What is CLIL?

Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) is a dual-focused educational approach in which
an additional language is used for the learning and teaching of both content and language. Learners are
exposed to a broader range of language while simultaneously gaining knowledge and skills in different areas
of the curriculum. CLIL was coined in 1994, though many of its underlying principles had already been in
use for years. This type of language education may coincide with bilingual teaching and shares many
principles in common with language immersion programs or cross-curricular bilingual teaching
CLIL – a variety of approaches There are many different types of CLIL programmes around the
world, ranging from full immersion to short 20–30-minute subject lessons in the target language. Subjects
may be taught by subject specialists or by language teachers. In some countries classroom assistants support
the learners too.
Approaches such as English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI), English-Medium Learning (EML).
Content-Based Instruction (CBI), and Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), have each
contributed to the expansion of interest in teaching subject content in English. Bilingual education (more
recently also referred to as dual language education, in the US) - Successful bilingual education
programmes lead to ‘additive bilingualism’. They enable learners to acquire an additional language at no
expense to their first or home language. Immersion teaching: when two languages are taught separately from
each other with the same curriculum, and subject teaching in the immersion language represents 50% of that
curriculum. For example, French and English in Canada. In In addition, ‘examples of translanguaging can
be found in all types of programmes that use immersion bilingual teaching’ (García, 2009).
TRANSLANGUAGING. When learners use English and their first language (L1), or for some learners
their third (L3) or sometimes fourth language (L4). Translanguaging refers to a systematic shift from one
language to another for specific reasons. Translanguaging can happen spontaneously during collaborative
tasks. For example, learners:
• predict the result of a science experiment in English
• alternate between using English and the L1 while doing the science experiment
• talk about the result of the experiment in pairs, using as much English as they can (using L1 when
necessary)
• report results to the teacher in English.
Researchers agree that translanguaging has a place in bilingual education but have expressed concerns
about balancing how and when teachers and learners use the different languages (Tedick & Lyster, 2020).
Translanguaging can be planned. For example, learners watch a video clip of an underwater ecosystem in
English, then talk about it in English but also use some L1 to express deeper knowledge of the topic. This
avoids frustration. ‘The focus of translanguaging is on meaning-making and gaining a deeper understanding
of subject matter content through two languages’ (Mehisto & Ting, 2017). It is also important to maintain
separate spaces for English and the learners’ main language to make sure both are fully developed.
BILITERACY This is developed in bilingual classrooms when learners’ knowledge of reading or
writing in one language supports their emerging reading and writing skills in another language. Learners
show they are ‘using their various social, linguistic and multimodal abilities to engage in biliteracy
activities’ (Bauer, 2017). PLURILINGUALISM ‘The ability to call flexibly upon an inter-related, uneven
plurilinguistic repertoire’ (CEFR, 2018). This involves developing a language programme that values all
languages represented by learners in the classroom. Plurilingual education is acknowledged as important but
also a challenge for schools because teachers need to develop learners’ ‘linguistic and intercultural.
‘CLIL vehicular [vɪ'hɪkjələ] language’ to refer to the language(s) used in CLIL settings. (“CLIL :
content and language integrated learning” / Do Coyle, Philip Hood, David Marsh, Cambridge University
Press 2010)
 European schools apply widely CLIL in the primary schools. Also they distinguish CLIL programmes
on Soft, Modular, Hard.
 Soft CLIL is a teaching of some topics from the curriculum as part of a language course.
 Modular CLIL is a teaching of a certain number of hours of a subject.
 Hard CLIL is almost half of curriculum is taught in a foreign language. (CLIL principles 2011) In
other words Soft CLIL focuses on Language, while Hard CLIL focuses on Content. (Colabianchi 2010).
 There are many advantages to the CLIL approach: it develops confident learners, enhances
academic cognitive processes and communication skills, and encourages inter-cultural understanding and
community values. In addition, research shows that learners become more sensitive to vocabulary and ideas
presented in their first language as well as in the target language and they gain more extensive and varied
vocabulary. Learners reach proficiency levels in all four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing far
beyond what is expected in other English programmes. This success is shown in ICT skills too. In secondary
schools, research indicates that effects are beneficial, and that: ‘CLIL leads to better English proficiency, that
it has no negative effect on L1 proficiency, nor on the pupils’ subject knowledge’, and that it ‘induces the
learner to be more cognitively active during the learning process’. The global need for language learning,
particularly for English, has created a demand for new ways of teaching languages. CLIL is a flexible and
effective approach which is being used to respond to this need. Many teachers of curricular subjects are
finding they can develop professionally by adding CLIL to their range of skills.
Dale and Tanner in CLIL Activities (2012) give following benefits for learners:
 CLIL learners are motivated.
 CLIL learners develop cognitively and their brains work harder.
 CLIL learners develop communication skills.
 CLIL learners make new personal meanings in another language.
 CLIL learners’ language progresses more.
 CLIL learners receive a lot of input and work effectively with that input.
 CLIL learners interact meaningfully. CLIL learners concentrated more on the meaning of what they
are learning.
 CLIL learners learn to speak and write. In CLIL, when teachers encourage their learners to speak and
write, this helps learners to become more proficient users of language.
 CLIL learners develop intercultural awareness.
 CLIL learners learn about the “culture” of the subject. Subject involves learning the language of a
subject and how each subject has its own “culture”.
 CLIL learners are prepared for studying in another language.
CLIL learners are often very confident and fluent in their second language at the end of their school
careers.
 CLIL learners learn in different ways. (Dale and Tanner 2012:11-13)

