Unit 1 - Introduction

1. An Introduction to Teaching Other Subjects in English

Welcome to Teaching Other Subjects in English!

You may have just qualified as an English teacher or been teaching for a number of years. You love being in the classroom and teaching English using engaging activities which positively help your students learn. Then your director says:

“This year we are going to teach other subjects in English. Here is your timetable. You'll be starting with history and science."

What would you think? Possible suggestions could be:

1. I teach English not science or history.

2. I only know about ELT methodology.

3. I haven’t got time to learn four or five other subjects as well as plan my lessons.

Take a moment and make a list of your thoughts about suddenly being asked to teach another subject in English. It doesn’t matter if your list is short or long. When you have finished, underline what you consider to be the key words in each sentence. Finally, save your list because we will return to it later in the course.

2. What Does Teaching Other Subjects in English Mean?

In this course, we will use the terms 'teaching content' and 'content teaching' to refer to teaching other subjects, topics or content in English.

In fact, 'teaching other subjects in English' is an umbrella term with many different names, as well as numerous opinions about how to approach it, and various different types of methodology. This can make teaching other subjects in English appear to be confusing and may take away your focus from organising/planning what you need to do in your classroom. It may also lead you to think that teaching content is an uphill task or an almost impossible undertaking.

One of the keys to approaching teaching other subjects in English effectively is understanding what these names and definitions have in common. Let’s have a look at some of them, so we can identify what they have in common and help you focus on what is important in the classroom.

First let’s start with CLILL. Do you remember this acronym? Here's a hint: you read about it in the Young Learners section of your TEFL course. What does it mean?

What does CLILL stand for? (Click to reveal)

Content Led Integrated Language Learning

Now look at each of the acronyms below. Try to work out what the acronyms stand for, and write down your answers. It may be tempting to head straight for those internet search engines, but wait a minute and think for yourself what they might mean first.


CLIL	What does CLIL stand for? Content and Language Integrated Learning
CCL	What does CCL stand for? Cross Curricular Learning
CBI	What does CBI stand for? Content Based Instruction
EAC	What does EAC stand for? English Across the Curriculum
FLIP	What does FLIP stand for? Foreign Language through Immersion in Primary

Now that we know what the acronyms stand for, let's think about what each one really means. Download the handout by clicking the button below. Read this document carefully and ensure you keep it to refer to throughout the course.

Download handout here

Having read those definitions, what do you think that they have in common? Take a moment to summarise your ideas before clicking the button below.

Click to reveal

There is a dual focus of combining content learning with second (or possibly third) language learning. It is a creative way of learning because the focus is on students developing their subject knowledge and language ability together. By combining across subjects, students become more natural users of their second or third language.

In this minefield of different names and definitions, it is often more effective to use an everyday context to understand something clearly. Here is a short video from David Marsh defining it usefully. You only need to watch the first minute.

3. The History of Content Teaching

Content teaching is a bit of a buzzword at the moment, but it isn’t a new concept. It is present in our daily lives and has been part of the world for centuries.

If you think back to your own childhood, you might find a couple of examples of content teaching. Maybe you went on a walk in a park or in the countryside, and your parents or guardian pointed out some flowers by giving their names and describing them. Then you talked about which ones you liked, both identifying and describing them, and giving reasons for your choice. This is content teaching.

In the context of your own education, you may have already experienced it as a learner. Did you study a second or third language at school? If so, were you asked to do some project work? Were you given the option of learning Latin as a means of improving your science knowledge?

If you have read any history you will know that there are many examples of content teaching in multilingual societies that were living in the same regions. For these communities, bilingualism or plurilingualism became an advantage. It was necessary for trade, and the development of their societies. It is well known that in Ancient Rome, children not only learnt the Greek language, but were taught everything in Greek.

As our countries have become more globalised, content teaching has become formalised in our schools and universities. In the 1980s, it was introduced in Europe as an EU programme focusing on its dual purpose. Since then, it has grown in its importance globally as our students are prepared for a global community.

Coyle and associates (2010) describe content teaching not merely as a convenient response to the challenges posed by rapid globalisation. Rather, it is a solution which is timely, which is in harmony with broader social perspectives, and which has proved to be effective.

4. The Advantages and Disadvantages of Content Teaching

Arguably, there are considerable advantages and some disadvantages to content teaching and learning. As it becomes more developed and integrated in educational establishments, those disadvantages often disappear. Over time, others may appear but its benefits far outweigh its shortcomings.

You may have read about its advantages and disadvantages on the Young Learners course. So, for this section, consider the words below and separate them into advantages and disadvantages.

1.4

Now watch the video. As you watch, make notes of the most important points related to each advantage and disadvantage.

Now check your notes from the video against the points below.

Advantages

It improves language competence.	Learners are more natural communicators. This comes from its dual focus, because their knowledge of the language becomes their means to learning content.
It develops multilingual interests.	It fosters positive attitudes towards language learning, which in turn can lead to developing learners’ interests in other languages.
It allows teachers to diversify in the classroom.	Teachers can be flexible in their approach, and use a variety of tasks when teaching a topic.
It develops and increases learner autonomy.	With teachers' support, learners are encouraged to co-operate and work with partners or groups - they share, evaluate and analyse information.
It increases learners’ motivation.	In its dual aspect, content teaching stimulates learners to learn content and language together.
It could benefit future studies or work.	Learners improve their overall language competence, providing a strong basis for future learning.

Disadvantages

It may not be integrated effectively in schools.	It may have been introduced with the expectation of overnight success, rather than with proper consultation and/or as part of a long-term plan.
There may be a lack of training.	Teachers need time to retrain and understand this new approach and how they can use it effectively in the classroom.
Subject teachers may lack confidence.	If they are non-native, being asked to give a science class in a foreign language may make teachers feel anxious.
Content teaching is considered to be unnatural.	It may not be appropriate to the content, eg with national literature or national culture events.

5. Summary Quiz

You have now completed the first unit of this course!

Before you move on to Unit 2, you need to complete the Unit 1 Summary Quiz. It is designed to check that you have understood the points we have covered before you move on.

Look back at your notes if you need to. This Summary Quiz does not count towards your assessment, so you can repeat the Summary Quiz as often as you need, but you do need to achieve a minimum of 75% to move on to the next unit. Check the grey box to the left of the question for the number of marks available for each question - sometimes you need to choose more than one answer!

Summary Quiz

Site:	Gatehouse Awards - Learning
Course:	Level 5 Award in Teaching Other Subjects in English (CLIL)
Book:	Unit 1 - Introduction

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Date:	Tuesday, 7 May 2024, 4:38 AM