MASARYK UNIVERSITY BRNO

FACULTY OF EDUCATION
Department of English Language and Literature

Master’s Thesis

Brno 2018

Bc. Adéla Štěpánková

 MASARYK UNIVERSITY BRNO
FACULTY OF EDUCATION
Department of English Language and Literature

The Impact of CLIL on Pupils’ Content

Learning

Diploma Thesis

Brno 2018

Supervisor: Mgr. Naděžda Vojtková Author: Bc. Adéla Štěpánková

Bibliography
ŠTĚPÁNKOVÁ, Adéla. The Impact of CLIL on Pupils’ Content Learning; diploma
thesis. Brno: Masaryk University, Faculty of Education, Department of English Language and
Literature. 2018. 70 pages, 30 pages of attachment. The supervisor of the diploma thesis:
Mgr. Naděžda Vojtková

Bibliografický záznam

ŠTĚPÁNKOVÁ, Adéla. The Impact of CLIL on Pupils’ Content Learning; diplomová

práce. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, Pedagogická fakulta, Katedra anglického jazyka a
literatury. 2018. 70 s., 30 s. příl.Vedoucí diplomové práce: Mgr. Naděžda Vojtková

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Annotation

The diploma thesis deals with an educational approach Content and language
integrated learning (CLIL). The thesis is divided into two parts - theoretical and practical. The
theoretical part characterizes the CLIL method and its origin, presents main principles of
CLIL and describes the aspects of CLIL implementation such as creating materials and tasks,
lesson planning and assessment. The practical part presents the results of a research which
explores the impact of CLIL on pupils' content learning. The research was done on a lower-
secondary school where a CLIL unit was taught. The practical part also includes lesson
planning and consequent reflection.

Anotace
Diplomová práce se zabývá moderní vyučovací metodou zvanou CLIL, tedy
integrovanou výukou předmětu a cizího jazyka. Práce se skládá z teoretické a praktické části.
Teoretická část nejprve charakterizuje metodu CLIL, historický vývoj a teoretický koncept
této metody a následně přibližuje potřebné kroky pro převedení této metody do praxe. Uvádí,
jak postupovat při tvorbě plánů vyučovacích hodin, jaké materiály volit a jak s nimi pracovat,
doporučuje vhodné aktivity a úkoly, ze kterých by měla hodina sestávat. Jedna z kapitol se
věnuje i hodnocení. Praktická část převádí získané teoretické poznatky do praxe. Přináší
výsledky výzkumu, jehož cílem bylo zjistit, jak si žáci deváté třídy základní školy dokázali
osvojit znalost obsahu zeměpisu, jakožto nejazykového předmětu. Součástí praktické části
jsou i přípravy hodin a následné reflexe.

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Keywords

CLIL, language learning, content learning, CLIL materials, lesson planning,

assessment, English language, geography, ninth grade

Klíčová slova

CLIL, výuka jazyka, výuka nejazykového předmětu, příprava hodin, materiály,

hodnocení, anglický jazyk, zeměpis, devátá třída

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Declaration

I declare that I wrote this bachelor thesis on my own and I only used the sources listed
in the bibliography.

I agree with the placing of this thesis in the Masaryk University Brno in the library of
the Department of English Language and Literature and with access for studying purposes.

Prohlášení

Prohlašuji, že jsem diplomovou práci vypracovala samostatně, pouze s využitím

literárních pramenů a zdrojů, jež jsou uvedeny níže v seznamu použité literatury.

Souhlasím, aby práce byla uložena na Masarykově univerzitě v Brně na Katedře

anglického jazyka a literatury a zpřístupněna ke studijním účelům.

Brno, 2018 Adéla Štěpánková

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Acknowledgement

I would first like to express my sincere gratitude to my thesis supervisor Mgr.

Naděžda Vojtková for her kind guidance, encouragement, patience and helpful advice she has
provided me with.

I would like to thank Mgr. Eliška Mužátková and Mgr. Alena Kántorová for their
willingness to help and allowing me to teach a CLIL unit in their lessons.

I am also thankful to my parents and friends for providing me with continuous

encouragement and support.

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CONTENT

Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 11
1 THEORETICAL PART .................................................................................................................. 13
1.1 Content and language integrated learning ............................................................................. 13
1.1.1 What is CLIL .............................................................................................................................. 13
1.1.2 The main benefits of CLIL ......................................................................................................... 13
1.1.3 The drawbacks of CLIL .............................................................................................................. 15
1.1.4 The development of CLIL .......................................................................................................... 15
1.1.4.1 Pre-CLIL.............................................................................................................................. 15
1.1.4.2 The rise of CLIL .................................................................................................................. 16
1.1.4.3 CLIL in the Czech Republic ................................................................................................. 17
1.2. Theoretical concepts ............................................................................................................ 18
1.2.1 Motivation ................................................................................................................................ 18
1.2.2 The content of learning ............................................................................................................ 19
1.2.3 The language of learning .......................................................................................................... 21
1.2.3.1 The Language Triptych ...................................................................................................... 21
1.2.3.2 Balancing L1 and L2 in CLIL classrooms ............................................................................. 22
1.2.4 The 4Cs Framework .................................................................................................................. 23
1.3 Transforming theory into practice ......................................................................................... 25
1.4 Materials for CLIL classrooms ................................................................................................ 29
1.4.1 Selecting CLIL learning materials.............................................................................................. 29
1.4.1.1. Varied input ...................................................................................................................... 30
1.4.1.2 4Cs Framework .................................................................................................................. 30
1.4.1.3 CLIL criteria ........................................................................................................................ 31
1.4.1.4 The language of materials ................................................................................................. 31
1.4.2 Balancing content and language .............................................................................................. 32
1.4.3 Scaffolding ................................................................................................................................ 33
1.4.4 Tasks for CLIL classrooms ......................................................................................................... 34
1.5 Assessment........................................................................................................................... 36
1.5.1 Evaluation and assessment ...................................................................................................... 36
1.5.2 Types of assessment ................................................................................................................ 37
1.5.2.1 Formative and summative assessment ............................................................................. 37
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 1.5.2.2 Diagnostic assessment ...................................................................................................... 37
1.5.2.3 Formal and informal assessment ...................................................................................... 38
1.5.2.4 Alternative assessment ..................................................................................................... 38
1.5.2.4.1 Portfolio assessment ...................................................................................................... 39
1.5.2.5 Self assessment and peer assessment .............................................................................. 39
1.5.3 Assessment in CLIL ................................................................................................................... 40
1.5.3.1 Language or content ......................................................................................................... 41
1.5.3.1.1 Assessing content ........................................................................................................... 41
1.5.3.1.2 Assessing language ......................................................................................................... 42
2 PRACTICAL PART ...................................................................................................................... 44
2.1 Research methods................................................................................................................. 44
2.2 The topic and the aim of the research .................................................................................... 45
2.3 Characteristics ...................................................................................................................... 46
2.3.1 Characteristics of the school .................................................................................................... 46
2.3.2 Characteristics of the pupils ..................................................................................................... 46
2.3.3 Characteristics of the teaching unit ......................................................................................... 47
2.4 Lesson planning .................................................................................................................... 51
2.4.1 Description of the lessons ........................................................................................................ 52
2.4.2 Materials .................................................................................................................................. 53
2.4.2.1 Selecting materials ............................................................................................................ 53
2.4.2.2 The language of materials ................................................................................................. 54
2.4.3 Balancing L1 and L2 in CLIL classrooms .................................................................................... 54
2.4.4 4Cs Framework......................................................................................................................... 55
2.4.5 Scaffolding ................................................................................................................................ 56
2.4.6 Tasks for CLIL classrooms ......................................................................................................... 57
2.5 Assessment........................................................................................................................... 58
2.5.1 Pupils assessment .................................................................................................................... 58
2.5.1.1 Reflection on the lesson 1 ................................................................................................. 58
2.5.1.2 Reflection on the lesson 2 ................................................................................................. 59
2.5.1.3 Understanding arrow ........................................................................................................ 59
2.5.1.4 Scissors .............................................................................................................................. 60
2.5.1.5 Speaking self-assessment .................................................................................................. 60
2.5.2 Teacher assessment ................................................................................................................. 60
2.5.2.1 Formative assessment ....................................................................................................... 60
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 2.5.2.2 Summative assessment ..................................................................................................... 61
2.5.2.2.1 Test ................................................................................................................................. 61
2.5.2.2.2 Role play ......................................................................................................................... 61
2.5.2.3 Self assessment ................................................................................................................. 62
2.6 Conclusion of the research .................................................................................................... 64
Conclusion.................................................................................................................................. 65
BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................................... 67
Summary.................................................................................................................................... 70
LIST OF APPENDICES ................................................................................................................... 71
Appendix 1: Lesson plans .................................................................................................................. 71
Appendix 2: Materials ....................................................................................................................... 80
Appendix 3: Extracts of pupils assessment ....................................................................................... 86
Appendix 4: Examples of the test...................................................................................................... 89
Appendix 5: Examples of Role Play ................................................................................................... 93
Appendix 6: Extracts of the evaluation of role playing ..................................................................... 95
Appendix 7: Extracts of teacher and peer assessment ..................................................................... 96

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Introduction
Multilingualism is one of the key factors in today’s globalising society and therefore
great emphasis is placed on studying foreign languages from a young age. Just as the society
is changing, language learning and teaching practices are changing as well. The process of
teaching and learning languages is constantly developing and innovations in learning
strategies and teaching techniques appear all the time. There is also an attempt to integrate
modern methods and approaches into our educational system. One of this approaches is called
CLIL. Content and language integrated learning is an approach for learning content through a
foreign language. The interest in CLIL-base teaching and learning has been increasing
recently.

This approach was introduced to me last year through a school course Content and
Language Integrated Learning which allowed me to understand the main principles of CLIL,
participate in practical activities, create several CLIL lesson plans and even try them in
practice during my teaching practice. Thanks to the course I became convinced about the
benefits of implementing CLIL in classes. As I am going to teach English language and
geography which is an ideal combination of subjects for CLIL teaching, I decided to
concentrate on this very topic and study it thoroughly in order to be well-prepared for my
future teaching career in which I would like to apply CLIL.

The thesis will be divided into two parts, a theoretical and a practical part. The
theoretical part will consist of five chapters. The theoretical part will consist of four chapters.
The first chapter will define the content and the integrated language learning, provide its main
benefits but also drawbacks and summarize its historical development. The second chapter
will describe the main theoretical concepts such as language learning, content learning, the
Language Triptych, or the 4Cs Framework which consists of four major elements - content,
communication, cognition and culture. This chapter will also focus on the motivation of
learners, different types of motivation will be distinguished. The third chapter will
characterize the six stages of a Tool Kit which should be followed by teachers when preparing
CLIL lessons. The fourth chapter will deal with the topic of selecting, adapting and creating
materials and tasks for CLIL classrooms. The last chapter will clarify the specifics of CLIL
assessment and characterize different types of assessment.

The practical part will provide the results of the research which will be realized at a
lower-secondary school. A CLIL unit will be taught in the ninth grade and the impact of CLIL
11
on their content learning will be monitored. The research will be supported by lesson plans
and feedback from teachers and pupils.

The aim of the diploma thesis is to provide an overview of a CLIL approach, to

demonstrate its impact on pupils’ content learning and to state benefits which it may bring
into the language and content teaching and learning process.

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1 THEORETICAL PART

1.1 Content and language integrated learning

1.1.1 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. An additional language is usually a learner’s foreign language but it may also
be a second language” (Coyle et al., 2010, p. 1). CLIL is simply the teaching and learning in a
language which is not learner‘s own. But it is important to say that it is not a language class, it
is a subject class which is taught in a foreign language. While students are learning about the
subject matter, they are also learning a foreign language. Massler (2010) states that “CLIL
teachers need to use the specific methods and techniques of two subjects and combine them
effectively in such a way that the pupils acquire both sets of knowledge, skills and
competences. Simply teaching the content subject in the foreign language won’t be sufficient,
nor will merely providing language instruction parallel to content instruction” (61).

The subject can be almost anything from school subjects like mathematics or
geography, to life skills such as culinary arts. The combinations of subjects and languages are
almost limitless. For example, in Czech schools, a CLIL class could involve teaching and
learning geography in English, history in Spanish or mathematics in German.