CLIL aims The 4 Cs – Content, Communication, Cognition and Culture (the 4th C is sometimes
called Citizenship or Community). The 4Cs Framework (Figure 3) integrates four contextualized building
blocks: content (subject matter), communication (language learning and using), cognition (learning and
thinking processes) and culture (developing intercultural understanding and global citizenship).
• Content - Progression in knowledge, skills and understanding related to specific elements of a
defined curriculum
• Communication - Using language to learn whilst learning to use language
• Cognition - Developing thinking skills which link concept formation (abstract and concrete),
understanding and language
• Culture - Exposure to alternative perspectives and shared understandings, which deepen awareness of
otherness and self.
In a CLIL lesson, all four language skills should be combined. The skills are seen thus:
 Listening is a normal input activity, vital for language learning
 Reading, using meaningful material, is the major source of input
 Speaking focuses on fluency. Accuracy is seen as subordinate
 Writing is a series of lexical activities through which grammar is recycled.
 CLIL aims to:
• introduce learners to new ideas and concepts in curricular subjects
• improve learners’ performance in both curricular subjects and the target language
• encourage stronger links with the citizenship curriculum
• increase learners’ confidence in the target language
• make the content subject the primary focus of classroom materials
• enable learners to access curricular subjects by modifying lesson plans to take into account pupils’ ability in
the target language
• provide cognitively challenging materials from the beginning
• provide scaffolding to support learning of content and language.
•
 •Language across the curriculum
The language demands of curricular subjects so that learners can understand and communicate (listening, speaking,
reading and writing). These include features such as:
1. the use of present, past and future forms (but not in any more detail e.g. present perfect continuous)
2. comparative/superlative forms
3. modal verbs for expressing: ability; certainty; deduction; obligation; permission; prediction; preference; possibility;
probability; prohibition; speculation
4. conditionals passive forms imperatives questions
5. reported speech personal and impersonal pronouns
time expressions collocations
synonyms opposites use of specialist subject vocabulary.
Communication skills across the curriculum. This includes features such as:
•
agreeing or disagreeing
•
asking questions
•
clarifying what has been said
•
comparing and contrasting
•
describing cause and effect; diagrams; images; a process
•
evaluating work (own and others’)
•
expressing ideas
•
giving examples; information; reasons
•
hypothesising
•
instructing
•
interpreting data
•
justifying answers or opinions
•
persuading
•
predicting
•
presenting solutions; presenting work
•
stating facts and opinions
•
suggesting changes; ideas.
Cognitive skills across the curriculum
The six main cognitive processes are listed below with associated verbs and examples of activities which
develop these thinking skills: (Bloom’s taxonomy)
•
remembering: recognise, recall (activities: label, list, identify, match, name, recite, spell, state
facts, tell) LOT (Low order thinking skills )
 •
understanding: explain, interpret (activities: classify, compare, define, describe, draw, give
examples, order, predict, sequence, translate) Lot
•
applying: carry out, do (activities: calculate, experiment, find out, interview, prepare, present,
research, show)LOT
•
analysing: examine, reason (activities: analyse, choose, decide, deduce, examine, give reasons,
justify, show the difference between, solve) HOT
•
evaluating: evaluate, assess (activities: conclude, consider, give an opinion, judge, prove, rate,
recommend) HOT
•
creating: make, produce (activities: build, change, compose, create, design, imagine, invent).
HOT *Adapted from Coyle, D, Hood, P and Marsh, D (2010) CLIL: Content and Language Integrated Learning, Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.
Learning skills across the curriculum
This includes features such as:
•
carrying out investigations
•
drafting, writing and editing work
•
estimating then checking or measuring
•
guessing from context
•
locating, organising and interpreting information
•
note-taking
•
planning
•
recording results
•
reviewing
•
setting own learning goals
•
scanning and skimming text
•
selecting and using reference materials
•
summarising
•
transferring information from one source to another.

