traditional teaching/learning environment. For example, it is possible to notice a move from whole-class to single-group instruction, from passive to more actively involved students, from verbal learning to a mix of verbal and visual thinking, from lecture to coaching, from work concentrated on better students to work with weaker ones, from a class where all students learn the same things to one where students learn different things at a different pace. These changes will be the result of an effective integration of technology and will lead to changes in teaching behaviour.
The lesson plan and its implementation described here aim at showing the application of a content and language integrated learning lesson plus the use of technology and the Internet. CLIL is an “educational approach in which non- language subjects are taught through a foreign, second or other additional language. (Marsh 1994). Marsh explains that CLIL refers to situations where subjects, or parts of subjects, are taught through foreign language with dual- focused aims, namely the learning of content, and the simultaneous learning of a foreign language. (Marsh 1994). The proposal is to use culture as subject matter content for teaching English with the aim of assisting students in increasing their cultural knowledge while developing language skills. (Dueñas). The intention is to facilitate the learning of the language by focusing on the acquisition of knowledge about real life and cultural matters rather than the language as such. By integrating language and subject matter learning, students have the opportunity “of participating more and using the target language with less pressure, acquiring self- confidence. The cultural information is what, according to Ballman (1977),
“derives the linguistic, structural, lexical, cognitive and affective needs of the learners”. The lesson plan combines elements of content, communication, cognition and culture, where all four language skills: listening, reading, speaking and writing are fully combined.
The project is based on a film which offers possibilities for development in the culture, language, content and learning dimensions. Most of the activities are designed and implemented using educational technology, among other things to enhance motivation, to allow students to use technology creatively and imaginatively and to give them decision-making opportunities. Mahnaz (2000) considers that the use of computer technology in schools offers a different way of learning. Duffy and Jonassen (1992) suggest that students learn with particular
?Specially trained personnel (those teachers working in the computer lab who can help other teachers)
?One general use computer lab. (multi-purpose)
?One special purpose computer lab
?Library + T.V./video room
Instructional resources: T.V/D.V.D. player, computer, word processor, Internet, C.D. player, CDs, Microsoft's Power Point (combined with computer, LCD projector, a screen)
Content area: Subject: English
Alternative subjects: History – Sociology – Music – Politics
Students in this group were already relatively proficient in general English since most of them had made an early-start in learning English. By the time they had reached the last year in secondary school they needed something different. There was a need to feel they were learning through English, that they could use the language, transfer knowledge from one content area into another and integrate this knowledge. Students needed to feel that a lesson was not just a mere repetition of so many language lessons but that language was “a means to an end”
(Deller and Price 2007:7).
Procedure:
Step 1: Film watching.
Film: “Forrest Gump” (1994)
The film, directed by Robert Zemeckis and starred by Tom Hanks, was chosen because of its varieties of topics related to cultural awareness. Through the story of a lifetime, the director lets us be present at many historic moments in the story of the USA that also affected the entire world (e.g. the Hippie movement, the 60's, Vietnam war, fashion, music, political events, personal relationships, behaviour, values such as the family, friendship, etc.). This film offers interesting links for follow up activities that will enlarge students cultural awareness while using the language. The watching is carried out practically with no interruptions except for some comments made by students and/or teacher. Teacher's comments are sometimes made on purpose to call students' attention to certain points.
effectiveness when they are engaged in constructing personally meaningful artefacts. The lesson looks at content and language in equal measure, tasks subject-oriented and designed for production, so that recycling of both content and language is possible.
According to Bates and Poole (2003) Educational Technology encompasses the following elements:
?The actual tools and equipment used to support teaching (software, programmes, networks as well as projectors, computers, audio, television, monitors, etc.).
?The skills needed to develop or use the tools and equipment effectively.
?An understanding of the teaching and learning process and of how educational tools and equipment can be selected and used appropriately to support such process.
?The human support needed to make the most effective use of the tools and equipment, including technical personnel, educational designers, web programmers, etc. as well as subject experts – teachers.
?The organization required to enable the tools and equipment to be developed and used appropriately.
The impact of technology on education has been great, now students need to learn how to use it to seek, organize, analyze and apply information appropriately. At the same time, technology increases engagement when students “feel a sense of control over their own learning.” (Alderman as in Bates and Poole 2003:37).
