The exclusive language of science? Comparing knowledge gains and motivation in English-bilingual biology lessons between non-selected and preselected classes

The dominant role of English as the global language of science entails a requirement for science teachers to equip their non-native English-speaking students with receptive and productive language skills for communication in scientific contexts. Although science courses with English elements are part of some schools’ bilingual programmes, they are usually not available to a wider student audience, but are restricted to high achieving or highly motivated students. The present study was to test whether a newly developed biology content and language integrated learning (CLIL) unit could also benefit standard ninth grade classes. The learning gains and motivation of bilingually inexperienced students were compared to those of a preselected group and a comparison group that had been taught solely in their native language. All participating classes achieved similar gains in content knowledge, and the standard students rated their motivation for bilingual science lessons as positive, albeit not as high as the preselected group. We thus provide evidence against concerns that teaching non-selected students bilingually might lead to deficits in content knowledge acquisition. Following this, we conclude that scientific English should be a part of standard science lessons regardless of specific school programmes.     

Just selection and preparation? CLIL effects on second language learning

Since most studies failed to account for selection and preparation effects, previous studies overestimated the positive effects of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) on the development of students’ receptive foreign language skills. We examined the English listening and reading comprehension development of N = 448 German CLIL and N = 4,191 non-CLIL grammar school students from grade five to grade nine using full survey data from a 2014–2019 cohort. At the beginning of the study, students were on average M = 10.38 (SD = 0.54) years old. Prior achievement and sociodemographic variables showed significant selection effects. After propensity score matching, data indicated significant preparation effects of additional English lessons. However, when both selection and preparation effects were controlled, no significant additive CLIL effect showed up. We discuss the results in light of earlier contradictory findings and recommend considering selection and preparation effects when studying CLIL effects.     

A contrastive analysis between novice and expert teachers’ perceptions of school bilingual programmes / Un análisis comparativo entre las percepciones del profesorado novel y experto sobre los programas escolares bilingües

This article aims to report on a contrastive analysis between the perceptions of novice and expert teachers on four key dimensions of implementing CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) in primary and secondary schools in Spain. To this end, we applied a non-experimental research design with an ex-post-facto methodology using questionnaire studies. The instrument employed was an adaptation of a previous questionnaire, which was completed by 151 in-service teachers. From the data analysis, statistically significant differences were obtained in the criteria variables when they concerned the teaching experience in CLIL projects. Our data confirm that expert CLIL teachers prioritize methodological competencies and the ability to integrate language and content over subject knowledge and language proficiency, exhibit a more critical view of published course materials, value cooperation and innovation as integral components of CLIL teaching more highly than novice teachers and are more aware of the benefits of bilingual programmes.     

双语教学与语言-内容融合学习教学法

本文分析了语言-内容融合学习教学法产生的时代背景、依据和基本方式,认为该方法对我国正在实施的双语教学具有实际的指导意义.同时,本文提出了在实施双语教学中应注意的几个问题.     

The effect of content and language integrated learning on students' English and history competences – Killing two birds with one stone?

By failing to appropriately control for selection effects, most previous research has overestimated the effects of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) on the development of students' foreign language skills. Furthermore, the CLIL-effect on the content subject is still widely unknown. Therefore, the present study investigated skill development of 1806 German CLIL and non-CLIL eighth-graders in English and History controlling for a wide range of student, classroom and teacher characteristics. Results of multilevel modelling confirmed that CLIL-classrooms showed greater increases in English listening comprehension but not general English skills as measured by a C-test than non-CLIL-classrooms. In History, the increases in subject knowledge over one school year were comparable despite CLIL-students' larger amount of instruction (three instead of two hours per week). The results confirm previous, differential findings for English. For the content subject, they indicate that CLIL-classrooms need to invest substantially more time to achieve comparable learning outcomes.     

CLIL for all? A randomised controlled field experiment with sixth-grade students on the effects of content and language integrated science learning

Content and language integrated learning (CLIL) has been widely implemented in Europe. This article presents a randomised controlled field experiment on the effects of CLIL on students' science learning. Thirty sixth-grade intermediate-track German secondary-school classes (722 students) were randomly assigned to learn (5 lessons, 90 min each) a physics topic taught either in German or in English and German. We expected that the monolingually taught students would outperform the bilingually taught ones immediately after the intervention. For the follow-up test 6 weeks later, the same or smaller differences between the groups were expected due to the potential for a deeper processing of the subject matter in the bilingual condition. The results showed that the bilingually educated students' learning gains were smaller than the monolingually educated ones' immediately after the intervention (d = −0.21) and at follow-up (d = −0.23). The expectation of more sustainable processing was not supported.     