CLIL Lesson preparation

Planning a lesson or series of lessons -
•
teaching objectives
•
learning outcomes
•
activating prior knowledge
•
tasks to develop the 4Cs: content, communicative and cognitive skills, focus on culture
•
differentiation
•
support strategies
6. learner interaction
7. resources
8. Can Do statements
9. links to other curricular subjects.
10.
11. Language needed to deliver subject content and
accompanying tasks
12. word and sentence-level features of oral and written language
13.text types (genre) in CLIL and their features: layout, organisation, purpose:
- discussion: balanced argument, essay, one-sided argument
- explanation: process, cycle, cause and effect
- procedure: instructions (technical or general)
- persuasion: advertisement, notice, proposal, review
 14. recount: account of an event or an experiment, autobiography, biography, diary report:
article, description of characteristics of something e.g. scientif i c, historical, geographical other text types:
letter, narrative, email.

Resources
15. multimedia: visual, auditory, digital
16. graphs: bar chart, pie chart and line graph
17. visual organisers and their purposes:
18.
- Carroll diagram
- cause–effect or process diagram
- cycle
- flowchart
- grid
- mind map
- quadrant
- storyboard
- T-chart
- table
- timeline
- tree diagram
- Venn diagram
 ICT in CLIL:
1. purposes for using resources and ICT to encourage student talking time (STT) –
exchanging and sharing information; to present and revisit subject vocabulary; to encourage learner
autonomy; to provide learning support; to handle data; to develop enquiry skills; to be creative.
- adding animation
- still images and diagrams
- changing and interpreting digital images
- collating information on spreadsheets
- creating PowerPoint presentations
- designing and using a database
- doing web searches
- using draw or paint software
- word processing
 Materials selection and adaptation
Ways of using and adapting materials for CLIL:
•
adding visuals and diagrams
•
omitting unnecessary detail
•
simplifying language
•
paraphrasing vocabulary
•
highlighting key subject vocabulary
•
inserting a word bank or glossary
•
reordering activities to progress from least to most demanding
•
using a variety of layout designs, font sizes and styles
•
personalising topics
•
adding web links.
Activity types and their purposes
•
classifying words, numbers or objects into groups
•
dictation: whole class, group and pair
•
feature identification
•
freeze frames
•
gap-fill
•
information transfer (to use subject-specific language in a different content or medium)
•
interviews and hot seat
•
labelling
•
matching
•
multiple choice
•
ordering letters, words, sentences and paragraphs
•
poster presentations
•
predicting from images, words, titles, sentences, sound or objects
•
pyramid discussion
•
questionnaires
•
summarising
•
true/false; yes/no
•
word, sentence, diagram, text completion
•
word searches
•
Purposes of activities could include:
- revisiting subject-specific language/revising
- developing communicative and/or cognitive skills
- developing accuracy
- developing fluency
- encouraging collaborative learning
- developing creativity
- personalising learning
- encouraging learner autonomy.
Lesson delivery
•Classroom language
1. Use of questions to scaffold and promote thinking: lower order talk (what, where, when, who) 
higher order talk (why, how, what is the evidence, what do you think of ...?).
2. Purpose: presenting subject content, developing understanding, commenting on what’s
happening during practical work, developing learners’ communicative and/ or cognitive skills, discussing
ideas, encouraging learners, explaining subject concepts, instructing, modelling subject language,
questioning, recasting, classroom management.
3. Ways of encouraging student talking time: pair work; task- based learning; group presentations;
role play; explaining results; peer and group feedback.
 Foster cognitive fluency through SCAFFOLDING of a) content, b) language, c) learning skills development
helping student to reach well beyond what they could do on their own. For example:
Language can be scaffolded by: repeating new nouns as opposed to using pronouns; shortening sentences
and paragraphs; inserting synonyms in parentheses; providing explanations of some key vocabulary and expressions in
the margins; asking students to first brainstorm related language; grouping language according to use (e.g.,
procedures, equipment, personal attitudes); presenting information in two side-by-side boxes using two different
registers of language; embedding electronic pronunciation and dictionary links for difficult terms; using
wordsmyth.com or wordchamp.com.
Content can be scaffolded by: helping students in an introductory paragraph or assignment to access their
tacit knowledge and to connect the topic to their lives; providing an advance organiser; using other graphic organisers
such as Venn diagrams, tables and charts; avoiding compound sentences; shortening paragraphs; highlighting or
underlining key ideas or facts; using plenty of subheadings; providing sample answers or exemplars of good work;
showing what falls outside of a concept, as well as what it includes; providing electronic links to animations.
Learning skills can be scaffolded by: providing a sample correct answer at the start of an exercise;
spotlighting samples of well done student work; providing a commented sample of poorly done student work;
including planning, monitoring and evaluation tasks; asking students to guess meaning from context; providing
electronic samples of recasting and error correction techniques.
• Scaffolding content and language
This includes features such as:
1. allowing longer wait time(s)
2. breaking down tasks into small steps
3. creating interest in the subject
4. doing practical demonstrations
5. giving constructive feedback
6. providing word banks, glossaries, sentence support and language frames for input and output of content
and language
7. providing models of effective work
8. relating subject topics to personal experience
9. allowing some use of the L1 (code switching).
 Methods to help learners develop learning strategies
This includes features such as:
10. encouraging predicting and estimating skills
11. encouraging personalising of content
12. encouraging risk taking – not worrying about mistakes
13. encouraging guessing from context
14. helping set learners’ own learning goals
15. helping develop study skills – using dictionaries, the internet, reading around subject concepts
16. encouraging use of visual prompts to aid memory
17. helping take quick and accurate notes
18. encouraging reviewing of vocabulary and ideas
19. encouraging questions and problem solving.
• Consolidating learning
This includes features such as:
1. reminding; repeating; demonstrating again
2. directing to further practice; directing learners to help others
3. revisiting concepts through a different medium /means
4. making links with other curricular subjects.
• Differentiation
Providing less challenge:
1. (modified input) providing additional language frames, word banks, glossaries in L1 and target language, additional
visual support, simplified texts
•
(modified output) answering fewer questions, producing shorter texts
- (modified outcome) e.g. produce a simple design rather than a complex one.
Providing more challenge:
•
checking own work
•
helping peers
•
doing extension/extra activities
•
designing activities for others.