1.1.2 The main benefits of CLIL

In today’s modern and globalized world, multilinguism is increasingly important and

extremely beneficial. As language is our primary source of communication, speaking other
languages will help us get in touch with people from countries all over the world. It creates
job opportunities in international markets and regions.

CLIL is a completely different learning experience compared with a majority of

foreign language teaching because content and language are taught together. It is a natural
way of learning a language which is based on language acquisition rather than enforced
learning. “CLIL creates a fusion between the content and language subjects and challenges

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independent and cooperative learning, creates the base for long-life development.
Interdisciplinary education can increase student motivation for learning as well as the level of
their engagement. As opposed to isolated learning, students within the cross-curricular project
are able to see a practical use of what they have been learning” (Horváthová, 2012, p. 103).

CLIL is appropriate for all age groups. It can be used for very young learners,
teenagers, adults, and also in vocational or academic studies. Coyle et al. (2010) points out
that “CLIL can offer learners of any age a natural situation for language development which
builds on other forms of learning” (p. 11).

CLIL can raise the achievement of learners in language competences as it promotes

positive attitude towards foreign language learning and raises their motivation and aspiration.
When learners are interested in a topic they are motivated to acquire language to
communicate. The development of communication skills also helps to improve learners’
performance in the curricular subject. Coyle et al. (2010) confirm that “if a learner
participates voluntarily in learning through the medium of an additional language, it can
enhance overall motivation towards the subject itself” (p. 11).

Learners are exposed to diverse methods and forms of classroom teaching and
learning, innovative materials are used during the classes. Language is seen in real-life
situations in which students can acquire the language. The use of authentic materials helps
learners to improve in all skill areas and it increases their confidence in the foreign language.
Language is integrated into the broad curriculum and it introduces the wider cultural context.
It prepares learners for future studies or employment.

Fluency is developed as the language is used to communicate for a variety of

purposes. In CLIL learning fluency is more important than accuracy and errors are a natural
part of language learning. Learners are not being assessed on their knowledge of concrete
grammatical structures but rather on their ability to use them in the appropriate places.

CLIL involves cooperation between language teachers and subject teachers because
language teachers need to learn more about the subject content and subject teachers need to
learn about the language needed for their subjects.

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1.1.3 The drawbacks of CLIL

Despite the evident potential of CLIL, several limitations should be mentioned as well.
Pokrivčáková (2010) points out that the first problem is lack of information on the CLIL
method among teachers as well as school management. Unfortunately, there are still not
enough opportunities for teachers to attend CLIL methodology training courses. The
cooperation between subject teachers and language teachers is needed. High demands are
placed on teachers’ linguistic and subject-specific knowledge.

CLIL is definitely time and energy consuming. Lesson preparation is more demanding
as teachers need to select and adapt the subject content and teaching materials. Because of the
lack of CLIL materials and resources on the market, teachers must usually create their own
ones.

As far as CLIL learners are concerned, not all of them are motivated to learn a foreign
language. In addition, insufficient level of foreign language proficiency may lead to use of
first language in the classroom (p. 21).

1.1.4 The development of CLIL

1.1.4.1 Pre-CLIL

Even though the term CLIL (content and language integrated learning) was created in
1994, it is not a new form of education. It has roots in the distant past. Some authors such as
Mehisto, Marsh and Frigols (2008) refer to the Akkadians who conquered the Sumerians and
then started to learn the local Sumerian language by using it as the language of instruction to
learn several subjects such as botany or zoology. It was around 5000 years ago (p. 9). Coyle,
Hood and Marsh (2010) offer another example. 2000 years ago, the Roman Empire expanded
and absorbed the Greek territory and families in Greece began to educate their children to
provide them with language knowledge and social and professional opportunities (p. 2).

In Europe, during the following centuries, people became aware of the value of
multilinguism. There were two ways of learning a foreign language among the most
privileged wealthy families. They sent their children abroad to study in private schools and
learn foreign languages or hired tutors or governesses who spoke to their children in a foreign
language (Mehisto et al., 2008, p. 9).
15
 Multilingual programmes sometimes arose from geographic, demographic or
economic reasons. Around 1965, English-speaking Canadians living in the French-speaking
province of Quebec wanted to provide their children with bilingual instructions in order “a) to
become competent to speak, read and write in French; b) to reach normal achievement levels
throughout the curriculum, including the English language; c) to appreciate the traditions and
culture of French-speaking Canadians, as well as English-speaking Canadians” (Baker, 1998,
p. 496). The local authorities established a language-immersion programme and English-
speaking children began to study their school subjects in French. “The use of immersion
teaching began to spread throughout Canada and much of the rest of the world” (Mehisto et
al., 2008, p. 10). In 1966, “Language Across the Curriculum” movement appeared in London,
England. This concept links the study and use of languages so that students can apply their
language skills in variety of disciplines. “An increased understanding that content and
language needed to be taught and learnt hand in hand was developing” (Mehisto et al., 2008,
p. 10).

1.1.4.2 The rise of CLIL

“In terms of education and pedagogy, it can be argued that the 1990s was the decade
in which teaching and learning through a foreign language was increasingly adopted as a
platform for providing the sought for extra means of language teaching and learning delivery”
(Marsh, 2002, p. 54).

The term CLIL was coined in 1994 by David Marsh, a professor of the University of
Jyväskylä in Finland. (Mehisto et al., 2008, p. 9). According to Marsh (2012), “the European
launch of CLIL during 1994 was both political and educational. The political driver was based
on a vision that mobility across the EU required higher levels of language competence in
designated languages than was found to be the case at that time. The educational driver,
influenced by other major bilingual initiatives such as in Canada, was to design and otherwise
adapt existing language teaching approaches so as to provide a wide range of students with
higher levels of competence” (p. 1).

In 2005, Marsh suggested CLIL to be “a general ‘umbrella’ term to refer to diverse

methodologies which lead to dual focussed education where attention is given to both topic
and language of instruction” (Kovács, 2014, p. 48-49).

16
 Thanks to globalization and the technology revolution, the world is getting more and
more connected. This ongoing process causes the existence of global economic, political,
cultural, linguistic and environmental interconnections. Advanced technology makes
communication and exchange of information much easier. All these changes have impact on
education and learning languages. “The reality of life in a mixed global society is having an
impact on how we teach and what we teach - and this concerns language education, as much
as any other form of subject learning” (Mehisto et al., 2008, p. 10).

1.1.4.3 CLIL in the Czech Republic

As an example of pre-CLIL in our history, the time period before the Czech National
Revival when the Czech lands experienced Germanisation could be mentioned. German was
made the official language which strongly influenced administration and culture and it also
became the language of education at Czech schools and universities.

Czech education began to transform since the political change in 1989. “One of the
first educational programmes implemented in 1990 in accordance with EU documents was a
form of CLIL launched by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports and simultaneously
researched by a project of Socrates Lingua A - Trans-language in Europe (TIE-CLIL)”
(Maljers, 2007, p. 42). The TIE-CLIL project consist of five parts which present “general
information on CLIL, its methodology, practical tips and specifications of language demands
for both CLIL teachers and pupils” (Hanesová, 2015, p. 11). This project was followed by
several other projects concerning CLIL on primary as well as secondary levels, for example,
“in 2014 a nation-wide project Foreign Languages for Life systematically disseminating CLIL
idea into all types of schools was launched” (Hanesová, 2015, p. 11).

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1.2. Theoretical concepts
This chapter will clarify several important issues which teachers need to realize and
bear in mind in order to be prepared to successfully implement CLIL into their teaching. First
of all, I will describe motivation, its impact on students’ effective learning and different types
of motivation. Secondly, I will focus on choosing the effective content of learning through
which learners can acquire and develop their thinking skills. The third subchapter deals with
the topic of language learning. I will explain the term the Language Triptych which consists
of three language aspects which progressively appear during CLIL classes and I will also
provide some useful tips how to balance a native language and a foreign language in CLIL
classrooms. The last subchapter connects language learning and content learning by means of
the 4Cs Framework.

1.2.1 Motivation

A key factor for learning is motivation. Harmer (2007a) states that “one of the
teacher’s main aims should be to help students sustain their motivation” (p. 20). There are
many features which influence learners’ motivation. Teachers are role models who should
show their energy and enthusiasm to learners. They should create tasks and learning activities
which are challenging, interesting for learners and let them participate actively. Teachers
should act like guides who support learners and help them achieve their goals. Ur (1991)
highlights that “learner motivation makes teaching and learning immeasurably easier and
more pleasant, as well as more productive: hence the importance of the topic for teachers” (p.
274).

According to Ur (1991) some characteristic of a motivated learner are:

 “Positive task orientation: the learner is willing to tackle tasks and challenges, and has
confidence in his or her success.
 Ego-involvement - the learner finds it important to succeed in learning in order to
maintain and promote his or her own (positive) self-image.
 Need for achievement - the learner has a need to achieve, to overcome difficulties and
succeed in what he or she sets out to do.
 High aspirations - the learner is ambitious, goes for demanding challenges, high
proficiency, top grades.
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  Goal orientation - the learner is very aware of the goals of learning, or of specific
learning activities, and directs his or her efforts towards achieving them” (p. 275).

As far as CLIL is concerned, studying a subject through a foreign language could be

for many learners more demanding and they might need a strong motivation. On the other
hand, when the students learn subject content and the foreign language at the same time, it
may improve their attitude towards both subjects. “Some learners who have a more negative
attitude towards either the content subject or the language may have greater motivation
towards the other subject and through this may improve their attitude towards the less-liked
element” (Coyle et al., 2010, p. 88).

We can distinguish between two types of motivation, “integrative” and “instrumental”

motivation. Ur (1991) affirms that learners with “instrumental” motivation study languages
for some practical reasons such as to get a degree, to gain a better paid job or to be able to
read a foreign book. Learners who are motivated “integratively” study the language because
they want to have contact with people who speak the language, understand and get to know
their culture and habits better (p. 276).

Motivation could be also divided into “extrinsic” and “intrinsic.” Ur (1991) explains
that “extrinsic” motivation comes from outside an individual, learners are motivated by their
teachers or parents. “Extrinsically” motivated learners expect some kind of reward such as
praise, a good grade or fame if they succeed and, on the other hand, some kind of a penalty in
case they fail. “Intrinsically” motivated learners study languages for their own benefits. It is
an opportunity for them to expand their vision, realize their potential, they believe it is useful
for them, or they simply enjoy it (p. 276).

1.2.2 The content of learning

The first and crucial point is to consider the content of learning. Coyle et al. (2010)
emphasise that CLIL teachers need to address “the what of content teaching” as well as “the
how of content learning” (p. 28). “The what of content teaching” is a subject from the school
curriculum such as geography, maths or history, or it might be some topical issue which
connects different parts of the curriculum such as global warming, causes of poverty or free
trade and globalization. When choosing the content of a lesson many different factors such as
the age of learners, their language skills or cognitive abilities as well as the school

19
environment, language support and teacher availability must be taken into consideration
(Coyle et al., 2010, p. 28). “The how of content learning” means how the content is taught in a
CLIL context. “In other words, CLIL demands an analysis of what is meant by effective
pedagogies in different contexts” (Coyle et al., 2010, p. 28).

Coyle et al. (2010) stress that modern teaching methods promotes student-centered
learning in which students become active participants in their own learning process instead of
passive receivers of information (p. 29). “This kind of scenario requires social interaction
between learners and teachers and scaffolded (that is, supported) learning by someone or
something more ‘expert’ - that might be the teacher, other learners or resources. When
learners are able to accommodate cognitive challenge - that is, to deal with new knowledge -
they are likely to be engaged in interacting with ‘expert’ others and peers to develop their
individual thinking” (Coyle et al., 2010, p. 29).

Teaching thinking skills is an important part of today’s modern education. The

development of higher order cognitive skills has a positive influence on other learner’s skills
such as problem solving and team skills or critical and creative thinking skills. Coyle et al.
(2010) believe that “effective content learning has to take account not only of the defined
knowledge and skills within the curriculum or thematic plan, but also how to apply these
through creative thinking, problem solving and cognitive challenge” (p. 29).

