Innovation in Language Learning

Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje (SENA) has a pedagogical philosophy based on teaching competencies that provide appropriate skills on specific working fields. SENA divides its syllabus into program subjects and transversal subjects. The bilingual program, considered as a transversal competence, has shown little or no evolution in terms of methodology, content, and objectives. Representing little progress in students’ linguistic competence in terms of second language acquisition. This paper presents the design of authentic material to teach a second/third language to improve the linguistic competence in specific occupations. First, classes were observed to analyze the kind of approach used during the development of regular classes. Second, teachers were asked to answer a survey to establish weakness and strengths in their daily teaching practice. Third, the material used to teach the subject was analyzed in terms of objectives, methodology, achievements and failing features according to Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) principles. Finally, a CLIL teacher-training workshop was designed to achieve understanding and applicability of CLIL methodology in higher technical education. This material provides teachers with a new pedagogical approach and strategies to teach a second/third language.