Assessment
Focus of assessment: content and/or language; cognitive skills; learning skills; practical skills; communication
skills.
Types of assessment: formative, summative, peer, self, portfolio, performance.
Use of Can Do statements, use of criteria.
Support strategies:
•
changing vocabulary
•
simplifying language structures
•
adding visuals
•
some use of L1 or target language glossaries
•
modifying test instructions
•
providing additional examples
•
allowing extra time
•
repeating oral instructions in L1
•
reading instructions aloud
•
explaining instructions
•
allowing questions from learners in L1.

Planning CLIL module/lesson

Stage 1: A teacher’s vision for CLIL
Stage 2: Analysing and personalizing the CLIL context
 Stage 3: Planning a unit
Content: Progression in new knowledge, skills and understanding.
Communication: Interaction, progression in language using and learning.
Cognition: Engagement in higher-order thinking and understanding, problem solving, and accepting
challenges and reflecting on them.
 Culture: Summary ‘Self’ and ‘other’ awareness, identity, citizenship, and progression towards
pluricultural understanding.
Stage 5: Monitoring and evaluating CLIL in action

Stage 6: Next steps – Towards inquiry-based professional learning communities

 Lesson framework A CLIL lesson looks at content and language in equal measure, and often follows a
four-stage framework.
Processing the text The best texts are those accompanied by illustrations so that learners can visualise
what they are reading. When working in a foreign language, learners need structural markers in texts to help
them find their way through the content. These markers may be linguistic (headings, sub-headings) and/or
diagrammatic. Once a 'core knowledge' has been identified, the organisation of the text can be analysed.
Identification and organisation of knowledge. Texts are often represented diagrammatically. These
structures are known as 'ideational frameworks' or 'diagrams of thinking', and are used to help learners
categorise the ideas and information in a text. Diagram types include tree diagrams for classification, groups,
hierarchies, flow diagrams and timelines for sequenced thinking such as instructions and historical
information, tabular diagrams describing people and places, and combinations of these. The structure of the
text is used to facilitate learning and the creation of activities which focus on both language development
and core content knowledge.
Language identification
Learners are expected to be able to reproduce the core of the text in their own words. Since learners
will need to use both simple and more complex language, there is no grading of language involved, but it is
a good idea for the teacher to highlight useful language in the text and to categorise it according to function.
Learners may need the language of comparison and contrast, location or describing a process, but may also
need certain discourse markers, adverb phrases or prepositional phrases. Collocations, semi-fixed
expressions and set phrases may also be given attention as well as subject-specific and academic vocabulary.
Tasks for students There is little difference in task-type between a CLIL lesson and a skills-based
ELT lesson. A variety of tasks should be provided, taking into account the learning purpose and learner
styles and preferences. Receptive skill activities are of the 'read/listen and do' genre. A menu of listening
activities might be:
 Listen and label a diagram/picture/map/graph/chart
 Listen and fill in a table
 Listen and make notes on specific information (dates, figures, times)
 Listen and reorder information
 Listen and identify location/speakers/places
 Listen and label the stages of a process/instructions/sequences of a text
  Listen and fill in the gaps in a text

Tasks designed for production need to be subject-orientated, so that both content and language are
recycled. Since content is to be focused on, more language support than usual in an ELT lesson may be
required.
Typical speaking activities include:
 Question loops - questions and answers, terms and definitions, halves of sentences
 Information gap activities with a question sheet to support
 Trivia search - 'things you know' and 'things you want to know'
 Word guessing games
 Class surveys using questionnaires
 20 Questions - provide language support frame for questions
 Students present information from a visual using a language support handout.