As the basis of teaching and learning thinking skills is considered the Bloom’s
taxonomy which is named after an American educational psychologist Benjamine Bloom. It is
“a hierarchy of six thinking skills placed on a continuum from lower to higher order skills:
knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation. According to this
system, lower order skills included recalling knowledge to identify, label, name or describe
things. Higher order skills called on the application, analysis or synthesis of knowledge,
needed when learners use new information or a concept in a new situation, break information
or concepts into parts to understand it more fully, or put ideas together to form something
new. In 2001 a former student of Bloom, Lorin Anderson, published a revised classification
of thinking skills which is actually rather similar to the original but focuses more on verbs
than nouns and renames some of the levels” (Brewster, 2009).

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1.2.3 The language of learning

Whereas the language was traditionally learnt mainly by studying grammar and
reading and translating texts, modern approaches highlight that communication is the most
important part of language learning. As Freire (1972) says “without dialogue there is no
communication and without communication there can be no true education” (p. 81).

Coyle et al. (2010) argue that “in CLIL settings it is necessary for learners to progress
systematically in both their content learning and their language learning and using, then using
language to learn is as important as learning to use language” (p. 35). However, Coyle et al.
(2010) point out that the problem is that many CLIL learners have a cognitive level higher
than a linguistic level of the vehicular CLIL language. For this reason, teachers need to plan
and analyse language carefully and they need to make explicit the interrelationship between
content objectives and language objectives (p. 35-36).

1.2.3.1 The Language Triptych

The Language Triptych is a theoretical framework which “supports learners in

language using through the analysis of the CLIL vehicular language from three interrelated
perspectives: language of learning, language for learning and language through learning”
(Coyle et al., 2010, p. 34).

The language of learning “explores what language learners will need to access new
knowledge and understanding when dealing with the content” (Coyle et al., 2010, p. 61). The
language of learning does not cover only the knowledge of key words and phrases, but also
language of defining, describing, or explaining, as well as knowledge of certain grammatical
structures.

“The language for learning is the most crucial element for successful CLIL, as it
makes transparent the language needed by learners to operate in a learning environment where
the medium is not their first language” (Coyle et al., 2010, p. 62). The language for learning is
the language learners will need during the CLIL lessons to be able to accomplish given tasks
and activities. For example, they need to develop their discussion skills, organize group work,
or present result of their research. “Unless learners are able to understand and use language

21
which enables them to learn, to support each other and to be supported, quality learning will
not take place” (Coyle et al., 2010, p. 37).

The language through learning is a new language acquired while learning as learners’
knowledge, skills and understanding develop. “This emerging language needs to be captured,
recycled and developer strategically by teachers and learners. In other words, learners need
language to support and advance their thinking processes whist acquiring new knowledge, as
well as to progress their language learning” (Coyle et al., 2010, p. 37-38).

1.2.3.2 Balancing L1 and L2 in CLIL classrooms

First of all, let us clarify that L1 refers to the first language learned or that which is
primarily used and L2 refers to a language in which a learner is in the process of learning.

Many teachers are not sure whether or not the first language should be included into
L2 classroom. Lasagabaster (2013) claims that “there are currently different perspectives
about the role to be played by the L1 in CLIL contexts, although its use seems to be common
practice. Some voices consider that the L1 only has a support function for explanation and its
use should be minimized, whereas other voices state that the L1 has a learning function, as it
can help to build up students’ lexicon and to foster their metalinguistic awareness” (p. 1).

Generally speaking, it is not necessary to avoid the first language in CLIL classroom,
however it should not be overused. Teachers should maximise L2 learning opportunities but
at the same time they must ensure that learners will understand and acquire the subject content
properly.

Kiely (2010) suggests some principles to guide the school language (L1) and the
second language (L2) use in the CLIL classroom:

 “Maximise exposure to and use of L2 in the CLIL classroom” – teachers must

carefully plan their lessons in order to maximise the use of second language, but it is
important to bear in mind that the more the teacher speaks, the less students do.
Teachers should reduce teacher talking time in favour of their students.
 “Manage the classroom in English” – a great way to establish a bilingual culture in the
classroom is to use the second language for classroom organisation. Students might be
instructed as well as praised or rebuked in English. They should be taught to ask for
clarification or repetition, or to apologize if they forget something in English.
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  “Focus on accuracy in pronunciation” – correct pronunciation is a basis of effective
communication, it prevents misunderstanding and establishes confidence.
 “Check comprehension using the school language” – checking for understanding is an
essential part of every CLIL lesson and simply asking whether students understood is
not usually enough. It is possible to use the native language in order to check their
comprehension and clarify problems.
 “Teach school language terms for subjects” – sometimes it might be needed to provide
translations of keywords which are difficult to explain in English or to explain some
specific terms in students’ first language as they might be new for them in both
languages.
 “Promote interlingual work-exploring the two languages“ – CLIL classroom provided
a context for studying the linguistic features which characterise each language, their
similarities and differences.
 “Use the school language to support learning” – for some learners learning subject
content in L2 might be too challenging. The teacher might provide them with bilingual
worksheets or summaries of key concept in L1 in order to promote their learning and
do not let them fall behind (p. 96-98).

1.2.4 The 4Cs Framework

The 4Cs Framework is a tool which was created to connect content learning and
language learning. According to Coyle et al. (2010, p. 41), the 4Cs Framework “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)” (p. 41).

Content refers to the subject or the theme of the lesson. When planning the content of
the lessons, it is necessary to think of the knowledge, skills and understanding we want our
learners to learn, not only the knowledge they should acquire. The content should always be
relevant to the interests and needs of learners. As Mehisto et al. (2008) say “in order to
acquire new knowledge and skills, people usually need not only to access new information,
but also to connect that information with their own existing knowledge, skills and attitudes”
(p. 30).

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 Communication is about using a certain language to communicate ideas, opinions, or
attitudes. Coyle et al. (2010) highlight that CLIL lessons differ from normal language lessons
as the emphasis is not on language learning but language using. Students “learn to use
language and use language to learn” (p. 54). Language is used to construct new knowledge
and skills. It offers opportunities to interact with each other.

Cognition means developing thinking skills which students use to be able to

understand learning content, solve problems and reflect on their learning. “CLIL is about
allowing individuals to construct their own understanding and be challenged - whatever their
age or ability” (Coyle et al., 2010, p. 54).

Culture (also known as community and citizenship) refers to developing intercultural

understanding and global citizenship. Learners are encouraged to be aware of themselves as
well as of other people, their own culture and those of others.

Coyle et al. (2010) highlight that “effective CLIL takes place as a result of the
symbiosis of these four elements, through:

 progression in knowledge, skills and understanding of the content,

 engagement is associated cognitive processing,
 interaction in the communicative context,
 development of appropriate language knowledge and skills,
 the acquisition of a deepening intercultural awareness, which is in turn brought about
by the positioning of self and ‘otherness’” (p. 41).

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1.3 Transforming theory into practice
Coyle et al. (2010) emphasise that “connecting theoretical ideas to changing practice
requires time, patience and professional support” (p. 48). Teachers who are just at the very
beginning of CLIL development should start by experimenting and trying CLIL in a few
lessons or parts of lessons at first to build confidence and gradually understand the principles
of CLIL.

Coyle et al. (2010) created a “Tool Kit” which is composed of six stages - “a shared
vision for CLIL; analysing and personalizing the CLIL context; planning a unit; preparing a
unit; monitoring and evaluating CLIL in action; next steps - towards inquiry-based
professional learning communities” (p. 49-69). The aim of the “Tool Kit” is to help teachers
or other practitioners of CLIL to prepare their own personalized “Tool Kit” and develop their
own classroom practices.

Stage 1: “A shared vision for CLIL”

The first stage connects those interested in CLIL. It could be a small group which
includes only a language and a subject teacher (or even one teacher on their own) or a bigger
team involving language teachers, subject teachers, primary teachers, or project managers.
The main purpose of the group is to share their ideas and dicsover how CLIL might work in
their school. During discussions and brainstorming activities the participants should share
their visions of cooperation of a CLIL team, achievements of CLIL learners and teachers, or
ideal conditions. During this meeting they should also create long-lasting goals such as
increase learners’ confidence in the foreign language, or improve learners’ performance in the
curricular subject.

Stage 2: “Analysing and personalizing the CLIL context”

“This stage requires those responsible for the CLIL programme to construct a model
for CLIL which not only grows from the vision created in Stage 1, but which also reflects the
local situation” (Coyle et al., 2010 p. 52). Many different factors such as type of school, class
size, staff resources, or national policies, need to be taken into account when choosing the
most suitable variant of CLIL.

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Stage 3: “Planning a unit”

Coyle et al. (2010, p. 53) suggest to use the 4Cs Framework when planning units of
work. The framework consists of four major elements - content, communication, cognition
and culture. This conceptual approach enable teachers to plan their lessons or units so that all
four elements of CLIL are present and connected.

As previously mentioned in chapter two, those four main elements do not exist
separately, they need to be linked. First step is to identify the content of the lesson. It is
essential to make clear what the content of the lesson is. Does it address the requirements of
the curriculum? What are the aims and outcomes which learners will achieve? How does the
content develop the global goals?

When the content of the lesson is set, the second step is to “analyse and select the
thinking skills, problem solving and creativity which connect with the content. This process
ensures that the cognitive level of the CLIL unit relates to the learners’ own levels of
development” (Coyle et al., 2010, p. 58). In other words, the learning level should not be
lower than the cognitive level of the learners. The individual tasks and activities of the lessons
should be chosen so that the learners have opportunities to develop higher order thinking
skills (analyzing, evaluating, and creating) as well as lower order thinking skills
(remembering, understanding, and applying). They should be given time to discuss their
newly acquired knowledge and always encouraged to ask questions.

The third step is to link the content and cognition with communication. It is important
to understand that the language must be carefully chosen to support the content, it must be
accessible and appropriate for the learners. The language does not rely on grammatical
chronology, particular grammar points are taught when they are needed. The language
necessary to learn in a CLIL classroom is formed based on the Language Triptych. “The term
‘triptych’ is used to identify an image consisting of three linked parts” (Coyle et al., 2010, p.
60). The first step is to analyze the content, cognition and culture for the language of learning.
The second step is to add the language for learning which is “the kind of language needed by
the learners to be able to operate in a foreign language environment” (Coyle et al., 2010, p.
37). And the last step is to apply the language through learning. As Coyle et al. (2010) note
“the challenge for teachers is how to capitalize on, recycle and extend new language so that it
becomes embedded in the learner’s repertoire. Language progression in this sense can be

26
defined as the systematic development of emerging language from specific contexts,
supported by structured grammatical awareness, using known language in new ways,
accessing unknown language and so on” (p. 63).

The final step is about developing international awareness and understanding of the
differences and similarities while learning through a foreign language. “Integrating cultural
opportunities into the CLIL classroom is not an option, it is a necessity. Intercultural
experiences can be developer from different perspectives to make CLIL ‘lived-through’
experience: for example, through the ethos of the classroom, through curriculum linking with
other classes, through the content of the unit or through connections made with the wider
world” (Coyle et al., 2010, p. 64). Teachers need to find the most reachable means through
which the learners can gain cultural understanding.

Stage 4: “Preparing the unit”

This stage involves planning a series of lessons. Preparation of tasks, activities,

materials and resources is probably the most demanding and time-consuming of all the stages.
“There are few ready-made materials which respond to the needs of context-specific units.
Using materials designed for learning in non-CLIL contexts is potentially both linguistically
and culturally problematic” (Coyle et al., 2010, p. 65). Unfortunately, available CLIL
materials are not very often appropriate for other teachers as they do not correspond with their
content of a lesson, its aims, or learners’ ability and skill levels. For this reason, CLIL
teachers have to adapt them or develop their own materials.

Stage 5: “Monitoring and evaluating CLIL in action”

This stage is not about assessing learners but it focuses on “monitoring the
development of a unit and evaluating the processes and outcomes” (Coyle et al., 2010, p. 67).
It is necessary to monitor and evaluate students’ learning progress. Discussions with students
are its essential part.

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

“To develop a CLIL professionals, to gain confidence, to explore the CLIL agenda, to
take risks and move beyond the familiar, it is desirable that teachers belong to or build a
professional learning community where everyone considers themselves as learners as well as

27
teachers” (Coyle et al., 2010, p. 69). Meeting other CLIL teachers in the Czech Republic is
not always easy but thanks to modern technologies and the Internet, it is possible for every
teacher to join a CLIL community and communicate online with other CLIL teachers not only
from the Czech republic but around the world. Teachers have the opportunity to collectively
share and discuss their own theories, ideas, successful classroom experiences as well as
problems and challenges they face in the classroom. They can also provide other teachers with
specific materials, tasks and activities they created for CLIL lessons. As Hargreaves (2003)
notes “one of the most powerful resources in any organization have for learning and
improving is each other” (p. 84).