Language and content ‘integration’: the affordances of additional languages as a tool within a single curriculum space

‘Language across the curriculum’ has been pivotal in establishing a knowledge base on the role of language for accessing opportunities afforded by the curriculum. Yet, the ubiquity of language within all facets of human activity – not least of all the more abstract domains of thinking and relating with others – can easily obscure its perceptibility as an object for research relative to other priorities; especially when the curriculum focus is directed towards content-oriented areas, such as mathematics or the humanities. This paper uses an ecological framework to consider the place of language when the teacher’s focus is not solely on language, or content, but is equally attentive to both through a relatively new approach to theorizing learners’ non-native language within the curriculum: content and language integrated learning. In particular, it critically examines the notion of ‘integration’ as a pedagogical assumption for working with language in curriculum domains by focusing on teachers’ perceptions of the affordances of language as a meditational tool within the classroom space. Findings raise new implications for understanding the role of language(s) within the curriculum, and are significant for addressing the needs of a changing, globalized student demographic where the presence of multiple languages will increasingly shape learners’ engagement with the curriculum.     

CLIL教学模式对大学英语教学改革的借鉴意义

近年来,国外的外语教学已抛弃传统的二语教学模式,直接引入CLIL教学模式,把外语教学代入专业课程的教授。基于这一教学模式的综述,探寻现阶段此模式对于中国大学英语改革的借鉴意义并提出建议。     

CLIL教学理念下的旅游英语教学

传统的教学中,旅游英语教学强调语言的教学而忽视旅游学科知识的教学,导致学生对该课程学习重点是英语语言而不是旅游学科知识。在CLIL教学理念下的教学．语言与内容同等重要,语言是知识传递的媒介,学科知识是语言学习的材料。在这种教学中。语言与学科知识都是学习的目标,内容更是学习的中心。这种理念下的旅游英语教学可以实现英语语言与旅游知识同时掌握的目标要求。     

国际科学教育视野下的高中综合科学课程改革——透视香港高中《综合科学》课程

综合科学课程改革是现代学校课程改革的重要组成部分。20世纪80年代以来,世界许多国家和地区在科学教育课程领域中都进行了越来越深入的改革实践。我国香港地区进入新世纪以来在全球国际科学教育发展的大趋势下,为了更好地培养和提升学生的科学素养,在高中阶段的《综合科学》课程中采用了跨学科主题的形式设计,选择了具有时代性和跨时代性的题材选材;在课程的内容设计、学习目标、学生学习成果与学业评价的基本维度等方面都较传统综合科学课程有着一定的突破,并有着很好的启示与借鉴意义。     

Integrated language and content instruction in Qatar Independent schools: teachers’ perspectives

The aim of this study is to explore teachers’ attitudes towards the shift to English as a medium of instruction in Qatari Independent schools. It focuses on the advantages and disadvantages of this approach for teachers and students, and the challenges they face in the process of its implementation. Data for the study were collected by means of a questionnaire and follow-up interviews. Findings point to teachers’ beliefs that while the approach has benefited them and their students, it is a challenging process. The challenges teachers face are organizational in nature relating to ineffective planning for the introduction of the change, lack of teacher preparedness for its implementation, and parents’ resistance to this change. These results have implications for teacher training in the Qatari context and for planning of the introduction of change in English as a Second Language or English as a Foreign Language contexts.     

南疆地区维吾尔族儿童双语者跨语言正迁移双语学习机制的实验研究

WANG Xiao-long;YU Peng(College of Education Science,Kashgar University,Kashgar 844000,China)     

Exploring pre-service primary teachers’ progression towards inquiry-based science learning

ABSTRACT

Background

An in-depth understanding of pre-service primary teachers’ progression towards teaching science through inquiry is critical for improving teacher education programmes and, ultimately, improving the quality of science teaching and learning in the classroom.