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/clil-art/
9 Fantastic CLIL Activities for Any Foreign Language Classroom
Can a math, history or art lesson help your students learn another language?
With CLIL activities and games, you can employ this framework in your class on a short-term basis,
engaging your students’ outside interests and boosting their proficiency.
1. Describe and Draw
The main objective of this activity is to spark active listening in the target language. You’ll be
giving your students instructions for creating a piece of artwork without showing them what the final image
is supposed to look like. This activity can easily be adapted to classes of any proficiency level.
You’ll need:
 Colored pencils, erasers and papers or easels for all the students
 An image of an artwork that’s big enough to display in front of your class
 A list of instructions for how to recreate this image, which you’ll read one by one
Your instructions about the artwork can be as loose or as specific as you want. Surreal imagery works
particularly well because it’s harder for students to predict, so they’ll have to listen attentively to the target
language instructions.
Instructions:
Let’s say you’ve chosen René Magritte’s “The Son of Man”:
 Describe the artwork to your students so they can draw it. For example:
1. Draw the outline of a man from his knees up, putting his shoulders at the canvas’ center.
2. Put a beige brick wall behind him. Color the rest of the background blue for the sea up to his elbow,
and gray with clouds for the sky above that.
3. Put him in a buttoned black jacket over a white shirt with a red tie and a hat.
4. Draw a green apple floating in front of his face.
 Once your students are done, have them compare drawings—this will usually get lots of laughter.
  Display the original image and discuss how your students interpreted your instructions.
 Make sure to go over any instructions they didn’t fully understand. Instead of offering translations,
talk in the target language and draw or demonstrate what you’re saying.
2. Jeopardy
Jeopardy can be geared toward a specific subject such as history, literature or science, with questions
and answers all delivered in the target language.
You’ll need:
 A list of questions and answers (Alex Trebek’s Jeopardy board has 30; you can adapt the number
based on the size of your class)
 A Jeopardy board to display at the front of the class (some board-making tools are available online,
such as Jeopardy Labs and Jeopardy Rocks)
From a CLIL standpoint, Jeopardy is useful because it can be adapted over and over to different
topics. You can create a Jeopardy game about food one week and politics the next (though this also means
preparing multiple sets of questions and answers). You may find that it’s easiest to work on the board little
by little over the course of a unit, or use it to close out that unit or warm up before a test.
Instructions:
 The “what is” answer/question structure that Jeopardy is famous for can be needlessly confusing for
foreign language learners, so stick with the regular question format instead. Prepare different categories for
the questions and assign each question a certain number of points.
 To make sure everyone gets a fair shot at the questions, you can give each team only one question
per turn, even if they were correct. Students have to answer the question in the target language.
 If the team answers correctly, they gain the corresponding number of points. But if they answer
incorrectly, other teams can step in and answer the question to win the points.
 The team with the most points at the end wins.
3. Math Bingo
This CLIL math game will get students thinking, counting and calculating in the target language.
What you’ll need:
 Printed bingo boards for every student in your class
 Game pieces or chips for students to mark their boards
 A bingo cage or a pad and pencil to keep track of numbers you’ve called out
Instead of putting numerical values on the board, you’ll be using math problems. The first row of a
board might read 8/2, 3+3, 2×7, 10-5, 4+3 instead of 4, 6, 14, 5, 7. However, you’ll still be calling out
simple numerical values; this requires your students to do mental math in the target language.
Instructions:
 Prepare the bingo boards, with rows and columns having math problems instead. Here’s a free online
resource that will automatically create a large, randomized batch for you. The simplest way to create a math-
based board is to choose a number range—say, 0 to 30—and then type in a string of problems that equate to
numbers between 0 and 30.
 To adapt this game to middle school and high school students, you can throw in more complex math
concepts, like squares or longer multiplication and division. Don’t be afraid to ask your colleagues down the
hall what math concepts you might want to include on your bingo board!
 Distribute the bingo boards to the student.
 Call out a number in the target language. Students will look for the math problem on their board that
matches the number, then place a chip on it or mark it.
 Keep calling out numbers until someone gets a complete row or column. They can then shout out,
“Bingo!”
 After the first game or two, your students should become as comfortable with this version of bingo as
they are with the original.
 4. Themed Collages
This is a fun activity to teach any age range about different styles, genres and periods of art in the
target language. It also requires engagement with authentic materials.
You’ll need:
 A stack of magazines, print-outs, posters or any other material in the target language that can be cut
up for a collage
 Examples of your chosen art genre/period to display for the class
