Content and language integrated learning in Latin America 2008-2018: Ten years of research and practice

Abstract

Bilingual education, usually a community’s L1 and English continues spreading geographically and across educational systems worldwide. With this expansion, the development of bilingual education approaches is under constant scrutiny. One recent approach is content and language integrated learning (CLIL). European in origin, CLIL can be viewed as an educational or language teaching approach and it refers to the teaching of curricular content and L2 in an integrated manner. This approach has received international attention, yet, how CLIL unfolds in settings outside Europe appears underrepresented in international publications. The aim of this article is to provide a critical review of CLIL in Latin America between 2008 and 2018. We surveyed 64 items (articles, book chapters, and dissertations) published in regional and international outlets: 41 empirical studies, 19 practice-oriented publications, and four reviews. It begins by summarizing the CLIL continuum with a focus on content- and language-driven CLIL and CLIL frameworks. It then provides a synthesis of empirical studies and practice-oriented publications about CLIL in different Latin American settings. The corpus is analyzed following these unifying themes: pedagogy, perceptions and beliefs, teacher education, global citizenship, and language development. From this review, it transpires that Latin American CLIL is mostly implemented and examined from a language-driven perspective in private primary, secondary and higher education. Suggestions and implications for further research and practice are included.

Research into practice: CLIL in South America

“…The studies reviewed in this section are located at the interface of CLIL, motivation, and intercultural communicative competence and intercultural citizenship and they found traction among teachers as discussed in Banegas, Poole, and Corrales (2020). This shift to including topics which are not usually found in L2 education is also the consequence of recent changes in language teacher preparation programmes and continuing professional development opportunities.…”

“…One of the geographical contexts in which CLIL has disembarked is South America. According to a review of CLIL in South America between 2008 and 2018, Banegas, Poole, and Corrales (2020), 2008 could be considered the year which witnessed the first outputs (e.g., Fernández, 2008) drawing on CLIL practices in the region. Since then, regional and, to a significant lesser extent, international outlets have included empirical and descriptive articles of CLIL in practice conducted in South America.…”

“…Since then, regional and, to a significant lesser extent, international outlets have included empirical and descriptive articles of CLIL in practice conducted in South America. Consequently, there is a growing body of publications which testify how CLIL has been implemented by practitioners in different South American educational settings (for a review, see Banegas, Poole, & Corrales, 2020). Despite such promising growth, there is a paucity of studies which discuss the extent to which CLIL research confidently informs CLIL practice in South America.…”

Conservation Buru Language: Preservation Efforts To Local Language

“…We can do this solution by paying more attention to pursuing a second language for students (Nakamura, 2018). It can also develop bilingual education (Banegas, 2020); (Briggs, 2018). In this way, the younger generation will continue to learn the Buru language because it is part of the school curriculum.…”

Effect of Content and Language Integrated Learning/ CLIL/ on EFL students’ reading motivation and comprehension in Ethiopia

“…Besides, for Benegas et al (2020) CLIL is delineated as a language teaching approach which emphasizes on the teaching of curricular content and L2 in an integrated model. According to Cenoz( 2013) as cited by Benegas and others, CLIL can be conceptualized as content-driven CLIL model( i.e., teaching content subject through the medium of an L2) and language-driven CLIL models( i.e., teaching English as an additional language through topics derived from the curriculum.…”