The aim of the presentation is to illustrate how the choice of a film plus the adequate use of technology can provide an opportunity to use language to learn and to communicate and, at the same time, interrelate content areas such as History, Politics, Psychology/Sociology, Arts (music and fashion). The final outcome will be a group of highly motivated students with a deep feeling of achievement and cultural awareness to understand the world they live in.
Lesson Plan: its implementation School level: secondary.
Group level: upper-intermediate.
School: technologically equipped:
Step 5: Checking information.
After checking and consulting with the teacher, the different groups work on a final presentation of their topics. In order to report on their findings, students work on different presentation techniques which allow them to show their creativity (e.g.
Power Point Presentation where students can insert images, write a text in different shapes: columns, columns + images, maps, etc., insert sounds, animation and hyperlinks with different webpages).
Step 6: Group presentation
At this stage there is a show of groups' final products. Students share their works with their classmates. Students show the use of technology to facilitate culture learning on an interdisciplinary approach. At the presentation stage, students show a display of different ways of presenting, for example: PPP, samples of music characteristic of the period under study, realia or pictures to show the fashion of the time, OHP to show main pieces of news taken from papers of that time. Students eagerly engage in conversation, they express their ideas, compare and contrast, transfer background knowledge or knowledge acquired in other content areas, i.e. take an active part in oral production.
Step 7: Follow up
After listening to all the presentations, relating ideas and rounding off, students work on their follow up activities. They are going to share their experience with the rest of the educational community. This can be done in a magazine, school page or bulletin board. This would imply the use of other software support tools, like for example, word processor, databases and spread sheets typically thought of as supporting teacher and student productivity; graphics for the production of images and illustration of documents; electronic versions of encyclopaedias, atlas, and dictionaries.
?Final words
?CLIL promotes negotiation of meaning, which is known to enhance language acquisition. (Lightbown and Spada 1993)
?Language acquisition takes place through conversational interaction. (Long 1983).
?Second language acquisition is enhanced by comprehensible input Step 2: Tell me what you know
A worksheet is used as a springboard to trigger interest in different topics dealt with in the film as well as to brainstorm and put together different ideas using the learners' pre-existing knowledge.
The students are given a copy of the worksheet and are allowed some minutes to find the answers by themselves. Then they are asked to walk round the class and interview their classmates (asking and answering questions, oral revision, interviewing skills). When they have finished students read aloud the information they have collected. Students are asked to keep the questionnaire for future reference.
Step 3: Group formation
Students decide on the subtopics of their interest in order to carry out research. The groups are based on shared interest. The members of each group are actively involved in planning, organising and evaluating the process of learning.
There is social negotiation, co-operative work, critical thinking and analysis regarding the task and the material. Students set their goals and objectives when they work out the limits of their research o the topic. The responsibilities for each member of the team are set and accepted by the participants in each group.
Students are encouraged to research and share their information with each other.
This is a way of helping them become independent learners.
Step 4: Visiting the computer lab
Students have access to the computer lab where they will surf the different web pages previously searched by the class teacher in co-operation with the computer expert. This task is carried out during class period. Further research or collection of data is done outside the class period, as an extra-class activity, motivated on each student's personal interest. In this case, students can communicate among themselves, share their findings and receive feedback through the use of their e-mail accounts. Although the Internet is a useful tool for CLIL students should be encouraged to go to more than one source of information (books, encyclopaedia, atlas, etc.). Training students in doing research may result in an important skill for their future working life.
References
Alderman, M. (1999): Motivation for achievement: Possibilities for teaching and learning. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaun. In Bates and Pool Effective teaching with technology in higher education (pp37). JosseyBass. A Wiley Imprint. U.S.A.
Ballman, T. (1997): Enhancing beginning language courses through content-enriched instruction.
Foreign Language Annals 30:2, 73-186.
Bates, A.W. and G. Poole (2003): Effective teaching with technology in higher education. Jossey-Bass.
A Wiley Imprint. U.S.A.
Deller,S. and Christine Price (2007): Teaching other subjects through English. Resource book for teachers. Oxford University Press. Oxford.
Dueñas, M. (n.d.): Acquiring cultural knowledge through content-enriched instruction. University of
Murcia. Spain .
Duffy, T.M. and Jonassen (1992): Constructivism: new implications for instructional technology. In Mahnaz A suggested model for a working cyberschool. Educational Technology Vol 40 Nº 1 (pp61)
Genessee (1994): in Linares An Introduction to CLIL The European Language Level. Cracow, 14-16 October 2005.