 Scissors, glue/tape and poster board for students
This activity can be done individually or in groups, and it works for different age ranges. Students will
be cutting up magazines or other materials to create collages that imitate a particular type of visual art. For a
crash course on different art movements, you can look at The Art Story.
Instructions:
Let’s say you’re teaching pop art to your class of language students:
 Start by projecting images of work by Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Tom Wesselmann and other
big names in the genre.
 Ask your students what these artworks share; even the youngest students should pick up on the fact
that they all use bright colors, eye-popping visuals and sharp lines. The older your students, the more
advanced of a discussion you can lead.
 Get crafty. Give your students at least 20 minutes to put together their pop art-inspired collages.
These should include the basic characteristics that came up during your lesson.
 Wrap up for 5 to 10 minutes by asking your students to jot down the features of their collage and
how they relate to the art movement you’re studying.
 Let your students hand in their work.
5. The Amazing Map Race
This is a CLIL geography game that requires reading in the target language. The gist: Students follow
your printed instructions to get from point A to point B on a map as quickly as possible.
You’ll need:
 Printed road maps of a city or neighborhood
 Printed driving instructions that you have written in the target language to get from point A to point
B, A batch of colored pens
Technically, this game can be played with a map of any location, but if you focus on an area where the
target language is spoken, you get the benefit of familiarizing your students with an area they may ultimately
want to visit as they strive for fluency. Moon Travel Guides has existing maps of select areas,
while ViaMichelin lets you print road maps.
Instructions:
 Let’s say we’re playing this game with English language learners, racing from Grand Central Station
to Times Square in New York City. Your printed instructions might look something like this:
1. Drive straight on W 43rd Street for five blocks.
2. Turn right on 8th Ave and drive straight for three blocks.
3. Turn right on 46th Street and drive straight for one block.
4. Arrive.
 Depending on your students’ proficiency levels, you’ll likely want to choose a more complicated
route. To tie this game more tightly to geography concepts, you can use cardinal directions instead of “left”
and “right,” and reference local landmarks in your directions instead of just street names.
 Students will use a red pen to “drive” along their map following your instructions. The first to hit
point B with the correct path is the winner.
 Your role during the game is to answer questions. For example, with the instructions above, you
might have to explain in English what a “block” is.
  You can put a fun twist on this game if your classroom has access to a computer lab. Instead of a pen
and map, your students can use Google Street View to mimic the act of driving. They get a virtual on-the-
ground exploration of a target language region, and it feels more like a real race, which can be exciting and
motivating.
 If applicable, you can also use this game to teach about the places where your target language is
spoken and certain countries’ colonialist histories.
6. What’s My Line?
Here’s one for the performers and creative thinkers in your class. What’s My Line is a theater-based
game that requires reading a target language script and listening to direction to act it out.
You’ll need:
 A sandwich bag
 Target language sentences, expressions or questions printed out and cut out
 Some “stage” space in the front of your classroom with a table
What you’re ultimately looking for here is active listening, good pronunciation from your performers
and engagement with new vocabulary. Your students will be saying lines out loud, and then their classmates
will tell them what emotion to use when delivering the lines.
Instructions:
 Prepare target language sentences. These can be fairly straightforward—the idea is that the
audience’s cues will make them interesting or even silly. Sentences like “the car is almost out of gas” read in
an “overjoyed” tone of voice can get students listening and laughing.
 Before you begin this game, take some time to talk in the target language with your class about
different emotions an actor might need to portray. Go beyond the easier options like “happy” and “sad” and
focus on more specific emotions, such as feeling proud, indifferent, awkward, or disappointed.
 Since you’ll likely be teaching a lot of new vocabulary here, write down all the emotions mentioned
on your board.
 Put the cut-out sentences into the sandwich bag and onto the table. Students who volunteer as
performers will pick the sentences out of the bag to read in the style dictated by the class.
 You can either pick individual students to briefly act as “director” and tell the performer what style
to act in, or if your class is mature enough, have them call out directions at will from the audience. They
should be pulling from your earlier conversation, referring to the emotions listed on the board.
 To keep the game fast-paced, have each performer do three to five lines in a row before leaving the
stage.
7. Two Truths and a Lie: History Edition
Two Truths and a Lie is a classic icebreaker game that many foreign language teachers may have
already used. This version allows you to teach history through the target language in a fun and informal
setting.
You’ll Need:
 Two true statements and one false statement prepared by each student
 A board or pen and paper to keep track of points