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1.4 Materials for CLIL classrooms
This chapter focuses on appropriate materials for CLIL classrooms and recommends
various criteria which teachers should consider when selecting materials and tasks for CLIL
classrooms.

Learning materials are essential components of each lesson, they affect its quality and
influence students’ attitudes and motivation toward learning as well as the achievements of
learning. According to Mehisto (2012), “learning materials can be defined as information and
knowledge that are represented in a variety of media and formats, and that support the
achievement of intended learning outcomes. Learning materials are in adherence with the
objectives and requirements of a regional or national curriculum” (p. 16).

Mehisto (2012) states that learning materials should support learners, create a clear
link between school subjects and students’ life so that learners are able to apply the
knowledge and skills they learn at school to other challenges inside and outside of school.
Those materials should provoke interest in learners to seek other sources of information (p.
16).

1.4.1 Selecting CLIL learning materials

There are many different language teaching coursebooks available on the market, but
unfortunately only few ready-made CLIL materials so the CLIL teachers are not often able to
find materials suitable for their lessons and they have to modify those available, supplement
them with other materials or create their own materials. A very rich source of materials is the
Internet. Various authentic materials such as newspaper and magazine articles, web pages,
radio broadcasts, posters or leaflets may easily be found there. The use of Internet materials
bringa many advantages. They are authentic, up-to-date, they provide exposure to real
language and authentic cultural information, they support creative teaching and learning.
Materials for CLIL classrooms must be properly analyzed to relate to the content of the
lesson, target language area and also learners’ needs and interests.

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1.4.1.1. Varied input

Gondová (2015) emphasises that learners should be given enough opportunities to

construct their own knowledge and understanding. The teachers are not the only source of
information, students need to work with various materials which help them to understand
communication in different academic contexts. Working on specific tasks allows them to use
the language and develop their speaking and writing skills. Interaction through pair and group
work maximises the opportunities to practise. Each material needs to be assessed from the
point of view of the content and age appropriacy. The materials must include the content of
the curriculum and be convenient for a particular age group. It is a great idea to use varied
materials such as texts, newspaper or magazine articles, videos and films, audio files, or
visuals to provide rich input through which learners will improve and develop their language
skills and accommodate different learning styles (p. 156).

1.4.1.2 4Cs Framework

Teachers should bear in mind the 4Cs Framework by Do Coyle when selecting
materials for CLIL classrooms. Effective learning materials should provide and also
interconnect all four elements (content, cognition, communication and culture). Mehisto
(2012) agrees that “quality learning materials do more than just communicate information.
They promote critical and creative thought, discussion and learner autonomy. At the same
time, quality learning materials help students recognise the limitations of their current
thinking and learning. They help students to understand when they need additional
information and help. They also promote mutual understanding in social situations in order to
contribute to joint problem-solving” (p. 16).

Furthemore, Mehisto (2012) argues that the content of materials could also shape the
character of each learner. It could help them realize their role in the family, school class or
other groups and become a useful member of society. Quality materials could teach them to
be respectful, care for others and treat them well, be responsible for their own behaviour and
its consequences. Building intercultural knowledge and global perspective can prevent
cultural, gender, ethnic stereotyping and racial prejudice (p. 16-17).

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1.4.1.3 CLIL criteria

When selecting, adapting or creating materials for CLIL classrooms, teachers should
consider many features to make sure that those materials will be appropriate and meet the
needs of students. Mehisto (2012) suggests ten criteria which should be taken into account
when choosing quality CLIL materials:
 “make the learning intentions (language, content, learning skills) & process visible to
students;
 systematically foster academic language proficiency;
 include self, peer and other types of formative assessment;
 help create a safe learning environment;
 foster cooperative learning;
 foster learning skills development and learner autonomy;
 seek ways of incorporating authentic language and authentic language use;
 foster critical thinking;
 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;
 help to make learning meaningful” (p. 16).

1.4.1.4 The language of materials

When selecting texts for CLIL classrooms teachers do not consider only the content
but also if the language is carried in a comprehensible way. “Most materials which can be
found on the internet have been written for native speakers and therefore, often need to be
simplified for CLIL learners” (Gondová, 2015, p. 156). The teachers must assess whether the
text is appropriate for a concrete language level, what amount of specific and general
vocabulary it contains, whether or not the sentences are too complex and complicated for the
learners. If it is necessary to simplify the text, Gondová (2015) suggests alterations that can be
made:
 “shorten sentences and use simple language structures; for levels A1, A2 it is
necessary to avoid using complex sentences if they are not part of the language
structure students need to use to do the task, e.g. if they are expected to hypothesise in
one of the after-reading activities, keep these structures in the text;
31
  replace high-level general vocabulary;
 avoid idiomatic expressions and phrasal verbs” (p. 157).

In addition to that, it is always possible to shorten long texts, or split them into short
sections, add paragraph headings, underline key words, or add pictures.

Learning skills of students must be also taken into consideration. “Materials chosen
for a module should cover all language skills and make it possible for students to develop
both receptive and productive skills” (Gondová, 2015, p. 157). Learners should acquire
reading strategies such as skimming, scanning or intensive reading to be able to work with the
material effectively. They need to master academic language to be able to talk about specific
topics. “They need to learn how to use a variety of language functions to be able to define,
compare, classify, analyse, describe, draw conclusions, evaluate, hypothesize, predict, give
information, explain, etc., which also helps them develop their cognitive skills” (Gondová,
2015, p. 155). It is also important to build good online research skills so that students are able
to conduct a search and become critical thinkers.

During the CLIL lessons, learners will work with different materials. The most
common types of materials are texts. Obviously, some of them are easier or more accessible
than the others. Coyle et al. (2010) recommend “a hierarchy of text types” which teachers
might follow while selecting text materials and preparing particular tasks (p. 97). According
to Coyle et al. (2010), artefacts and visuals do not convey too much information and they are
ideal for starting points in CLIL classrooms. Tables, diagrams and flowcharts as well as
bullet-point texts consist of separate words, short phrases or single sentences and therefore
they are not as demanding as continuous texts and might be easily accessed. Continuous texts
stand at the top of the hierarchy (p. 97). “Continuous texts generally require more language,
more concentration and more developed reading or listening skills to be accessed than any
other of the text types” (Coyle et al., 2010, p. 96)

1.4.2 Balancing content and language

Learning subject-specific content through the medium of a foreign language might

cause difficulties to learners. For this reason, the teachers must think carefully about the way
they will use and work with the materials so that new content and complicated language do
not overwhelm the learners and they will be able to understand and acquire new knowledge.

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 Coyle et al. (2010) argue that “in parallel with this process of text selection, all
teachers need to consider how much new content material they can introduce at any one time,
and in CLIL context they need also to review how familiar the language is” (p. 94).

Coyle, Marsh and Hood (2010, p. 96) advise a “Content and language familiarity and
novelty continuum” (CLFNC). “It shows the different stages within a CLIL topic where we
might stimulate activity through input, as well as how the teacher might monitor the role of
familiarity and novelty in both content and language, so that learning is both accessible and
challenging in the right ways at the right times” (Coyle et al., 2010, p. 96).

According to Coyle et al. (2010), this approach is divided into four stages:
1. Familiar content and familiar language: The first stage which has the form of a warm up
brainstorming activity is used to settle and acclimatize learners. Through the activity learners
become familiar with the content and language.
2. Familiar content and new language: The content remains familiar to learners but new
vocabulary is introduced to them.
3. New content and familiar language: After the learners access the language, new concepts
are presented to them.
4. New content and new language: The last stage integrates new content and new language.
The language becomes more complex as vocabulary, grammar, sentences, and content are
incorporated (p. 95).

1.4.3 Scaffolding

Mehisto (2012) highlights that “quality CLIL materials are cognitively highly
demanding for learners who need to assume the additional challenge of learning through a
second language. However, excessive cognitive load can be avoided by incorporating
enhanced scaffolding and other learner support mechanisms to help students reach well
beyond what they could do on their own. Quality learning materials help students build a
sense of security in experimenting with language, content, and the management of their own
learning” (p. 17).

“The idea of scaffolding is based on work by Wood, Bruner and Ross (1976) and
Vygotsky (1978). Builders use temporary scaffolds to support a building during construction,

33
and then – once the building can stand alone – the scaffold is removed” (Dale, Tanner, 2012,
p. 31). Learners could be supported in the same way.

Scaffolding is a teaching strategy providing assistance and guiding students during

their learning process until they become more independent and they are able to solve the
problem on their own. Scaffolding helps students to understand new concepts and develop
new skills in a faster way. Scaffolding teaching strategies might include using realia and
visual aids such as graphs, charts, pictures, mind maps, giving clues and asking questions,
activating prior knowledge, retelling or slowing down, and having students develop their own
definitions for terms (Mehisto et al., 2008, p. 140).

1.4.4 Tasks for CLIL classrooms

Gondová (2015) emphasises that “each material which is used in a lesson needs to
have a purpose. The teacher must know exactly what objectives it enables students to achieve,
and whether it is possible to write tasks which go with it and make it possible for students to
develop their higher-order thinking skills” (p. 156). Berton explains that “teachers should give
priority to tasks which are both content and language oriented and find the best way to
implement tasks in the CLIL contexts. The challenge for foreign language teaching is to find
tasks which motivate learners to use the target language but which also give them a fair
chance to learn to cognitively cope with the content and the language forms which they find
themselves confronted with during the CLIL lessons.”

Speaking, reading, listening and writing are the four basic skills of language learning
which are necessary for efficient communication. Each lesson should consist of several tasks
which focus on different language skills. Ideally, those tasks might incorporate several
language skills simultaneously. Each task should be composed of a few specific subtasks
which build comprehension and increase interest in learners, support their learning and help
them to accomplish the whole task successfully. Those subtasks also allow teachers to check
for understanding regularly.

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 As far as reading and listening tasks are concerned, Gondová (2015) divides them into
three types of subtasks:
“a) pre-reading/listening tasks which prepare students to deal with the material
independently; motivate them and spark their interest; activate their schemata (pre-concepts);
or help them understand some key vocabulary which appears in the material;
b) during-reading/listening tasks which help students understand the new knowledge, main
ideas, important details, or specific information included in the text;
c) after-reading/listening tasks which enable students to use the new language of learning
(subject-specific language) and language for learning, construct their own knowledge, deepen
their understanding of the new subject matter, and use it in various problem-solving tasks” (p.
157).
Diversity of tasks also leads to different types of interaction in the classroom.
Scrivener (1994) defines five types of grouping: “the class working together with the teacher,
the whole class mixing together as individuals, small groups, pairs and individual work” (p.
214). For CLIL lessons it is important to promote student interaction as it plays a significant
role in developing their language abilities. Coyle et al. (2010) agree that “successful CLIL
modules have often included a great amount of paired work, group work and cooperative
learning techniques” (p. 88). Gondová (2015) adds that “it is fundamental that students
interact with each other because learning is a social process and learners learn best in
interaction with each other. Such interaction enables them to construct their own knowledge,
develop their cognition and acquire speaking skills (in both languages)” (p. 156).

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1.5 Assessment
This chapter deals with the topic of assessment, explains the importance of assessment
for learners as well as teachers, provides different types of assessment and points out the
specifics of assessment in CLIL classrooms including content and language assessment.

Assessment plays a significant role in the teaching and learning process. It has three
main purposes. The first one is to measure students’ progress and achievement of learning.
The second one is to provide students with information about their knowledge, skills and
abilities in order to enhance their learning and set appropriate learning goals. The third
purpose is to help teachers evaluate and improve their teaching qualities.

1.5.1 Evaluation and assessment

First of all, let us summarize the differences between evaluation and assessment:

Evaluation is the process of gathering information and making judgements based on

chosen criteria and evidence. Its main focus is not on learners and their study progress but on
an educational programme. “It uses tools such as tests, questionnaires, analysis and
observations in order to identify the worth and merit of a teaching programme, particular
methods, materials, teaching effectiveness, classroom atmosphere and teacher-learner and
learner-learner relationships“ (Babocká, 2015, p. 176).

