About the project "Literacies through Content and Language Integrated Learning: effective learning across subjects and languages"

What was the project about?

The project aims to develop CLIL approaches, which teachers can use in the classroom, with a special focus on providing support for academic literacies in secondary education. A guide for transforming CLIL practice will be developed, evaluated, adapted and disseminated by practitioners.

Abstract

CLIL 2.0 unites a team of European experts and practitioners in Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) who believe that a radical shift in practice is vital for CLIL to realise its potential. To mainstream CLIL in secondary education, [foreign] language learning must be re-modelled to not only support subject learning in cognitively challenging ways but to do so with academic proficiency in mind. For CLIL learners to become pluriliterate learners, the role of language must be brought to the fore: FL grammar-dominated approaches are not appropriate. CLIL 2.0 will re-examine how basic interpersonal communication skills (BICS) can lead to cognitive academic language proficiency (CALP) in CLIL contexts. A critical evaluation of existing and new concepts will guide the piloting of an approach to FL learning in CLIL – an approach increasingly literacy-driven and meaning-led to develop performance-oriented competence. Shared ownership of evolving theoretical and practical perspectives with teachers/ teacher educators will involve participation in a trans-European classroom study. It will result in a working model/toolkit for transforming CLIL practice - developed, evaluated, adapted and disseminated by practitioners. The team believes there is potential to change mindsets regarding FL learning and catalyze change in L1 practice. Hence CLIL 2.0 will be of wide interest to decision-makers across Europe and beyond.

The Graz Group Manifesto

The Graz Group unites a team of international experts and practitioners in Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) who believe that attention to literacies development, be it in a foreign or first language, provides a pragmatic means to radically improve both subject as well as foreign language learning.

To mainstream the integration of subject learning with language learning in different sectors of education, learning must be re-modelled to not only support subject learning in cognitively challenging ways but to do so with pluriliteracies in mind. To become pluriliterate learners, the role of language in literacies development must be brought to the fore:

The Graz Group will critically evaluate existing concepts of literacies and pilot an alternative approach to language development in integrated learning contexts. In particular, we will evaluate how the incorporation of literacy-driven and meaning making focused language development supports the acquisition of subject understanding and also the acquisition of disciplinary skills and competencies. Shared ownership of evolving theoretical and practical perspectives with teachers and teacher educators will come through the implementation of a trans-European classroom-based study. Data will be used to develop a working model and toolkit for transforming CLIL practice: both research process and product will thus be developed, evaluated, adapted and disseminated by practitioners.

The team believes that attention to language and literacy development can shift the focus of education away from “teaching” onto “learning”, thus catalyzing changes in classroom practice. The Pluriliteracies Model will provide classroom practitioners with relevant insights and guidelines, and hence be of wide interest to decision-makers across Europe and beyond.

The Graz group

Left to right: Helmut Vollmer, Gerrit-Ian Koopman, Irina Hawker, David Lasagabaster, Ana Halbach, Do Coyle, Roy Lyster, Oliver Meyer; front row: Teresa Ting, Christiane Dalton-Puffer, Rachel Whittaker, Ana Llinares, Kevin Schuck)

This project was run within the ECML's Learning through languages programme.

Project working languages:
English and German

Project term: 2013-2015

Target audience involved in project activities:
teachers
teacher educators
educational authorities responsible for CLIL programmes
teacher associations

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The PLURILITERACIES web pages result from the work of an international network established within one of the ECML projects. We would like to thank all who worked on PLURILITERACIES, in particular the project coordination team for their motivation and active involvement.