With this game, you’ve got students speaking and actively listening in the target language, while
becoming more knowledgeable about the history of the culture they’re studying. Unlike the original Two
Truths and a Lie, you can also play this game in a team setting.
Instructions:
 Have students come up with their truths and lies as homework. (You can assign different events or
historical figures to your students to ensure that the game covers a diverse range of topics.) For example:
1. Benjamin Franklin designed the first American penny
2. Benjamin Franklin was an avid butterfly collector
 3. As a teenager, Benjamin Franklin wrote fake letters under the name Mrs. Silence Dogood for his
brother’s newspaper
The second Benjamin Franklin “fact” is the lie.
 One student recites three “facts” about a historical event or figure from the target language culture.
Two are true and one is made up.
 The other students write down the “fact” that they believe is actually a lie.
 Everyone who was right gets a point; the student with the most points at the end of the game wins.
 Keep track of repeated grammar, vocabulary or pronunciation errors and alert students to them at the
end of the game to avoid interrupting the game flow.
8. Artwork Presentations
These presentations are intended to promote speaking and reading in the target language. The concept
is straightforward: Students present a piece of artwork to the rest of the class. Still, there are certain
elements to keep in mind so you can make the most out of these presentations as a CLIL activity.
You’ll need:
 A projector, display board or some other way for students to show the class the piece of artwork that
they’re presenting
 A list of specific points that you want your students to address in their presentations
To keep this activity in line with CLIL, let students decide on which artist to present. This will get
them more motivated, and they’ll have to think critically and creatively. Make sure that you’ve taught
enough grammar and vocabulary to give students a solid foundation for engaging with the artwork.
Instructions:
 Be clear with your students about the learning objectives for this activity. Explain that these artwork
presentations should include specific details, such as biographical information about the artist and major
artistic themes and philosophies, all in the target language.
 Give your students free rein to choose any artist from the target language culture that they want.
 If you’re teaching a beginner class, ask your students to provide a handout after their presentation
with summary questions. For more advanced classes, tell your students they’ll also debate the quality of
paintings they’ve presented on.
 Students can then proceed with their presentations.
9. Adopt an Artist
This activity builds on the artist presentation, and works especially well with younger students who
may be less inhibited to perform in front of others. However, this activity requires artist research, so you
should assess how much you’ll need to guide your students, based on their age and level. Students choose an
individual artist to focus on—in this case, to “adopt.”
You’ll need:
 A projector, display board or some other way for students to show the class examples of artwork that
their artist created
 Paper and pencils or chalkboard/whiteboard space
 Flashcards with conversation-starter questions
For a set period of time (such as one class period) your students will dress like their chosen artist,
share that artist’s interests and speak about that artist’s work. There are three phases to this activity:
presentation, flex time and analysis.
Instructions:
 Each student speaks briefly (5 to 10 minutes) to the class about the artist they chose. They should
discuss what type of work the artist makes (painting, photography, film, etc.), as well as their basic
biographical information and the major themes of their work. Students can also discuss their own costume
choices.
  After the presentations, push all of the desks to the edges of your classroom and bring in some easels
or free up chalkboard space for your students to draw together.
 Tell students that they can free write, free draw or interact with one another in the personas of their
chosen artists. A Spanish language student who has adopted Salvador Dali might spend this time talking
about surrealism with a student who has adopted Joan Miró.
 Bring in conversation flashcards with pre-written questions for students to ask one another as a
jumping-off point. These can range from simple biographical questions (“Where are you from?” or “What
art period were you part of?”) to more complex ones (“How would I recognize your artwork in a
museum?”), depending on your class.
 At the end of your class time, give students 5 to 15 minutes to jot down some of their experiences
during this activity. They can also hand in any individual or collaborative writing or drawing they did during
flex time.
 For big classes, you can stretch out the three phases across three separate class periods.
_______________________________________________________--
Actually, all of these CLIL activities require no preparation time at all!Here we go!
1. Alphabet
Want to let your students realise how much of the language they have mastered? This is my favourite
activity to do just that!
This is an activity that is a bit like a scaffolded brainstorm.
Students have to come up with words related to a certain topic. But the difference with a ‘regular
brainstorm’ is that the different words need to start with different letters.
I would always start by asking students to make a list of a to z in their notebooks. Every letter is worth
one point, multiple words starting with the same letter don’t count.

