Author Insights

Using CLIL with Young Learners

Wendy Superfine discusses CLIL in the Primary EFL classroom and shares her
experience in training CLIL teachers.
What is CLIL ?
CLIL stands for Content and Language Integrated Learning. CLIL is the term used to describe the
methodology of teaching a foreign language through another subject (content). In English
Language Teaching, forms of CLIL have previously been known as Bilingual education, English
across the curriculum and Content based instruction. Through this method language is used to
learn as well as to communicate and it is the subject matter which determines what language
needs to be learnt. CLIL refers to teaching subjects such as Science, History, Geography,
Mathematics, Art and Craft, Music, Physical Education and English literature to students through a
foreign language. English as a Medium of Instruction EMI, is therefore used to teach the subjects.
This can be delivered by the English teacher using cross-curricular content or the subject teacher
using English as the language of instruction. Both methods result in the simultaneous learning of
content and language. These basic principles of CLIL are used to teach cross-curricular topics when
using CLIL with Young Learners.

Why use CLIL in the Primary EFL classroom?

Childrens educational experience is improved when the subject content is emphasised
more than the language.
The language is learnt in context, therefore becomes more meaningful and real.
It is more motivating and provides a wider variety of stimuli for a broader range of learners.
It gives YLs more exposure to the foreign language in a natural way
It aims to : introduce learners to new ideas and concepts in curriculum subjects
improve learners performance in both curriculum subjects and the target language
encourage stronger links with the citizenship curriculum
increase learners confidence in the target language
make the content subject the primary focus of the classroom materials
enable learners to access curriculum subjects by modifying lesson plans to take into
account pupils ability in the target language
provide cognitively challenging materials from the beginning

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 provide scaffolding to support learning of content and language

not require extra teaching time
Many countries have been teaching English at secondary school level through a CLIL curriculum
very successfully for some time. It is now becoming increasingly popular to introduce the CLIL
curriculum at primary level in situations where there are the resources and motivation to learn
English through other subjects.
Any educational innovation requires well prepared teachers. It is evident that teacher training
institutions in many countries do not yet systematically prepare teachers for CLIL. Nevertheless, in
many primary schools teachers carry out experimental projects whose aim is to implement CLIL
into the curriculum. It is assumed that the teachers should be able to speak the CLIL language at a
reasonable level, they should be qualified for teaching the relevant subjects and they should be
well-versed
in
the
basic
principles
of
the
CLIL
methodology.
The Spanish Ministry of Education introduced a bilingual CLIL project in 1996 which is now working
with 22,000 children from 3 to 14 yrs of age. Since primary CLIL courses require conscious
planning, they have provided many in-service training programmes where participants have access
to a large amount of bilingual CLIL resources. These resources and materials provide teachers with
a wide range of interesting activities and practical ideas for successful CLIL in primary classrooms.
The programme also includes a short course training programme at various centres in the UK to
improve their language ability and also provide first- hand experience and access to materials used
in British schools.
As I have been involved in working with some of these teachers who come to the UK it has become
apparent that the need for easily accessible materials which are written for the correct level of
language and cognitive development are an essential requirement in the Primary CLIL curriculum.
With this training and access to resources I believe that the best solution to teaching Primary CLIL
is the involvement of those primary class-teachers who are qualified for teaching all subjects
across the primary curriculum, who have mastered the methodology for teaching young learners
and who have developed a considerable level of proficiency in the target language.
Using my experience with these short course training programmes for Primary CLIL together with
my co author, Margaret Grieveson, we have devised a bank of over 120 activities for The CLIL
Resource Pack covering some of the topics used in the Spanish CLIL curriculum, in the form of
photocopiable lessons and Interactice Whiteboard software with songs, games and stories to help
both teachers and pupils with the CLIL curriculum in any country where this is appropriate.

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How ?
The topics which have been included in The CLIL Resource Pack are essentially for the Primary and
Lower Secondary CLIL Classroom. The main aim of these photocopiable activities is to help
teachers access Science topics whilst using other subjects across the curriculum, Art and Craft,
Music, Literature, Geography, History and Physical Education.
The CLIL Resource Pack is divided into 10 units, each unit is divided into 3 levels covering the
following topics:

The Human Body

Life Cycles
Food and Health
Living Things
Materials and Properties
Physical Processes
Forces and Motion
Light and sound
Environmental and Global Issues
Weather and Water

For the process of teacher training I have outlined a suggested programme of CLIL methodology
which I have used. Some of the Science activities from The CLIL Resource Pack modules were used
in the sessions below.