Assessment, in contrast to evaluation, is focused on the learner. It is the procedure of

collecting, documenting and interpreting knowledge, skills, attitudes, progress, achievement,
usually in measurable terms. Assessment is a tool which focuses on the learner not only at the
end of their learning process but also within their learning in order to support it, make
improvements and measure the progress made toward the learning goals. Mehisto et al. (2008)
agree that assessment “is an integral part of every lesson. Teachers are always checking to see
whether students have understood the material or instructions, if the class is engaged, whether
the students are speaking less or more than the teacher, if planned content and language
outcomes are realistic or whether there are obstacles that need to be removed from the path of
learning. Teachers also guide students to assess their own progress on an ongoing basis” (p.
121).

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1.5.2 Types of assessment

It is important to support learners in all aspects of their learning. There are various
assessment strategies which are used to monitor students’ learning and their progress in
moving towards achieving learning objectives.

1.5.2.1 Formative and summative assessment

Formative assessment, recently defined as assessment for learning, is used to monitor

learners while learning. The purpose is to provide them with ongoing feedback which can be
used by learners to improve their learning process as well as by teachers to improve their
teaching. It helps learners realize what their strengths and weaknesses are and teachers to
address learners’ problems immediately. Examples of formative assessments are for instance
in-class discussions, a written summary of a lesson, a quiz scored by the learner or homework
assignments (Harmer, 2007b, p. 379).

Summative assessment (assessment of learning) is used to document students’ learning

at the end of an instructional period, such as a unit or a course. The purpose is to assess
learners’ knowledge, skills, achievements and learning outcomes. It also provides feedback to
teachers about the quality of their teaching. Summative assessments are almost always
graded. Some examples of summative assessments are midterm exams, end-of-unit tests, final
projects, final presentations (Harmer, 2007b, p. 379).

Both types of assessment require careful thought and planning about what knowledge
or skills will be measured. Through both assessments teachers can collect important and
useful information about the learners and their progress in learning but also about their
teaching. Formative and summative assessments could be combined in various ways. They
might be oral or written, verbal or nonverbal, spontaneous or planned, graded or ungraded,
individual or group.

1.5.2.2 Diagnostic assessment

Diagnostic assessment is closely related to formative assessment, however it is used at

the beginning of the course, unit or topic to determine pupil’s current knowledge,
understanding and skills, their strengths and weaknesses. Diagnostic assessments are usually
sets of written questions which pupils write at the beginning and after the course. Afterwards,

37
the results of the tests can be compared which helps evaluate the learning progress and plan
improvement of student learning.

1.5.2.3 Formal and informal assessment

Formal assessment is a form of systematic and planned assessment which measures

learners’ acquired knowledge during the selected instructional period such as a mid-term
assessment of a final assessment. Typical examples are tests, exams, quizzes. “They usually
take a written form so they can be reassessed, recorded and preserved. This relates to the aim
of the formal, usually summative assessment, which is to mark, grade or score the student’s
knowledge, skills and learning progress” (Babocká, 2015, p. 177).

Informal assessment is a spontaneous form of assessment which avoids the use of

standardized tests. It can be easily integrated into every lesson. The main aim of informal
assessment is to measure learners’ progress and performance. The most common example of
informal assessments are observations, interviews or questionnaires.

1.5.2.4 Alternative assessment

Alternative assessment focuses on continuous individual student progress. It is the

counter to traditional forms of standardized assessment. Alternative assessment tasks reveal
what students can and cannot do rather than what they know and do not know. Alternative
assessments are an ideal option for assessing the productive skills of speaking and writing.
Typical examples include portfolios or project work.

Authentic assessment is a type of alternative assessment. It is defined as “a set of

methods or techniques for assessing the academic achievement of a student that includes
activities requiring the application of acquired knowledge and skills to real-world situations
and that is often seen as an alternative to standardized testing” (Merriam-Webster). Authentic
tasks allow students to use their creativity and help them develop their oral or written
presentation skills. They works excellently for groups so it is a great way to promote
cooperation and encourage all students to participate in the learning process.

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1.5.2.4.1 Portfolio assessment

“A portfolio is a presentation of a student’s most valued work. It is evidence, collected

over a considerable period of time, of a student’s knowledge, skills and of progress made in
achieving learning outcomes” (Mehisto et al., 2008, p. 123).

Mehisto et al. (2008) claim that “portfolio assessment is an effective tool in supporting
the application of several core features of CLIL methodology. For example, portfolio
assessment lends itself well to taking into account and discussing different learning styles and
strategies. It encourages students to take ownership of their work through reflection and
discussion about the learning process and results. Portfolio assessment provides a forum for
challenging students to take another step forward and to set realistic personal goals. It is also a
vehicle for involving parents and a student’s peers” (p. 124).

Portfolio assessment is a combination of both formative and summative types of

assessment. “In summative terms, a portfolio is product-oriented and judgemental because it
comprises the results of a learner’s work such as written work, projects, test results, essays,
drawings, notes, etc. At the same time, it can be considered formative, because this collection
of samples of a learner’s work is purposeful, systematic and ongoing” (Babocká, 2015, p.
182-183). Portfolios also contain self-assessment and peer-assessment sheets and feedback
from teachers and therefore they summarize the complex learning process and development of
each learner.

1.5.2.5 Self assessment and peer assessment

Self and peer assessments allow learners to independently assess their own and other
students’ learning progress. Students become active participants in their learning process,
their independence and motivation is improved as they take greater responsibility for their
learning and rely on their own decisions rather than on teacher’s judgement. It brings an
opportunity for students to learn from their mistakes and identify their strengths and
weaknesses and target areas they need to work on.

Through self and peer assessment students may also easily develop understanding of
the assessment process and assessment criteria. It will help them realize all the things which
must be taken into consideration when assessing work. An important step is to clearly
describe the assessment criteria to learners so that they fully understand what is expected of
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them. Teachers usually provide their students with a predetermined list of assessment criteria
but it might also be a good idea to let them contribute to or establish their own assessment
criteria.

At the early stages students might need explanation of different forms of assessment
and the principles of self and peer assessment because they will lack the skills needed to be
able to effectively assess their own and others‘ performances and achievements. A great way
to develop self-assessment skills of CLIL learners is to let them create their own learning
journals where they could write what they have learned, what was confusing for them or what
they liked the most. “By means of learning journals, students can see their own progress and
detect the areas requiring them to work harder. Such information can be beneficial for the
teacher, who can check the journals during or at the end of each semester” (Babocká, 2015, p.
182). Peer and self-assessment can be used formatively as well as summatively.

1.5.3 Assessment in CLIL

“CLIL methodology is unique in integrating the content of a subject and a foreign
language. This uniqueness is projected to the methods and activities used in CLIL classes, in
organizing CLIL lessons, materials, lesson plans and, last but not least, assessment”
(Babocká, 2015, p. 176).

According to Coyle et al. (2010) the most frequent questions teachers ask are:

 What do we assess? - the most important question concerning CLIL is whether we

assess content or language.
 How do we assess? - there are many different ways how to assess students‘ learning.
Information about learners’ knowledge, skills and abilities may be collect by means of
testing, questioning, discussing, observing and many others.
 When do we assess? - assessment is relevant at any point. Some type of assessment
should appear in every lesson.
 Why do we assess? - there are two main reasons for assessing learners. The first one is
to monitor learners during their learning process to provide them with feedback. The
second one is to assess their knowledge and students learning at the end of an
instructional unit.

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  Who assesses? - teachers usually play the main role in assessment, however it is
essential to give some responsibility to their students to develop autonomous and
responsible learners (p. 114-115).

Mehisto et al. (2008) named all the areas which should be assessed in CLIL classrooms:

 “achievement of content and language goals,

 achievement of learning skills goals,
 use of language for various purposes (ie, academic, social),
 ability to work with authentic materials, as well as with native and non-native speakers
of the CLIL language,
 feeling safe to experiment with language and content,
 ongoing growth,
 effort,
 level of engagement,
 day-to-day work,
 all four language skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing),
 day-to-day communication,
 oral presentations,
 projects,
 partner and group work,“ and so on (p. 122).

1.5.3.1 Language or content

CLIL is an approach with dual focus on both content and language which means it
involves two assessment processes. When assessing learners, the CLIL teacher must always
consider both the criteria for the content assessment and the criteria for the language
assessment. Massler (2011) explains that “this does not mean that content and language
cannot be assessed in one task but rather involves having separate and clear criteria for each
area; language ability and content knowledge” (p. 122).

1.5.3.1.1 Assessing content

According to Coyle et al. (2010), aspects of the content which might be assessed are:

 “factual recall (detail),

41
  general understanding (major points),
 ability to manipulate the content, using higher-level thinking skills such as
interpretation, analysis, synthesis or application. This will also reflects objectives
regarding cognition, which are best assessed through content assessment, as without if
they become simply abstract skills,
 ability to research more independently and extend the topic knowledge beyond what
has been presented by the teacher” (p. 116).

Coyle et al. (2010) warn that sometimes learners have understood the content but they
are not able to express themselves clearly using the target language (p. 116). In this case,
Coyle et al. (2010) suggest implementing methods of assessment which use the minimum of
language (p. 117). “Examples of this are that learners should complete grids, draw diagrams
or pictures, decide if bulleted statements are true or false, correct facts which are wrong, make
simple presentations linked to visuals or answer content-based questions with a simple yes/no
questions” (Coyle et al., 2010, p. 117).

The content could be assessed individually as well as collectively. “Although it may

be difficult to decide who has contributed what and who knows what, this is seen as less
important, given that there are other gains to be made through collaborative work” (Coyle et
al., 2010, p. 117). Obviously, the final product of the team could be assessed but the teacher
might also monitor groups of learners while working on the set tasks and assess the processes
of their group. Coyle et al. (2010) confirm that “such tasks potentially raise different areas for
assessment, such as teamwork, project management and capacity for self-assessment” (p.
117).

1.5.3.1.2 Assessing language

Teachers need to be sure why they are assessing language and also how they want to
do it. Coyle et al. (2010) emphasise that there are more aspects of language competences
which might be assessed. “It could be the ability to:

 recall subject-specific vocabulary,

 operate functionally, using appropriate language structures and forms to discuss and
disagree, ask effective questions, report in appropriate language structures, and so on,
 listen or read for meaning,

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  present or discuss effectively,
 demonstrate thinking/reasoning in the CLIL language,
 show awareness of grammatical features of the language” (p. 119).

Language could be assessed through a variety of approaches:

 Selected-response assessment (for example, multiple choice, true/false, matching)

 Constructed-response assessment also known as performance assessment (written
essay, portfolio, oral presentation and so on)

As far as formative assessment of language is concerned, giving feedback on students’

oral presentation or written assignments might help students to avoid fossilization of their
mistakes and improve their communication of content. However, there is always the danger of
over-correcting. Students might lose their motivation and become frustrated. “It is important
to be clear that this does not mean we should ignore all errors and never assess language, but
we can create specific opportunities to do this rather than offer continual corrective feedback
which undermines content confidence” (Coyle et al., 2010, p. 120).

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2 PRACTICAL PART

2.1 Research methods

McMillan and Wergein (2010) state that the main goal of quantitative and qualitative
research is to “expand the existing knowledge base about an educational problem or issue.
Their intention is to generate insights that may be useful in other settings” (p. 166). However,
sometimes research might have another purpose. It “may be undertaken in order to help make
decisions about specific problems in specific settings” (McMillan, Wergein, 2010, p. 166).
This type of research is called action research. McMillan and Wergein (2010) explain that
action research “is undertaken by educational professionals in their own practice settings for
the purpose of better understanding their work and how to improve it” (p. 166).

Stringer (2014) provides a characteristic of an action research:

 “a focus on a problem or issue to be investigated,

 a systematic process of inquiry,
 development of explanations that lead to increased understanding” (p. 5).

For action research a spiralling/recycling of several steps is typical. Those steps are
composed of some type of planning, action and evaluation. Stringer (2014) explains that “the
Look, Think, Act routine is but one of a number of ways in which action research is
envisaged. Kemmis and McTaggart (1999), for instance, present action research as a spiral of
activity: plan, act, observe, reflect. Different formulations of action research reflect the
diverse ways in which the same set of activities may be desribed, although the processes they
delineate are similar” (p. 9).

