Situated Practice in CLIL: Voices from Colombian Teachers

Abstract

The purpose of this exploratory qualitative study was to determine the factors and conditions that intervene in the implementation of CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) in diverse Colombian educational contexts. This study was conducted at five private schools from different cities and towns in the country (Bogotá, Chía, Tenjo, Facatativá, and Girardot). Data was collected from three sources (interviews, questionnaires, and field journals). Data analysis procedures included the use of triangulation and validation procedures through the grounded theory approach. Findings revealed that teachers still have complications understanding CLIL as an approach that goes beyond the mere usage of the target language in content. Instead, the study advocates for the inclusion of essential lifelong skills (i.e. creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication) when implementing CLIL in the classroom. Results also indicated that staged lesson planning is scarce, and that teachers’ practices still emphasize the scope and sequence plan provided by the textbook used in the institutions. Hence, the study supports the design and implementation of CLIL professional development programs that through scaffolding can assist teachers in viewing and situatuating CLIL as a dialogic pedagogical approach. Not only does the approach help teachers make use of their existing knowledge of CLIL, but also helps them materialize ways through which language and content can be integrated. It does so by making use of students’ primary knowledge and mapping achievable routes for effective educational enrichment not restricted to language and content classrooms but expanded into other formal and non-formal learning contexts.
 Key words: CLIL, professional development, CLIL planning, lifelong learning.

Research into practice: CLIL in South America

“…Insufficient support for learners’ CALP development may be a consequence of teachers’ struggle with differentiating between subject-specific and general academic vocabulary. For example, Torres-Rincón and Cuesta-Medina (2019) conducted a qualitative study with six EFL teachers in different Colombian cities. They found that the teachers showed a tendency to equate CLIL to providing vocabulary from the L1 subjects.…”

Content and Language Integrated Learning: In-Service Teachers’ Knowledge and Perceptions Before and After a Professional Development Program

“…clil teaching materials are seldom available in Colombia, and schools using English as the vehicle to learn often use textbooks from international publishers (Curtis, 2012;Torres-Rincon & Cuesta-Medina, 2019). Most of these textbook series have been designed for English language learners (ells) who live in countries like the United States or the United Kingdom; as such these materials often fail to meet students and teachers' needs according to their context.…”

“…Curtis divided the reflections, teacher´s questions and concerns into three key categories, namely clil in the Colombian context; the implementation of clil; and the fundamental concepts of clil. Torres-Rincon & Cuesta- Medina (2019) later examined the factors and conditions that intervene in the implementation of clil in diverse Colombian educational contexts, five private schools from different cities and towns in Colombia. Their study revealed that Colombian teachers still find difficult understanding clil as an approach that goes beyond the mere usage of the target language in content.…”

“…This is a concern, since clil practitioners are not fully aware of the diverse aspects of clil nor do they understand that clil is contextoriented. Educational institutions attempt to apply a successful model, without any changes or modifications, to their own schools, thereby adding to the challenge (Curtis, 2012;Torres-Rincon & Cuesta-Medina, 2019). This challenge interferes with the overall academic progress in the classroom, thereby ignoring the realities, (i.e.…”

Teachers’ Needs and Professional Development: A Systematic Review

“…competence was the most represented among the competences in CLIL teacher needs studies (n = 26). Six studies specifically discussed the limited knowledge reported by CLIL teachers regarding the CLIL approach and pedagogies(Barrios & Milla Lara, 2020;Infante et al, 2009;Karabassova, 2020;Kong et al, 2011;Pena Díaz & Porto Requejo, 2008;Torres-Rincón & Cuesta-Medina, 2019), leading to challenges in integrating content and language. Other studies called for in-cluding a pedagogical component in professional development training for CLIL teachers.…”