CLIL

CLIL is a hands-on teaching method that allows students to learn in a language which is not their L1. CLIL focuses on having the content as the main vector of the learning and teaching objectives and relies on activities designed
or chosen to address and develop the learners’ cognitive skills, with the possibility of reflecting the message of the lesson to every-day life through culture.

In CLIL, language is important to enable
learners to communicate what they are learning, however, the students should not be stalled waiting for the chronology of grammar to take place. In CLIL there is no need to focus on grammar or to approach it through exercises. The focus is for students to communicate what they are learning through the content in L2, therefore teachers need to focus and have clear in mind which will be the precise visuals, activities, and language structures for scaffolding purposes that will enable and activate real-time communication.
With CLIL, comprehension is more important than memorization, and communication is more important than precise grammatical accuracy. Therefore, it is possible that teachers can give the language structures to the learners who will emulate them in order to communicate what they are learning, picking up vocabulary and abilities on how to express themselves through the context.

The 4Cs Framework

CLIL works around a framework called the 4Cs framework. This focuses on including Content, Cognition, Communication and Culture in the lesson.

When you are planning your lesson, which is
key to a smooth running of it, you should include as many of the elements of the framework as possible. These are not intended as an “all 4 mantra” for each lesson but should be included in the series of lessons. Each lesson must be tightly focused on Content so by planning the materials

needed, the learning objectives of your lesson will run focused on the first and most important “C- ontent” of the framework. By designing activities aimed to address and develop the learners’ cognitive abilities, you will be planning in Cognition. Considering that the aim is to enable the students to communicate what they are learning, you will also be planning in Communication. In addition to those, you should also aim your lesson to relate to Culture.

HOTS & LOTS

The CLIL lesson aims to address and develop the learners’ thinking skills. As per Bloom's revised taxonomy, they are defined as HOTS (higher order thinking skills) & LOTS (lower order thinking skills). HOTS & LOTS are the criteria you need to adaptively refer to in order to plan your lesson activities addressing learners’ prior knowledge, and then exercising and developing their cognitive learning skills suitably for the teaching objectives, and learning purposes. When designing the activities, take into account the learners’ cognitive abilities and ages. LOTS focus on remembering, understanding and applying
and HOTS focus on analysing, evaluating and creating. The thinking skills pyramid provided in this handbook, includes a list of learners’ abilities and skills to address and develop.

Planning is key!

The lesson you want to teach and its message should lean on the 4Cs framework. This
means that, when you are designing any step or activity of your lesson, you should rely on the 4Cs
to help you put together a lesson as comprehensive as possible of all 4 principle elements of CLIL. Although it isn’t required to necessarily have all 4Cs in each single lesson, you should aim to include them in the single or the series of lessons. Bear in mind, at all times, that the content is the towing wagon, therefore all the other elements of the framework need to be interlaced with the content. Therefore, focus on:

• Content to get your message across.
• Cognition to address and develop their HOTS & LOTS thinking skills.
• Communication to enable learners to express in real time what they are learning.
• Culture to enable the students to relate what they are learning in your lesson to everyday life.