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2.2 The topic and the aim of the research
My diploma thesis focuses on an educational approach CLIL (Content and language
integrated learning) in which pupils study a content subject in a foreign language. For this
reason, the main aim of the research was to apply this theory into practice and evaluate its
impact on pupils’ content learning. As the action research is participative, pupils and my
providing teachers of geography and English language were active participants in the research
process. The data was collected during five school lessons by means of observations,
interviews and surveys. Subsequently, the data was analysed and reported and a conclusion
was reached. The research process is described below.

My research followed several steps:

 Identify the research topic

 Create a data collection plan
 Collect the data
 Organize and analyze the data
 Report the data and make a conclusion

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2.3 Characteristics
This chapter provides characteristics of the environment in which the research was
carried out. It introduces pupils, their motivation and attitudes towards learning English
language and geography, describes the school in Nové Veselí and its facilities, and
summarizes the instructional unit which was taught.

2.3.1 Characteristics of the school

For my practice teaching I selectec an elementary school in my home village Nové

Veselí. Nové Veselí is situated near Žďár nad Sázavou, in the centre of the Vysočina Region.
Around two hundred pupils from Nové Veselí and nearby villages attend the school every
year. The teaching staff consists of a head teacher, 14 teachers, a school prevention methodist
and a school psychologist. There are seventeen classrooms in the school, most of them
contain computers and data projectors. The school has its own library, gym and ceramics
room. A school garden with an arbour and a pond is being used for outside learning as a
living laboratory which reconnects pupils with the nature and provides real life experiences.
The school focuses its attention on environmental education. It takes part in several long-term
environmental programs. In 2007 the school joined an international programme Eco-Schools
which is operated by the Foundation for Environmental Education.

2.3.2 Characteristics of the pupils

My subject combination is English language and geography and therefore, I intended

to teach a geography in English language. After a consultation with the geography teacher, I
decided to apply the CLIL method on ninth graders. The class consists of nineteen pupils, ten
girls and nine boys. There are no pupils with special educational needs and disabilities in the
class. Pupils’ level of English is A2 (Elementary English) which means that they should be
able to communicate in simple everyday situations.

The English teacher, who is at the same time their class teacher, describes the pupils as
slow-working, unconcerned and dependent. They are not innterested in learning English
language and it is difficult to motivate them. Some of them refuse to work and cooperate. The
main problem the teacher must face in the class is that pupils are very uncommunicative. The
least favourite activities among pupils are conversations and discussions on a given topic, in-
46
class presentation performances, and obviously writing tests. On the contrary, the most
popular activities are watching a movie or a video, playing various games and reading and
translating texts.

As far as geography is concerned, pupils are said to be interested in new topics, they
are able to discuss them and share their own ideas and opinions. Most of the class enjoy
diverse geography worksheets and work hard and carefully on them. Unfortunately, pupils
have only one geography lesson per week so there is not enough time and space to cover all
the topics and apply various types of activities. In addition, pupils mainly focus on maths and
Czech language in this grade because of their forthcoming entrance exams.

2.3.3 Characteristics of the teaching unit

The ninth grade syllabus covers the following topics: political geography (political
systems, state boundaries, international politics), human systems (urbanization, migration,
population changes), the global economy (economic sectors, industry, agriculture, transport,
world trade, tourism), environmental geography (environmental protection, nature
management, current global environmental problems).

The topic which I was supposed to teach was tourism. The content of the lessons and
expected outcomes were consulted and set together with the geography teacher.

The content of the lessons:

 what is tourism - definition;

 forms of tourism (leisure tourism, business tourism, alternative forms of tourism);
 types of tourism (according to place, the length of stay, the number of participants, the
way of organization);
 travel seasons (peak season, off-peak season, shoulder season);
 effects of tourism (positive and negative, environmental, socio-cultural and
economic);
 Role Play (travel agents - planning a holiday).

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Expected outcomes: By the end of the unit, the learners will:

 define what tourism is;

 understand and recognize different forms and types of tourism;
 identify three main travel seasons;
 recognize and classify different effects of tourism;
 prepare a holiday plan based on given criteria and present it in front of the class.

Expected outcomes were also set according to the Framework Educational Programme for
Basic Education (2007):

Pupils will:

 “organize and properly assess geographic information and sources of data from
available cartographic products and guides, graphs, diagrams, statistics and other
information sources;
 compare and adequately assess the location, area, natural, cultural, social, political and
economic relations, traits and parallels, and the potential and boundaries of the
individual continents, oceans, selected macroregions and selected (example) states;
 using selected examples, identify important impacts and risks of natural and social
impacts on the environment;
 define and locate the region in which they live or go to school;
 assess, at the appropriate level, natural, economic and cultural relations within the
local region, possibilities for further development, appropriately analyse relations
between the region and higher territorial categories” (p. 64 - 66).

In addition, the Framework Educational Programme for Basic Education (2007)

defines six cross-curricular subjects. These are “subjects related to contemporary present-day
issues and represent an important and inseparable part of basic education. They represent an
important formative element of basic education, offering pupils the opportunity for individual
engagement and teamwork and promotes their personal development, primarily as concerns
attitudes and values” (p. 94).

From my point of view, the instructional unit concerning the topic of tourism covers
three cross-curricular subjects (personal and socioal education, democratic citizenship,

48
environmental education). Particular benefits of those cross-curricular subjects on pupils’
learning and personal development are described below:

“Personal and social education

In the area of knowledge, skills and abilities, the cross-curricular subject:

 guides pupils towards an understanding of themselves and others

 helps them control their own behaviour
 contributes to the creation of good interpersonal relationships in the classroom and
outside it
 develops basic skills for good communication, as well as related knowledge
 shapes and develops basic skills for cooperation
 shapes study skills

In the area of attitudes and values, the cross-curricular subject:

 helps to create a positive (non-harmful) attitude towards oneself and others

 guides pupils towards an awareness of the value of cooperation and support
 guides pupils towards an awareness of the value of human diversity and a diversity of
opinions and problem-solving techniques

Democratic citizenship

In the area of knowledge, skills and abilities, the cross-curricular subject:

 develops and promotes communication skills, presentation skills and the ability to
formulate arguments, to hold a dialogue
 deepens pupils’ sense of empathy, active listening skills and fair judgment
 encourages pupils to consider issues in the broader context and to engage in critical
thinking

In the area of attitudes and values, the cross-curricular subject:

 develops a disciplined behaviour and self-criticism

 encourages respect for cultural, ethnic and other differences
 encourages assertiveness and the ability to compromise
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  helps pupils judge and evaluate social phenomena, processes, events and issues from
various points of view (local, national, European and global dimensions)

Environmental education

In the area of knowledge, skills and abilities, the cross-curricular subject:

 develops an understanding of interrelationships within the biosphere, humankind’s

relationship to the environment and the environmental impacts of human activities
 promotes an understanding of the interrelationships between local and global issues
and personal responsibility in one’s relationship to the environment
 shows positive and negative examples of behaviour towards the environment and in
regard to sustainable development
In the area of attitudes and values, the cross-curricular subject:
 promotes responsibility in one’s relationship to the biosphere, nature preservation and
conservation of resources
 promotes an understanding of the importance and necessity of sustainable
development as a promising possibility for the future development of human society
 promotes an active approach, creativity, tolerance, open-mindedness and
considerateness in one’s relationship to the environment” (FEP BE, 2007, p. 95-105).

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2.4 Lesson planning
I carefully planned the lessons and wrote a lesson plan for each of them (see appendix
1). The lesson plan consisted of several parts:

 Content and language objectives were set for each lesson and stated specifically what
pupils will be able to do after the lesson. They related to pupils’ knowledge, skills and
attitudes. Some examples are: the learners will define what tourism is, the learners will
compare the changes of a place based on a given text, the learners will brainstorm and
discuss their ideas concerning tourism.
 Personal aims defined what I wanted to focus on in my own teaching and what I
intended to improve in my performance. To give an illustration, my personal aims
were: to establish a positive classroom atmosphere, to instruct pupils clearly using
gestures, to encourage pupils to speak English as much as possible, to monitor the
class during their work, to reflect on my teaching afterwards, to make pupils aware of
the importance of learning English.
 Materials stated all tools and sources which I needed in the lessons. I used worksheets
in each lesson which included explanations of content and various tasks and activities.
They were designed to check for pupils’ understanding and also to promote their
individual work as well as pair work. I also used a computer and data projector as I
prepared a PowerPoint presentation which contained a great amount of pictures and
photographs to support pupils’ learning and understanding.
 Stages of the lesson described individual parts of the lesson. First stage helped pupils
to get ready for the lesson, it woke them up and got them speaking. During the first
stage previous knowledge was revised and activities which warmed pupils up were
involved. Next stage was used to present the topic of the lesson and to explain the
content by using various techniques and tools. Subsequently, pupils worked on some
tasks or exercises to practise what they had learned. The last stage focused on a short
summary and reflection on the lesson. Pupils used various strategies to reflect on their
learning progress and understanding.
 Assessment and monitoring. Monitoring is a classroom management technique which
was used to evaluate pupils’ process of learning but also to make some adjustments

51
 during teaching (for example, slowing down or retelling the instructions). Different
types of assessments were used during the lessons. They are described in detail below.

2.4.1 Description of the lessons

First lesson

At the beginning of the first lesson pupils were familiarized with the CLIL approach
and the whole unit was explained to them. During the class pupils worked with worksheets
which contained tasks and exercises but also some basic explanations of the lesson content,
for example definitions of tourism or a list of forms of tourism (see appendix 2, pages 80-81).
In addition, their learning was supported by a PowerPoint presentation with pictures.

A positive learning environment was built through a speaking activity in which pupils
discussed the topic of holiday and travelling in groups. The whole class also brainstormed the
topic of tourism together. Then pupils read a few definitions of tourism and rewrote one of
them using their own words and learnt different forms of tourism such as cultural tourism,
business tourism, adventure tourism and many others (see appendix 1, pages 71-72).

Second lesson

During the first lesson pupils worked more slowly than I had expected. For this reason,
some tasks were postponed until the second lesson. Pupils studied types of tourism and three
main travel seasons. The lesson included individual as well as pair work. Pupils worked on
various interactive tasks, they interpreted pictures to determine types of tourism and analyzed
a graph to decide when the best or the worst time to travel to a specific destination is (see
appendix 1, pages 73-74, and appendix 2, page 82).

Third lesson

This lesson was the last one dealing with the theory of tourism. First of all, pupils
talked about changes which have happened in their village Nové Veselí in past ten years.
Then they read an article about changes in Coconut Island in Thailand. Their task was to
compare Coconut Island five years ago and now (see appendix 2, page 83). Throughout the
reading tasks pupils moved to the topic of the lesson which was impacts of tourism. Negative
and positive impacts of tourism and also three main types of effects of tourism (socio-cultural,

52
environmental and economic) were explained to them. To check for understanding, pupils
worked in groups and matched effects of tourism with various examples (see appendix 2, page
84).

Fourth lesson

This lesson was composed of two parts. Firstly, pupils revised for the test by fulfilling
diverse tasks in groups or individually. Secondly, they wrote the test on the topic of tourism.
The test was used to check for pupils’ understanding of the lesson content (see appendix 4).

Fifth lesson

At the beginning of the lesson, pupils were given back their evaluated tests. We
discussed correct answers and pupils’ additional questions. Subsequently, pupils took part in a
role play which allowed them to use not only acquired content knowledge but also the target
language. Pupils acted as travel agents from a travel agency and prepared holidays for their
clients based on given requirements. At the end of the lesson, each group presented their
holiday plan in front of the class and reflected on their performance (see appendix 5).

2.4.2 Materials

The theoretical part characterized learning materials, provided the criteria which
should be considered when choosing appropriate materials for CLIL classrooms, explained
qualities of the learning materials and how pupils can benefit from them. I followed this
information when selecting materials for my CLIL teaching unit.

2.4.2.1 Selecting materials

I was not able to find any ready-made CLIL materials suitable for the unit. For this
reason, I had to search the Internet for any materials connected with the topic of tourism
which could be used in the lessons. Fortunately, I found numerous different materials
concerning the topic of tourism and travelling. Most of them were originally created for
language classes and therefore required some modifications (see appendix 2, pages 83 and
84). Each material was assessed from the point of view of the content of the curriculum and
its relation to the level of English, age and also interests and needs of the pupils. My classes
involved materials such as texts, photographs, pictures or graphs as it is important to choose

53
diverse types of materials because each material helps to develop or improve different
language skills and strategies (see appendix 2).

