Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA).
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA).
Table of Contents
How to choose quality CLIL materials:
Content selection is the first step in planning a CLIL unit. The materials we use to teach both the content and the language have to be highly differentiated so that they can meet various learning styles and activate a variety of language abilities.
The subject matter of the input (video clips, charts, presentations, maps etc.) establishes the amount and type of input scaffolding required.
Teachers should rely on a diverse toolkit and a vast array of resources when creating a lesson plan. The materials teachers use in a CLIL lesson can be paid for or free; they can be textbooks, realia, paper, or technology. Such a comprehensive collection of resources should allow teachers to meet the diverse needs of students, as well as their learning styles, thinking skills, and intelligence types.
For example, finding a video that satisfies the requirements for listening comprehension in terms of content, language, culture-related appropriateness, complexity, length, and learner interests and needs is difficult. Teachers of CLIL must develop supplementary materials and activities to supplement the use of videos in the class. The easiest and yet most interesting way to create a video presentation is by using Genially. Examples of the creation of such videos are presented in Appendix 1: https://view.genial.ly/63f7738d13e31100106493a6 - The story of colours and Appendix 3: https://view.genial.ly/642c5d6ff359060018981e0c - The Legend of Martisor 2. The teacher can use his or her voice to make the video more interactive and provide the correct pronunciation.
Throughout the different stages of a didactic sequence, scaffolding and input materials are necessary. For Primary Education, language scaffolding techniques should include vocabulary presentation via videos, songs, word lists, annotated visuals, slideshow presentations, and diagrams, as well as kinaesthetic activities or Total Physical Response. Critical thinking is strongly related to scaffolding. Therefore, quality CLIL materials should also build students’ intrinsic motivation through problem-solving activities. Important to retain is that the materials used at the beginning of the new topic should be related to students’ existing knowledge and experience. Cognitive processes are related both to the acquisition of content and language.
Think-pair-share exercises, which require students to brainstorm ways of coping with the language and the content in difficult texts, can also be used to foster cooperative learning. An example is provided in Appendix 2, the Jigsaw Reading being made in Genially: https://view.genial.ly/642c04a1361a9d00112c79a6 and available in a pdf format on Wakelet: PDF.
Quality materials must allow students to use language naturally (such as by incorporating language from media, or authentic language used in everyday speech into their learning context), In this way, students’ motivation to learn both content and language matters is enhanced.
In terms of the 4 C’s, when choosing or creating materials for a CLIL lesson, teachers must bear in mind that these materials must connect the intended learning (the content) with students’ interests and communities by means of language use and acquisition (communication), in a process of learning and thinking (cognition), so that students can spot the resemblances and differences between their own culture and the culture of the target language. An example is provided in Appendix 1, where the worksheet https://wordwall.net/resource/52988298 - Primary and secondary colours used three of the CLIL principles: content (primary, secondary, and tertiary colours), Cognition (identifying and classifying colours), and Communication (students have to speak and communicate their findings with the class and the teacher).