Krashen (1985): in Linares An Introduction to CLIL. The European Language Level. Cracow, 14-16
October 2005. .
Lightbown and Spadda (1993): in Linares An Introduction to CLIL. The European Language Lebel.
Cracow, 14-16 October 2005. .
Linares,A. (2005): An Introduction to CLIL. The European Language Level.Cracow, 14-16 October
2005. .
Long (1983): in Linares An Introduction to CLIL. The European Language Level. Cracow, 14-16
October 2005. .
Mahnaz, A. (2000): A suggested model for a working cyberschool. Educational Technology, Vol 40 Nº 1 61-63.
http://www.euroclic.net
http://www.socrates.org.pl http://www.socrates.org.pl
http://www.socrates.org.pl http://www.socrates.org.pl
http://www.socrates.org.pl
(Krashen 1985), which is a key pedagogical technique in CLIL.
?Language learning becomes more concrete.
?CLIL lends itself to cooperative learning.
?CLIL allows for the incorporation of thinking skills and learning strategies that lead to rich language development: information gathering skills (questions), organizing skills (categorizing, comparing), generating skills (inferring, predicting), and analyzing skills (identifying main ideas, relationship patterns).
?Content need not be academic, it can include any topic, theme or non- language issue of interest or importance to the learner (Genessee as in Linares 1994:3).
?CLIL benefits include facilitation of comprehension, negotiation of topics and tasks, promotion of student/student interactions (pair-small group work), assistance of proficient peers to less proficient ones, work on communication skills for academic purposes, access to information and communication technologies.
?Technology offers the opportunity for students to work together on a common task. It provides opportunities for students to share experiences, learn how to work collaboratively and test and develop their own ideas.
?The Internet is now an essential feature of work, leisure and study, and its influence is likely to grow
?The impact of Internet on education has been as great as on any other area.
?It enhances classroom teaching.
?The World Wide Web is a vast library that can be used to convey knowledge.
?Searching and finding information on the web equals learning.
?The Internet, combined with a constructivist approach to teaching, changes the balance of power and control between teachers and learners.
CLIL offers students naturalness which is necessary for language development and at the same time it boosts motivation to use the language. According to Marsh, CLIL “involves the integration of language teaching into the learning of other subjects”. Integrating the teaching through English with the use of technology made this class a success among adolescent students who were eager for a change.
because the medium of instruction is English and because content area teachers lack language pedagogy.
Regulations in the Ciudad de Buenos Aires jurisdiction and in Provincia de Buenos Aires jurisdiction state that, when a given subject is taught in a foreign language within an officially recognized bilingual programme, teachers should hold a teaching degree in the subject as well as be able to accredit a degree of proficiency in the foreign language in question (Banfi and Rettaroli 2008). As a result of this, there are teachers of Mathematics, Physics and History, among other subjects, who teach content areas in a foreign language. Content area teachers lack a knowledge base for teaching the subject contents in a foreign language.
Banfi and Rettaroli (2008) state these teachers should have knowledge and competencies in the languages and the cultures involved in the programme, in the content to be taught, in pedagogical knowledge and in bilingualism and bilingual education. Moreover, there are also FL teachers teaching a variety of subjects which may or may not have been part of their initial training, i.e. teachers of a certain foreign language teaching Geography or History, among other subjects.
These teachers have the knowledge and competencies of the languages and the cultures involved in the programme. They also know how to teach the foreign language but they lack the necessary knowledge of the content and of the pedagogical knowledge related to the subject they are teaching.
Of late, bilingual teaching has become increasingly popular in Europe (CEC 2005). To satisfy the European Commission's objective (1995) that all European citizens should be able to communicate in three languages – the local and/or national language and two other European languages, European schools have had to find creative ways of introducing the teaching of at least two modern languages within an already tight curriculum. This resulted in having to use foreign languages as the medium of instruction of content subjects, this being the only way of providing enough exposure to those languages in order to guarantee successful learning of two additional languages (Coyle 2007).
In contrast to the Argentine scenario where “bilingual schools” have been using the foreign language as a vehicle of instruction to teach content for over a century, this approach to foreign language teaching seems to be a fairly recent development in most secondary schools in Europe. This innovative FL methodology called CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) has emerged