CLIL Component for Teacher Training for the Primary English as a Medium of
Instruction Classroom
The main aim of the CLIL Component strand is to introduce the trainees to a wide range of
resources, some original materials designed by the tutors, published materials and some available
on the internet. In the sessions the trainees experience a wide range of materials and activities on
agreed topics which reflect the Spanish Ministry curriculum for the Infant and Primary bilingual
schools.
These are:
Speaking and Listening Activities for the Primary CLIL curriculum
Using Science activities in the CLIL classroom
Using Stories to plan topics for cross curricular activities
Using Art and Craft and Music activities in the CLIL classroom
Choose a topic and plan a lesson for the CLIL curriculum

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This is an example of a Lesson plan from The CLIL Resource Pack which is used for the Science
activities using the activity pages and lesson notes followed by the story of Funny Bones by Alan
Ahlberg.
Unit 1 P17
The Human Body Lesson 2A
What can I do with my body?
Aims
To learn the location and main functions of the main muscles of the body.
To revise known parts of the body.
Language
Questions: What can I do? Whats this?
Vocabulary: biceps, muscles, triceps
Verbs: cycle, draw a picture, read a book, run, sit, swim, watch TV
Warm up
1 Ask the class which part of their body they use when they run, sit down, stand up, wave, etc.
2 Explain that when they move, their brain is sending a message to the muscles in their body to
move.
3 Ask pupils to stand up and mime these actions: running, sitting in a chair reading a book,
watching TV, swimming, cycling, drawing a picture.
Procedure
1 Give out the Activity sheets and ask the pupils to look at activity 1.
2 Say Look at these pictures. Ask Which parts of your body do you use for each activity? Choose
from your head, legs, arms, hands, eyes, ears and your whole body. Put the pupils into pairs, A and
B. Tell them to take turns to ask and answer: Which part of your body do you use for number
1/2/3/4/5/6?
3 Tell them to write the names of the body parts used for each activity in the space next to the
picture.
4 Ask some pupils to share and check their answers with the class.
5 Tell pupils to swap their papers and mark the correct answers with a and the incorrect ones
with a .
6 Display IWB 1.2.1. This activity checks comprehension and reinforces the new language.
Follow up
1 Show the pupils how to clench a fist and feel the muscles in their arm. Teach the names of the
arm muscles: biceps and triceps. Say the words and ask the pupils to repeat. Write the words on
the board.
2 Tell the pupils to write the words in the boxes to label the arm muscles in Activity 2 on the
Activity page.
3 Explain that the pupils are going to make a body. Ask them to cut out the body parts very
carefully.

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4 Show them how to overlap the arms and legs at the joints and then join them together with a
split pin. (Tips! Safety first: make the hole with a pencil point. Reinforce the back of the hole with
sticky tape.)
5 Now ask them to find out what movements their body can make.
6 Tell the pupils to put their paper body safely in an envelope so they can use it again.
7 Ask What other things can we do with our bodies? (E.g. dance, listen to the radio and CDs, sleep,
lie down, climb, eat, etc.) Mime the actions with the class and ask which body parts they use for
each one.
Alternative activity Read the story Funny Bones, by Alan Ahlberg.
1 Pupils can take it in turns to read each page. Ask them all to repeat the chorus "On a dark dark
hill, there was a dark dark town. In the dark dark town there was a dark dark street"
2 Sing the song Them bones, them bones ..
Useful websites
www.climatechangematters.net.au/LOTS/Bio/sub/muscles/muscles.htm
www.crickweb.co.uk/ks2science.html
Click on Moving and growing. Search terms: muscles, moving arms

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During the training sessions emphasis is placed on the use of appropriate stories and songs to
introduce topics to children with suggestions of how concepts may be developed further, e.g.
some of the science topics. In other words, how can teachers exploit childrens love of books to
teach both academic and social English across the curriculum. The use of Telling Tales In English
was also incorporated with use of traditional stories from all over the world linked to topics in the
CLIL curriculum. This was placed in the context of the theories of language learning of Piaget,
Bruner and Vygotsky and their relevance for us as teachers.
The teachers are then asked to choose a topic and to plan a lesson for the CLIL Bilingual curriculum
in their school. The rationale for this is to encourage them to work collaboratively as a team and to
recognise the importance of coordination with colleagues teaching English across the curriculum.
The groups usually have no difficulty working in this way and by the end of the course all groups
produce some excellent lesson plans for a Unit of work for a topic from the Spanish Ministry
Bilingual Curriculum. They are encouraged to use the Interactive Whiteboard and the Smart board
together with a power point presentation to help demonstrate their classroom skills. They are also
given a session on the use of the IWB Smartboard with time to practice using any materials which
were suitable for use in the Primary CLIL classroom. They are therefore able to access the other
activities in The CLIL Resource Pack which are relevant to their teaching situation and hopefully
motivate their pupils to progress in the CLIL bilingual curriculum .
To find out more on this ever expanding project look at the following websites:
www.primarylanguages.org.uk/teaching_and_learning/embedding/clil/an_introduction_to_clil.asp
x
http://factworld.info
http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/eltecs

Bibliography
Ahlberg, A Funny Bones Puffin 1999
Cant, A and Superfine, W Developing Resources for Primary Richmond 2008
Chaves, C, Graham, A and Superfine, W Fun and Games Delta 1999
Grieveson, M and Superfine, W The CLIL Resource Pack Delta 2012
James, M and Superfine, W Telling Tales in English Delta 2002
Pinter, A Children Learning Second Languages Macmillan 2011

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