2.4.2.2 The language of materials

I needed to consider the language of all the materials I wanted to use. According to “a
hierarchy of text types” by Coyle et al. (2010), artefacts and visuals, tables and diagrams are
ideal for starting points in CLIL classrooms as they do not convey too much information, and
therefore they are easily perceived (p. 97). My lessons contained a great amount of
photographs, pictures and graphs to support pupils’ understanding and facilitate their learning.
One of the lessons involved a longer text about the Coconut Island. The text was assessed and
I decided that it needed to be simplified. The text was shortened, some of the sentences were
ommited and some vocabulary was replaced. I also provided a dictionary with Czech
translations of some words which might have been unknown for the pupils (see appendix 2,
page 83).

2.4.3 Balancing L1 and L2 in CLIL classrooms

I tried to minimize the use of Czech language during the CLIL classes, however I did
not avoid it completely. I followed the principles set by Richard Kiely (2010, p. 96-98) who
suggests:

 “Maximise exposure to and use of L2 in the CLIL classroom” – I tried to reduce

teacher talking time to a minimum and speak only when necessary. I explained the
content of lessons, provided examples, instructed pupils. Each lesson involved several
speaking activities which allowed pupils to share their ideas and opinions with the
whole class and talk in pairs or small groups (see appendix 1). Unfortunately, those
pupils are not used to speaking in English and they do not enjoy speaking activities.
From my point of view, they did not take full advantage of the opportunities to speak.

 “Manage the classroom in English” – Pupils were always instructed in English, I tried
to speak as slowly and clearly as possible and I used gestures. Sometimes it was
necessary to repete the instructions more than once or explain them in a different way.
I also checked for pupils understanding on a regular basis. Pupils were asked to

54
 address me in English in case of any trouble and asked questions in English if
possible.

 “Focus on accuracy in pronunciation” – I taught pupils correct pronunciation of the

new words by means of listening and repeting. We focused especially on the hardest
words such as socio-cultural, religious, environmental and so on.

 “Check comprehension using the school language” – As checking for understanding is

an essential part of every CLIL lesson, I implied some kind of reflection into all the
lessons. Pupils evaluated their current understanding of the topic, commented on the
lesson content, activities they enjoyed or difficulties they underwent. It would be
difficult for pupils to express their thoughts and opinions in English, therefore they
reflected on their learning in Czech language (see appendix 3).

 “Teach school language terms for subjects” – I always explained each new term in
English using different definitions and also visuals, but it was sometimes difficult to
teach about terms pupils did not know even in Czech language (for example,
economy, social stability, environment). Therefore, it was important to discuss them in
Czech language first to support their understanding.

 “Use the school language to support learning” – It is definitely challenging to study a

specific subject in a foreign language so I tried to make the learning process easier for
pupils by providing translations of some words in Czech language, or writing the test
instructions in both languages (see appendix 4).

2.4.4 4Cs Framework

The 4Cs Framework by Coyle et al. (2010) is a theoretical concept which teachers
should bear in mind when preparing materials for CLIL classrooms. This tool connects
content learning and langauge learning and integrates four elements - content,
communication, culture and cognition. (p. 41) Content refers to the theme of the lesson. The
content is not only about acquired knowledge but also about pupils’ understanding, skills and
abilities. Mehisto et al. (2008) highlight that learning should be personalized, it should
address learners’ aspirations, needs and interests and connect new information with their
existing knowledge and skills (p. 30). Communication means using a certain language to

55
communicate ideas and opinions, and construct new knowledge and skills. In CLIL
classrooms, the emphasis is put on social interaction and learning by interacting. Cognition is
about developing thinking skills which students use to be able to understand learning content,
solve problems and reflect on their learning. Culture refers to the encouragement of
intercultural understanding and global awareness and building relationships with people from
different cultures (Coyle et al., 2010, p. 41).

Tourism is a topic which could be easily personalized as each pupil has experienced
some type of holidays and travelling. An effective way to encourage productive interaction is
through dialogue and conversation in the classroom. During the lessons, pupils were given
many opportunities to share their ideas and discuss their opinions. For example, they talked
about their holidays, brainstormed their existing knowledge concerning tourism, or discussed
the changes in their village (see appendix 1). Some materials and tasks were used to promote
critical and creative thinking. Pupils analyzed a graph to interpret three main travel seasons
(see appendix 2, page 82), categorized different effects of tourism (appendix 3, page 84), or
applied their acquired knowledge when planning a holiday (appendix 5). During the classes,
pupils were regularly asked to reflect on their learning and understanding.

2.4.5 Scaffolding

All my lessons were carefully planned in order not to overwhelm the pupils with too
much new content and language. Scaffolding is a teaching strategy which facilitate pupils to
understand and acquire new knowledge and helps them to develop and improve their skills.

There are some examples of scaffolding teaching strategies which I included in my lessons:

 Activating prior knowledge: tourism is a topic which is closely related to personal

lives of pupils. They discussed their holidays and travelling experiences with their
partner and brainstormed the topic of tourism with me (see appendix 1, page 71). They
talked about changes in their village first, then we moved to changes in the Coconut
Island and the issue of impacts of tourism (appendix 1, pages 75-76). In case they had
a hard time relating the content, I showed them pictures for inspiration or offered them
questions they might discuss (appendix 2, page 80).

56
  Using visual aids: I always used numerous pictures and photographs which helped
pupils better and faster understand the content, learn new terms and realize the
similarities or the differences between them. I used mind maps for revision and graphs
for easier data vizualization (see appendix 2).

 Having pupils develop their own definitions: it was a great idea to let pupils create
their own definitions of terms as they were able to remember and explain particular
terms better when using their own words. On the other hand, creating own definitions
was difficult for some of them (see appendix 1, page 71).

 Retelling: I tried to retell the explanations of terms or instructions of tasks to make

sure that everyone understood. Sometimes I also asked pupils to retell the instructions
to their classmates.

 Asking questions: different types of questions were used during the lessons. I asked
questions to activate pupils prior knowledge and experience. I checked for
understanding on a regular basis. I asked open-ended questions during the lessons to
make sure pupils knew what to do, they understood the content and so on.

2.4.6 Tasks for CLIL classrooms

I prepared diverse tasks which enabled students to acquire knowledge of content and
language and achieve objectives which had been set. Each lesson was composed of tasks
which concerned different language learning skills. Most of the tasks focused on speaking and
listening. For instance, pupils discussed various topics connected with tourism or presented
their holiday plans. Some tasks in worksheets were used to practise writing. The unit also
contained the text and reading comprehension exercises which helped practise and improve
pupils’ reading skills.

The opportunities to practise newly acquired knowledge, develop cognitive skills and
improve speaking skills were maximized through various types of interaction in the
classroom. The CLIL unit included plenty of pair work and group work which promoted
interaction of pupils but also tasks on which pupils worked individually in order to verify
their own learning progress and current understanding (see appendix 1, 2).

57
2.5 Assessment
Assessment is an essential part of the learning process. This chapter provides an
overview of different assessment methods which appeared in my CLIL classes.

2.5.1 Pupils assessment

Self-assessment is a great opportunity for pupils to become active participants of their

learning process and assess their own progress in learning. The collaboration between
teachers and learners through self-assessment may help to improve the content of classes so
that they are more suitable for particular learners and they can easily achieve learning
objectives.

Unfortunately, the pupils, who I taught, are not used to assessing their own work and
progress. For this reason, I decided to include different self-assessment techniques into the
lessons. In the appendix 3 several extracts of pupils assessment are enclosed.

2.5.1.1 Reflection on the lesson 1

After the first lesson, pupils were given a short reflection sheet (see appendix 3, page
86). The reflection was written in Czech language as its main aim was not to assess language
competences of pupils but to find out pupils’ impressions of the first CLIL lesson. They were
asked to describe their feelings after the lesson, and wrote what was the lesson about, what
activity they liked the most and what the most difficult part of the lesson for them was.

Approximately half of the pupils described they felt good and enjoyed the lesson, it
was something new for them, they liked the topic and activities. The other pupils felt
surprised or confused because the lesson was taught in English which they do not understand
and therefore, it was sometimes difficult for them to follow the lesson.

Most of the pupils answered that the lesson was about tourism and travelling. They
enjoyed a PowerPoint presentation with pictures and worksheets, they also liked discussions.
The most difficult part of the lesson was to understand the instructions, new terms in English,
and write the definition of tourism using their own words.

58
 After the evaluation of reflection sheets, I felt satisfied as most of the pupils enjoyed
the lesson. However, I found out that they were not able to identify the key terms of the
lesson, they named only tourism and travelling, no one mentioned forms of tourism even
though we had studied them in great detail. A half the pupils also wrote that the lesson was
about “turistika” so I had to explain the difference between “turismus, cestovní ruch” and
“turistika” again next lesson. As they usually answered using only one or two words, I
decided to give them the same reflection again after the second lesson and ask them to be
more specific.

2.5.1.2 Reflection on the lesson 2

After the second lesson, the pupils were given the same reflection sheet (see appendix
3, page 87). I tried to explain the importance of reflection and how we all could benefit from
it. I clarified what keywords are and asked them not to be so brief in their answering.

Most of the pupils were able to define the keywords and tried to write more about the
best and the worst parts of the lesson. They liked the presentation with pictures, worksheets
and speaking activities. Many pupils wrote that they had no difficulties during the lesson,
some pupils found challenging new terms connected with travel seasons and understanding
instructions. There were also pupils who apparently did not find any meaning in self-
assessment as they wrote that the best part of the lesson was when they could laugh at their
classmate or its end as they were going to lunch.

2.5.1.3 Understanding arrow

After the third lesson pupils expressed their understanding of the topic by
“Understanding arrow” reflection (see appendix 3, page 88). The arrow consists of five boxes,
the lowest one says “I do not understand any of this yet,” the highest one says “I am so
confident - I could explain it to someone else!” Most of the pupils were self-assured when
assessing their learning process. Only two of them found the topic challenging. Six pupils said
they understood only some of the topic, four pupils did not understand well enough to present
their knowledge and four pupils said they felt confident and ready to explain the lesson to
someone else.

59
2.5.1.4 Scissors

During the fourth lesson we revised the topic of tourism and then pupils wrote a test.
After the test I asked them to imagine that their arms were a pair of scissors. If they were
closed, the test was difficult for them. The more they opened their arms, the easier the test
was. Approximately two thirds of the pupils opened their arms as much as they could, the rest
of the pupils opened them a little less. There were no scissors closed so I was satisfied that
pupils felt optimistic about the results of their tests.

2.5.1.5 Speaking self-assessment

In the fifth lesson pupils worked in groups and planned holidays for their imaginary
clients. Then they presented the plan in front of their classmates. When they finished, they
assessed their performance, whether they looked at the audience, spoked clearly, loud enough
and at a good pace. They could also compare their own evaluation of their performance with
the evaluation written by me. Some examples could be seen in the appendix 6.

2.5.2 Teacher assessment

Teachers use various types of assessments and assessment techniques to assess pupils’
learning, their learning progress, achievement of learning outcomes, acquired knowledge,
skills and abilities. However, teachers should not assess only their learners but themselves as
well. Systematic reflection help them evaluate their own teaching, consider methods and
strategies which they use in lessons, identify their strengths but also weaknesses which may
need to be changed or improved.

2.5.2.1 Formative assessment

During the lessons, a formative assessment was used to monitor pupils’ learning
process. Various types thereof were used in the lessons. Pupils were asked to reflect on their
learning and understanding as well as the lesson content at the end of each lesson. They were
also monitored during their individual or group work.

Formative assessment helped to address some learning problems which appeared

while learning and therefore, it was possible to deal with them immediately. To give an
illustration, after the first lesson pupils wrote they had difficulties understanding what they
60
were supposed to do so I began to focus more on giving clear and comprehensible
instructions. I also found out that they were not able to provide a brief overview of the lesson
content so it was necessary to explain the term keywords to them.

2.5.2.2 Summative assessment

Summative assessment is used to evaluate pupils’ learning at the end of an

instructional unit. I decided to use two types of summative assessment - a written test and an
oral performance.

2.5.2.2.1 Test

The content knowledge of pupils was tested by means of a written test. There were six
exercises containing information from worksheets which we had studied during previous
lessons. The test contained different types of examination questions - multiple choice,
true/false, matching, short answers. There were no longer-answer questions as the test did not
assess pupils’ language competences. The instructions were provided in English as well as
Czech language. Pupils earned one point for each correct answer and did not lose points for
omitted or incorrect answers. The maximum score was twenty points.

