What is CLIL?

CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) is an increasingly popular educational approach in which both content and language work hand in hand to promote deep learning. as the language is learnt through the medium of the content, (e.g.: students will study tourism or automotive topics while using English), they tend to be more motivated. Trainees see the lessons as more relevant to their professional lives and they improve their second language skills at the same time. In the PROLANT CAP lesson plans and handbook CLIL principles will be incorporated to engage learners and promote better language learning.

The benefits
For the trainees, concepts are embedded more deeply by processing their subject knowledge through another language. Communicative language is used making interaction through the subject more meaningful and these skills are transferrable to other languages and useful for transnational cooperation and so on. Interestingly, CLIL lessons automatically contain cultural and social input allowing trainees to develop a richer understanding and appreciation of a foreign culture. The latter point also ties in with a major European objective- that of fostering plur i – l ingual i sm wi thin European member states. Trainers will pass through various phases of development in terms of professional competences and they will acquire a host of hands-on techniques to plan and deliver quality CLIL lessons. This developing expertise is part of the trainers’ own continuous professional development. In addition, PROLANT-CAP trainers will become reflective practitioners who will, in their turn, train the others that follow them. It is inevitable that the language skills of the trainers will also be enhanced throughout this process as well as their knowledge and skills.

The PROLANT CAP project will help vocational trainers to not only deliver stimulating language programmes but also drive forward their own careers.