CLIL in Primary School: Make It Work, Make It Effective

Concept by: Lucy Tasca

Description

This course is designed for teachers in primary school who want to learn how to create content based learning lessons and implement them in their classes. The focus will be on selecting an appropriate topic, sourcing and creating content and adapting the foreign language didactic materials to different age groups and language levels. Teachers will use the content and new methodologies to enhance motivation and boost self-confidence in their classrooms. 

Through work-alone or group activities, simulations and role-plays, participants will experience first hand how CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) promotes interdisciplinary learning, adding a real-world dimension to a course topic while contextualizing language learning. Topics will include: sourcing and choosing content, scaffolding content and language learning, adapting the content to students’ needs and abilities, evaluation strategies and many ideas for implementing CLIL in the primary classroom. Classroom management strategy and support will also be addressed as it relates to this innovative and increasingly popular methodology that engages both teachers and students.

At the end of the course, participants will return to their schools with a suitcase-full of enthusiasm, ideas, strategies, and activities to integrate into their course curricula for successful and effective CLIL lessons with their primary students.  

The course will address both the needs of native speakers faced with teaching CLIL lessons as well as the challenges faced by non-native speakers.

Tentative Schedule

The schedule describes likely activities but may differ significantly based on the requests of the participants, and the trainer delivering the specific session. Course modifications are subject to the trainer’s discretion. If you would like to discuss a specific topic, please indicate it at least 4 weeks in advance.

Day 1 – Course introduction & Setting goals

Course introduction

• Introduction to the course, the school, and the external week activities.
• Icebreaker activities using drama for trust and ensemble building.

Setting goals

• Identification of needs and goals for each participant and relevant populations.
• Presentations of the participants’ schools.

Day 2 – Using CLIL in a primary classroom

• CLIL in the primary classroom: selecting an appropriate subject and topic; 
• Sourcing and choosing content and materials; 
• Break; 
• Adapting foreign language didactic materials to a primary class; age considerations; 
• Adapting academic topics for primary-aged non-native speakers;

Day 3 – Adapting content to age groups

• Scaffolding content and language learning for different age groups and language levels 
• Break; 
• Activity planning 
• Resources and aids in the preparation of lessons

Day 4 – Analysing case studies

• Case studies; 
• Break; 
• Evaluation strategies; 
• Implementing CLIL in the primary classroom: the four skills
• Break; 
• Group project

Day 5 – Presentations

• Presentation of participants’ projects; 

Day 6 – Course closure & Excursion

Course closure

• Course evaluation: round up of acquired competences, feedback, and discussion;
• Awarding of the course Certificate of Attendance.

Cultural activities

• Excursion and other external cultural activities.

Audience

• Teachers (primary, secondary, vocational, adult, special needs);
• Careers officers, educational guides and counsellors;
• Headteachers;
• Principals.