CLIL in languages other than English –
Successful transitions across educational stages

Working languages of the project: English, French
Project term: 2020-2022
Shortcut: www.ecml.at/CLILLOTEtransitions

Main idea and objectives

Languages Other Than English (LOTE) – i.e. foreign language subjects such as e.g. French, German, Spanish – face a crisis in many European countries. Even if pupils learn LOTE as part of their primary or secondary education, there is a tendency that afterwards they do not continue to learn nor to use these languages. Very few students use their LOTE competences at tertiary level. However, studies show that there is a strong demand for proficiency in these languages in the labour market.

Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) creates situations for content-based, meaningful language use in LOTE classrooms or in other subjects, hereby promoting learners’ motivation for LOTE. Building on previous ECML projects, the project will develop recommendations to implement CLIL in Languages Other Than English across educational stages (primary, secondary, tertiary). The project conceptualises CLIL as part of intercultural education and links CLIL to plurilingual education while promoting language awareness through its focus on LOTE and a pluralistic approach to languages within CLIL.

• to contribute to motivating second and third foreign language education 
• to refresh CLIL methodology and promote pluralistic approaches to languages by developing the field of CLIL in LOTE across educational stages, both in the language classroom and other subjects 
• to focus on concrete contexts and specific needs to make CLIL in LOTE a success 
• to create a network of CLIL-LOTE partners to ensure the geographical spread and dissemination of the project 
• to integrate expertise and established networks from previous CLIL projects in the new project
• to disseminate the project results in the ECML member countries and internationally. 
• to contribute to societal discussions in general and students‘ and parents‘ positive representations of second and third foreign language education in particular.

The project has two official working languages: English and French. Although the materials developed by the project team will focus on languages other than English, it will be used as a lingua franca, enabling a larger audience to access the content developed by the team. In addition to the second working language, French, the project team intends to translate the main results into German, and the participants of the workshop in 2022 will be invited to translate the project’s recommendations into the languages of the ECML member countries.