Speaker
Description
Investigate a parasitic worm’s attack on the human body as a heist. Find out about the layers of the Earth and its atmosphere through a cocktail party mingle. Content and Language Integrated Learning is enhanced by introducing concepts with simple language and creative contexts, then developing academic language once the ideas are understood. In this workshop, you will experience examples of this and have the opportunity to develop similar ideas for your own classes.
Abstract section 2: Contribution/research questions
The purpose of this workshop is to demonstrate an approach to scaffolding based on perspective-switching. Instead of teaching content directly in academic register, the concepts are introduced in simpler or more casual registers, referred to in CLIL as BICS (Basic interpersonal communication skills; Ball et al., 2015)). Once students have understood the ideas, they are guided to more discipline-appropriate ways of communicating, developing CALP (Cognitive academic language proficiency; Ball et al., 2015).
Abstract section 1: Relevance
As more universities in Japan implement CLIL, a better understanding is needed of how the approach will function in this context. Academic literature on CLIL frequently cites scaffolding as a key area of pedagogy (Ertugruloglu et al., 2023; Lo et al., 2019; Mahan, 2020). In European contexts, CLIL is often taught by content teachers, and scaffolding is based on translation and translanguaging. In Japanese universities, in contrast, CLIL is being introduced by language departments. Instructors may therefore not be experts in the content area, and may not have the relevant academic Japanese proficiency. Other methods of scaffolding are therefore needed.
Abstract section 5: References
Ball, P., Kelly, K., & Clegg, J. (2015). Putting CLIL into practice. Oxford University Press.
Coyle, D. (with Hood, P., & Marsh, D.). (2010). CLIL: Content and language integrated learning. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009024549
Ertugruloglu, E., Mearns, T., & Admiraal, W. (2023). Scaffolding what, why and how? A critical thematic review study of descriptions, goals, and means of language scaffolding in Bilingual education contexts. Educational Research Review, 40, 100550. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2023.100550
Fernández-Fontecha, A., O’Halloran, K. L., Wignell, P., & Tan, S. (2020). Scaffolding CLIL in the science classroom via visual thinking: A systemic functional multimodal approach. Linguistics and Education, 55, 100788–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.linged.2019.100788
Lo, Y. Y., Lui, W., & Wong, M. (2019). Scaffolding for cognitive and linguistic challenges in CLIL science assessments. Journal of Immersion and Content-Based Language Education, 7(2), 289–314. https://doi.org/10.1075/jicb.18028.lo
Mahan, K. R. (2022). The comprehending teacher: Scaffolding in content and language integrated learning (CLIL). Language Learning Journal, 50(1), 74–88. https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2019.1705879
Abstract section 4: Outcomes/results
As this is a workshop, time will also be given to allow participants to help each other come up with similar ideas for their own CLIL courses, or to bring deeper content into their communicative language classes. Sharing these ideas will give participants concrete, practical classroom ideas, and the chance to network with other similar-minded teachers. They will also have the chance to consider the importance of scaffolding for CLIL, and be a part of developing CLIL approaches for the Japanese context.
Abstract section 3: Content/method
Two example cases will be demonstrated. First, efforts to eradicate the parasitic Guinea Worm; second, composition and significance of the layers of Earth and its atmosphere. In both cases, concepts are introduced in creative, multimodal ways (Fernández-Fontecha et al., 2020) with basic interpersonal language, then developed into academic language. Further examples will be shared in summary. This approach will be connected to Coyle’s 4Cs - Content, Communication, Cognition, and Community (Coyle et al., 2010).
| Title | Perspective-switching: a CLIL Scaffolding Strategy |
|---|---|
| Teaching Context | College and university education |