The result of the alphabet activity on the topic 'mathematics'.

The time limit would be a maximum of 2 minutes, after which I would give them the topic to think
about.
The sheer amount of words students come up with is not just a great way to see what they already
know, it is also a great way to make them realise how many words they already know related to the topic at
hand.
And by discussing the different words and trying to ‘complete’ the alphabet, students might hear
words they had not thought of themselves.
Emphasising this is obviously a great way to make language salient.
2. Homework Discussion
One possible way to increase student engagement while discussing homework is by asking students to
discuss homework in pairs within a certain time limit.
When the time is up, I would select one question I would like to see explained. I would provide an
additional minute for students to think of the best way to explain that question (making language important
again) after which I would randomly select a student to explain the homework assignment.
 Additionally, one could ask students to present this in front of the classroom and give the other
students a task like ‘think of a question to ask’ or ‘what feedback can you provide on the use of language?’
Key Take Away
Giving some time for student to prepare how they want to explain something, they have some time to
think about the language involved.
3. Scan the chapter
Often the language used in a paragraph, section or chapter can be a challenge for a student. And as a
teacher, you cannot be expected to explain every single word.
Asking students to filter out the difficult words themselves and keeping track of a personal idiom file
(PIF) is a way to focus on this a bit more.
I would often ask students whenever we would start a new chapter to ‘scan’ the chapter, see if there
are any keywords they thought were tricky and make a list of difficult words.
During the chapter, I would often ask if a word or phrase I introduced was on anyone’s list and
mention the description they could use to complete it.
At the end of the chapter, I’d ask students to show me their word lists and check if they were now
complete.

Key Take Away

The Scan the chapter activity can be used to help students become aware what new words they might
encounter and scaffold this prior to the learning.
4. Describe in your own words
To check if students already know a certain word, or check if they now understand what a new phrase
is about, you can ask them to describe it in their own words.
But that is not all.
I would not just ask them to describe this in their own words, but actually include a word limit.
For example: Explain what an isosceles triangle is in 15 words or less.
That way, students are ‘forced’ to think about what words they have to use, to make sure they stay
within the word limit.
Making language an important element of this activity again.
Ow and just so you know: there will always be at least one student who uses more than the maximum.
I seriously don’t know why…

Key Take Away

By asking students to describe a phrase in their own words with a word limit, they have to think about
what specific words they can and cannot use.
5. Word to Sentence
This is an activity I would often use either at the beginning or at the end of a lesson.
The purpose is simple: I share two words related to the topic and students have to create a sentence
with both words in it. In a way the words make sense.
To make it more challenging you can also share three or four words and ask students to include as
many words as possible.
Not only does this activity focus on the content (students have to think about ways to link the words
within a certain context) but also on the language (students have to write sentences and include grammar
rules and related words).