About this theme

In this theme, you will practice giving a short explanation of subject-related vocabulary, or jargon. The lesson plans and lesson activities provided are meant to give you a context and background for your explanation and to inspire you in your own teaching. In the activities that follow, you will not be asked to actually teach the entire CLIL lesson. Instead, you will focus on selecting key subject-related concepts and practice explaining them to children in a way they can understand.

Learning objectives

You will give a clear, simple and coherent explanation of key CLIL concepts in child-friendly English. You will make the instruction interactive and check for understanding by asking questions and/or using small tasks. You will use strategies such as examples, visuals and/or modelling to support child understanding. Your English must be correctly pronounced, accurate, easy to follow and of an appropriate level for the child in a real or simulated classroom situation.

What do you already know?

Think about your own experience as a learner. What did you learn during the art lessons? Did you enjoy them? What made them fun, or frightening? What did the teacher say or do to help you succeed in the lesson? What do you wish had been done better? Take a moment to reflect on your own experiences.

Success criteria

Language: The instruction is in English, at an appropriate level for the learners.
Vocabulary: the selected key words reflect the main CLIL concepts from the lesson activity.
Accuracy: vocabulary and concepts are correctly explained and applied.
Fluency: sentences are grammatically simple, and the student speaks at a pace appropriate for the learner.
Interaction: the learner is encouraged to participate in the instruction and the teacher checks that the learner understands the new material and vocabulary.
Coherence: instruction has a logical order and clear structure.
Phonology: pronunciation is correct and understandable.
Strategies: visual support and modelling are part of the instruction.

Note: these criteria will remain the same for each CLIL activity.

Let's talk about 'Teacher talk': how to make your instruction easy to follow for all learners

There are three basic dimensions to assess language complexity (WIDA, 2020). A good CLIL instruction keeps these three dimensions in mind, so that the level of language and information best fits that of the learners.

Discourse dimension: The quantity and variety of text, including the amount and structure of speech, the density of information, and the organization and cohesion of ideas. In other words, keep your instruction well-structured. also, the more ideas you present, the heavier the cognitive load, so make careful choices about what you will present.
Sentence dimension: The types, array, and use of language structures (grammatical complexity), including the variety of grammatical structures, and matching the language forms to its purpose. In other words, more complex grammar adds to the cognitive load, so use short sentences with simple grammar whenever possible.
Word/ Phrase dimension: The specificity of word or phrase choice, including general, specific and technical language, words with multiple meanings, and collocations. In other words, use words that children already know and take time to introduce new vocabulary. Make a good language analysis ahead of time so you know what words may present challenges to your learners.

*Source: WIDA (2020). WIDA English Language Development Standards Framework, 2020 Edition: Kindergarten - Grade 12. University of Wisconsin. https://wida.wisc.edu/sites/default/files/resource/WIDA-ELD-Standards-Framework-2020.pdf

Different kinds of language (WIDA, 2020):

Everyday language: Language used to represent ideas in non-technical ways, known to some as Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills (BICS).
Cross-disciplinary language: Common academic language used across content area contexts (CALP).
Technical language: Specialized language related to a content area, known to some as Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP).

When you design a CLIL instruction, it's important to understand that the learner's command of the vocabulary may differ per sort of language. Everyday language is used more often than technical language, so when you introduce new technical terms (e.g., vertebrates, circumference, harmony, pattern), provide lots of visual support and scaffolding so your learners can understand the material better.

This video helps explain the difference between BICS and CALP. It's important to understand what these types of language are and how you can keep this in mind when you design your CLIL lesson and language.