Journal of Immersion and Content-Based Language Education - Online First

Traditional language teaching has often focused on language in isolation from real-world contexts. However, recognizing the inherent link between language and content, Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) emerged some time ago as a global standard (Goris et al., 2019). Over time, CLIL has evolved and diversified to address new challenges. With current concerns about generative artificial intelligence (AI), global politics, and the role of education, enhancing CLIL with innovative methods that cater to local and global needs is vital. Maker Education, which combines hands-on projects with STEAM content (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics), is a practical approach to merge action, knowledge, and skill development. Maker Education’s benefits in first language contexts are well-documented, but its application in language learning is still in its nascency. This paper investigates the benefits and drawbacks of integrating Maker Education into CLIL curricula. The results suggest that Maker Education provides linguistic and developmental advantages, complementing CLIL approaches.

Research on proficiency levels among instructed learners is abundant but still has significant gaps. There is little research with young learners, barely any research comparing different degrees of CLIL intensity, and very few studies considering exposure to extramural English (EE), that is, exposure to English outside of school via informal activities or private lessons. To address these gaps, our study investigates how the intensity of exposure in school and EE impact the reading and listening skills of 219 learners (aged 11–12) of English following high-CLIL (n = 85), low-CLIL (n = 82), and non-CLIL (n = 52) tracks. The results for reading and listening, without considering EE, indicate that the high-CLIL group obtained a significantly higher score in reading, but without significant differences in listening. EE was frequent, particularly among high-CLIL participants, and reading, watching TV, and listening to music positively correlated with scores. Private English lessons were associated with higher scores in the non-CLIL group.

This study investigates teachers’ and students’ perceptions on diversity-sensitive assessment practices in Spanish primary education bilingual programs. A survey was conducted among teachers (n = 297) and students (n = 2,626) to gather data related to teachers’ use of feedback, differentiated assessment tools, and the provision of extra time during exams to respond to students’ needs. The findings suggest that teachers have a more positive perception of their ability to address heterogeneity in assessment than students, who emphasize the need for enhanced diversity measures. The impact of variables, such as type of teacher, school or bilingual program, on teachers’ attention to diversity in assessment is also analysed.

This article examines the relationship between L1 ability and CLIL in a lower secondary education context in Finland. In the study, 31 participants responded to a verbal fluency task, a picture-naming task and a survey comprising L1 self-evaluation questions. The results were analysed quantitatively in light of additional variables such as socioeconomic status and L1 grades. The CLIL students outperformed the non-CLIL students in the verbal fluency task, whereas the results of the picture-naming task were not suggestive of group-level differences. Additionally, the CLIL students’ picture-naming task results were less reflective of within-group differences than those of the non-CLIL students. This study sheds light on the relationship between CLIL and L1 ability, while highlighting the possible role of CLIL in mitigating the impact of individual differences on L1 ability.

The increasing need for plurilingualism within the latest decades has led many schools to promote an early start to Foreign Language (FL) teaching, in some cases as early as in pre-primary education. Research on pre-primary students to understand FL development in instructed contexts is still scarce. This study examines (1) how English as a FL receptive vocabulary develops over two years in pre-primary education learners, and (2) which internal and external factors influence it. Data were collected from 71 Catalan-Spanish bilingual pre-primary students at three times: T1-September 2019 (M age = 4;6), T2-September 2020 (M age = 5;1), and T3-June 2021 (M age = 5;9). EFL receptive vocabulary was measured with the PPVT-4 (Dunn & Dunn, 2007), and at T1 participants’ parents filled in a background questionnaire. Results showed growth in participants’ lexical abilities from T1-T3. The strongest predictors of lexical development were gender, maternal education level, school, and EFL out-of-school exposure.