Innovation in Language Learning

This paper continues the series of papers about CLIL implementation in our  instutution, i.e. Estonian Academy of Security Sciences, presented by our colleagues at these annual conferences on Innovation in Language Learning during the last five years. CLIL is implemented in order to foster students’ language learning effectiveness when teaching them professional vocabulary. It also helps cut down on learning hours due to simultaneous subject and language teaching. Thus, this paper examines how the content and language integrated learning practices are perceived by the students of our institution. The main findings are made on the basis of a qualitative analysis of the questionnaire survey conducted in 2018-2020 at EASS. In this paper we intend to examine how students understand and perceive CLIL, and which positive and negative aspects have emerged in order to improve the quality of content and language integrated learning. In connection with the events of the last two years, when the concept of ‘distance learning’ entered our life, the question about transferring CLIL also to the online mode has arisen. However, taking into account the specifics of our academy, it seems to be problematic from a technical point of view. In this regard, the outcomes of our research are also valuable for us because to some extent they sum up the results of the implementation of the CLIL system over the past ten years․

Keywords: Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), Language for Specific Purposes (LSP), students’ feedback, vocational and higher education in the field of Internal Security 

References:

• Coyle, D., Hood, P., Marsh, D. (2010) CLIL: Content and Language Integrated Learning, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
• Dalton-Puffer, Ch, Nikula, T., Smit, U. (2010) Charting Policies, Premises and Research on Content and Language Integrated Learning, In: Dalton-Puffer, Ch., Nikula, T., Smit, U. (eds) Language Use and Language Learning in CLIL Classrooms, AILA Applied Linguistics Series (AALS), Vol. 7, Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company, pp. 1-19.
• Mehisto, P. (2008) ‘CLIL Counterweights: Recognising and Decreasing disjuncture in CLIL’, International CLIL Research Journal, 1, pp. 93–119.
• Mehisto, P., Marsh, D., Frigols, M. J. (2008) Uncovering CLIL. Content and Language Integrated Learning in Bilingual and Multilingual Education. Macmillan Education, Oxford.