing teachers with great worksheets for a variety of subjects. They have ELA - Language Arts, which is useful if you teach ESL or EFL.

They also have core subjects, such as math, reading and writing, phonics (for teaching English to young learners), grammar (which also might be of interest to ESL and EFL teachers), spelling, science and social studies as well as holiday worksheets. Their puzzles and brain teasers are worth checking out no matter what subject you teach.

There's also a teacher helpers section which has teaching tools, award certificates, and sticker charts. Super Teacher Worksheets is incredibly well organised and everything is easy to find, so take a look and see if there's anything you can use in your classroom.


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Cool Link: Kids' Front

If you teach preschoolers or young learners, you're going to want to take a look at Kids' Front. They've got lots of free printables for preschool aged children.

The nice thing about Kid's Front is that not only do they have English activities that are suitable for ESL and EFL young learners, but they also have other subjects as well, such as science and math. They have a special game section called, Learn with Fun and their Activity Centre and Puzzles are also worth looking at.

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