Coordinator: María Jesús Frigols Martin (Valencia International University – VIU, Spain)
Team members: Dieter Wolff (Bergische Universität Wuppertal, Germany); Peeter Mehisto (London, UK) and David Marsh (University of Jyväskylä, Finland).
The European Framework for CLIL Teacher Education (EFCT – http://clil-cd.ecml.at) is a conceptual tool for guiding the professional development of CLIL teachers. CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) is a dual-focused approach in which an additional language is used for the learning and teaching of both content and language. The framework provides a set of principles and ideas for designing CLIL professional curricula. CLIL programmes differ widely from country to country in their organisation, content, intensity and choice of languages, and there are corresponding differences in how teacher education providers design and implement teacher training and development programmes. The EFCT aims to serve as a transnational conceptual tool for supporting the development of theoretically-sound educational practice in CLIL contexts. It is not intended as a prescriptive template.
The framework focuses on universal macro-level competences of CLIL educators so as to be adaptable in different countries. It serves as an evidence-based blueprint outlining the overall knowledge and specific competences required for teaching and learning through CLIL. An introductory section describes the key functions of curriculum design, which are also considered relevant for the purposes of teacher professional development. Comment is included on some of the challenges faced in the development of the EFCT. Overall, the main challenge facing teacher education curriculum development in CLIL is its integrative nature. This applies to all levels of education from primary to tertiary, vocational to adult. CLIL seeks to teach two subjects in one – a content subject and a language – while content subjects and additional languages are usually taught separately. Teachers are often trained to teach one subject – a content subject or a language – so teachers who intend to undertake a professional development programme in CLIL may lack training in teaching either a language or a content subject. The EFCT outlines the competences that can support teachers in achieving sufficient expertise in both content and language, so that the integrative nature of CLIL can be successfully implemented. As a macro framework, the EFCT does not focus on the range of content subjects that are taught in educational systems, or on specific vehicular languages, but rather on the competences necessary to teach content subjects and an additional language in an integrated manner.
There are two major sections in the EFCT. One describes the target professional competences that the CLIL teacher is expected to acquire or further develop during a development programme. These cover aspects such as personal reflection, the core features of CLIL, content and language awareness, CLIL pedagogy and assessment, classroom management, and the development of learner autonomy. The other section describes the non-sequential components of professional development modules for approaching, implementing and consolidating CLIL practice. These modular components link directly to the target professional competences provided and cover aspects such as situating CLIL, adopting action research, examining good pedagogy, focusing on CLIL practice in the school context, designing classroom CLIL curricula, interweaving the psychological and pedagogical aspects of teaching, accessing and adapting CLIL learning resources and environments, operating as an evidence-based practitioner, using assessment for learning, and networking through communities of CLIL practice.
The ECFT has been developed through the ECML and has involved widespread consultation with educational experts in Council of Europe member states and other countries. It is available through the ECML in English, French and German.