The test results were quite good. The test was written by sixteen pupils, six of them
received grade one, four pupils received grade two, five pupils received grade three. There
was no grade four, but unfortunately one pupil received grade five. Pupils who received worse
grades were asked to comment on their results. Most of them admitted that it was due to their
inattention, several pupils said it was difficult for them to cope with the test written in English
language. Two examples of the test are provided in the appendix 4.

2.5.2.2.2 Role play

Language competences of pupils were evaluated in the last lesson by means of role
play. Brown and Abeywickrama (2010) characterizes role playing as “a popular pedagogical
activity in communicative language teaching classes. Within constraints set forth by the
guidelines, it frees students to be somewhat creative in their linguistic output. In some
versions, role play allows some rehersal time so that students can map out what they are going
to say. It also has the effect of lowering anxieties as students can, even for a few moments,
take on the persona of someone other than themselves” (p. 214).
61
 Pupils were divided into small groups (three or four pupils together) and asked to
imagine they were travel agents working in a travel agency. Each group chose their clients
and their task was to plan a holiday for them according to the given requirements. Two
examples of the task are provided in the appendix 5. At the end of the lesson, each group
presented their holiday plan in front of their classmates. Pupils were asked to say a few
sentences to introduce their clients and briefly present plans they had made for each day. I
emphasised the use of the future tense with will and wrote some sentence examples on the
board.

I prepared a short evaluation sheet and assessed each pupil’s performance based on
given criteria. In summary, it seemed to me that the pupils are not used to speaking and
presenting in front of the whole class. Some of them were not able to pay attention and they
disturbed not only their classmates but also their own group members. As far as pupils’
language competences are concerned, most of the pupils were lacking in grammar knowledge.
The most common mistakes made by learners related to the use of tenses and prepositions.
Some notable examples are: “by first day they could visit; they will rafting; bowling around in
the hotel.” Unfortunately, only a small number of pupils were able to say a few sentences
without any crucial mistakes. Some performances did not make any sense and I was not able
to understand what the pupils were talking about. By contrast, I appreciated that they spoke at
a good pace and loud enough and most of them also looked at the audience.

Each pupil also evaluated their own performance afterwards so it was possible to
compare mine and their own evaluations. Speaking in general, pupils usually evaluated their
performance more optimistically than I did. Some examples of the evaluation of role playing
might be seen in the appendix 6.

2.5.2.3 Self assessment

One of the characteristics of a good teacher is that they assess their teaching on a
regular basis in order to be able to improve its quality. I reflected on my teaching after each
lesson (see appendix 7). The reflection sheet consisted of several parts: lesson planning and
structure of the lesson; tasks and activities; language; pupils reflection; me and my feelings.
To be specific, these detailed reflections helped me identify the strong aspects of my teaching,
such as that my lessons were well-planned and the tasks and activities were engaging,
interesting and beneficial for pupils, as well as weaknesses I needed to work on. To give an
62
illustration, I realized I need to focus more on providing clear and comprehensible
instructions and explanations or check for understanding regularly and consistently.

As it is essential to have multiple sources of evidence, my self-reflections were

supported by pupils feedbacks and also peer feedback. My providing teacher was willing to
observe one of the lessons and fill out a short reflection on some of its aspects. Her notes and
impressions of the lesson were similar to mine and she appreciated my hard work. My own
reflection sheets as well as the reflection written by my providing teacher can be found in the
appendix 7.

To conclude, the opportunity to compare my own reflection with those written by the
teacher and pupils was very welcomed and useful for me.

63
2.6 Conclusion of the research
On the basis of the research results, I would like to conclude that implementing the
CLIL method of teaching in lessons of geography had a positive impact on pupils’ content
learning. Those pupils experienced CLIL for the first time and learning the content subject in
a foreign language was more difficult for some of them than for the others. However, all of
them were able to follow the lessons without major difficulties, they were engaged in the
learning process and learned the content which was required. Learning outcomes set at the
beginning of the unit were accomplished. The analysis of the tests as well as of the reflection
papers proved that pupils were able to acquire knowledge of the content. Some of them even
achieved better results than in standard lessons of geography.

64
Conclusion
The theoretical part of my diploma thesis provided an overview of an educational
approach CLIL (Content and language integrated learning). This dual-focused approach was
introduced, its historical development in different European countries as well as in the Czech
Republic was described, the main benefits as well as drawbacks of this method were
considered. In addition, major theoretical concepts of CLIL were presented. The thesis
explained role of motivation in learning, specifics of content learning and language learning
and two theoretical frameworks - the 4Cs Framework and the Language Triptych. Next
chapter characterized a Tool Kit which is composed of six stages transforming theory into
practice. The theoretical part also focused on materials for CLIL classrooms, explained the
process of selecting, modifying and creating materials and teaching strategies such as
scaffolding which enables learners to better understand and acquire new content and language
knowledge and skills better. Diverse tasks which might be used in CLIL lessons were
mentioned as well. The last chapter dealt with the topic of assessment, pointing out the
difference between assessment and evaluation and interpreting different types of assessment
and also specifics of assessment in CLIL.

The aim of the thesis was to discover what impact the CLIL method has on pupils’
content learning. The CLIL method of teaching was implemented in the classroom and ninth
graders were taught a geography unit in English language. The practical part characterized the
school and the pupils who took part in the research and presented the individual stages of
lesson planning, materials which were used in the lessons, different types of assessments that
were applied. It was concluded that pupils were able to acquire knowledge of the subject
content in a foreign language.

CLIL is a teaching method which I find not only interesting but also very beneficial
for learners as well as teachers. From my point of view, CLIL supports the continuous
professional development of teachers as they need to acquire a deep knowledge of a content
subject in a foreign language and expand their teaching skills. Pupils, among others, improve
and develop their language competences, increase their motivation towards the subject and
language learning, experience various methods and forms of classroom teaching and work
with diverse materials.

65
 Based on the research results, my conviction is that even a class with no previous
experience with the CLIL method and a lower language proficiency is able to deal with the
hard version of CLIL and study the whole subject content in a foreign language. Nevertheless,
I hold the opinion, that CLIL should be applied to lessons of geography (or any other subject)
gradually. I would start with the mid version of CLIL which means that only some parts of the
subject are taught in a foreign language. Illustrating this, pupils can study particular
geographical themes such as English speaking countries in English, they can work with
authentic materials provided in English (weather forecasts, newspaper articles, videos, etc.),
certain new terms can be learnt in English language. This version of CLIL is not as
demanding for learners and time-consuming for teachers as the hard CLIL. Additionally, I
think that each class should be considered individually because each class community is
unique and requires different teaching approaches and strategies. For this reason, during the
mid version of CLIL, I might try different teaching methods and forms, expose pupils to
diverse types of materials, tasks and also assessment techniques and find out which of them
works best and whether the class is able to cope with the hard CLIL or not.

As far as teaching English language is concerned, I would not like to confine myself to
a single teaching method but I would like to apply more of them in my teaching practice, for
instance Task-based learning or Total Physical Response. As regards CLIL, I would like to
implement the soft version of CLIL and focus my English lessons more on the content. As
this thesis proved, the topic of travelling and holiday can be easily supplemented by the topic
of tourism and pupils can deepen their knowledge of the subject content. Similarly, a large
amount of geographical content can be implicated when studying topics such as English
speaking countries, the Czech Republic, our region, our hometown, environmental and global
problems, weather and seasons, different cultures and many others.

To summarize, the purpose of the diploma thesis was to present an overview of the
pedagogical approach CLIL, implement CLIL methodology into lower-secondary teaching
and monitor its impact on pupils’ content learning. I would like to take advantage of all
gained knowledge and experience gained and implement the CLIL method in my future
teaching. This thesis may also be useful for other teachers who would like to try teaching
through the CLIL method.

66
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https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/authentic assessment

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Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.

Berton, G. (n.d.). Tasks, learning activities and oral production skills in CLIL classrooms.
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http://arcaold.unive.it/bitstream/10278/1007/1/07Berton.pdf

Brewster, J. (2009, September). Thinking skills for CLIL. Retrieved February 5, 2018, from
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Brown, H. D., & Abeywickrama, P. (2010). Language assessment: Principles and classroom
practices. White Plains, NY: Pearson Education.

Coyle, D., Hood, P. & Marsh, D. (2010). CLIL: content and language integrated learning.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-13021-9.

Dale, L., & Tanner, R. (2012). CLIL activities with CD-ROM: A resource for subject and
language teachers. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Framework Educational Programme for Basic Education. (2007). Retrieved March 11, 2018,
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Freire, P. (1972). Pedagogy of the oppressed. New York: Herder and Herder.

Gardner, R. C. (2010). Motivation and second language acquisition: The socio-educational

model. New York: Peter Lang.

Gondová, D. (2015). Selecting, adapting and creating CLIL materials. In S. Pokrivčáková

(Ed.), CLIL in Foreign Language Education: e-textbook for foreign language teachers. (pp.
153–163). doi:10.17846/CLIL.2015.153-163

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Hanesová, D. (2015). History of CLIL. In S. Pokrivčáková (Ed.), CLIL in Foreign Language
Education: e-textbook for foreign language teachers. (pp. 7–16). doi:10.17846/CLIL.2015.7-
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Lasagabaster, D. (2012). The use of the L1 in CLIL classes: The teachers’ perspective. Latin
American Journal of Content and Language Integrated Learning. ISSN 2322-9721.

Maljers, A. (2007). Windows on CLIL: Content and language integrated learning in the
European spotlight. The Hague: European Platform for Dutch Education.

Marsh, D. (2002). CLIL/EMILE: The European dimension: Actions, trends and foresight
potential. Jyväskylä: UniCOM.

Marsh, D. (2002). Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL). A Development

Trajectory. Córdoba: University of Córdoba. Brussels: European Commission.

Kiely, R. (2010). Integrating the school language and the L2 in CLIL. In U. Massler & P.
Burmeister (Ed.), CLIL und Immersion: fremdsprachlicher Sachunterricht in der
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Mehisto, P., Marsh, D., & Frigols, M. J. (2008). Uncovering CLIL: Content and language
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Summary
The diploma thesis deals with an educational approach Content and language integrated
learning (CLIL). The thesis provides the theory behind CLIL and summarizes its main
principles. Besides that, it focuses on transforming the theory into practice, explaining how to
plan lessons, select materials, create tasks and assess in CLIL classrooms.

The practical part presents the results of an action research. The main aim of the
research was to monitor the impact of CLIL on pupils’ content learning. A geography unit
was taught in English language in the ninth grade. The results of the research proved that even
though pupils were not used to studying geography in English language, they were able to
acquire knowledge of the content. In addition, some pupils achieved better results than in
standard lessons of geography.

Resumé
Diplomová práce se zabývá výukovou metodou CLIL, tedy obsahově a jazykově
integrovaným učením. Úvodní část práce je souborem teoretických základů této metody,
přináší její definici, historický vývoj a teoretické koncepty. Dále uvádí nutné znalosti k
převedení této metody do praxe, jako je postup při výběru a modifikaci učebních materiálů,
vhodná náplň vyučovacích hodin, jednotlivé typy a formy hodnocení.

Praktická část přináší výsledky realizace metody CLIL ve výuce, kdy se žáci deváté třídy
několik hodin vyučovali zeměpis v anglickém jazyce. Cílem výzkumu bylo zjistit, jaký vliv
má tato vyučovací metoda na osvojování obsahu nejazykového předmětu. Z výzkumu
vyplývá, že i když byl zeměpis vyučován v anglickém jazyce, na což žáci nejsou zvyklí,
dokázali si obsah velmi dobře osvojit a byli schopni prokázat jeho znalosti. Někteří žáci
dokonce dosahovali lepších výsledků, než v běžných vyučovacích hodinách.

70
LIST OF APPENDICES
Appendix 1: Lesson plans
Tourism - introduction, forms, types
Trainee: Adéla Štěpánková
No. of students:
Class description:
Materials:
Content and language
objectives:
Personal aims:
Stages of the lesson:
LESSON PLAN 1
School: ZŠ Nové Veselí Date: 5.3.2018
Time: 45 min.
19 (10 girls, 9 boys)
9th graders, A2 (Elementary English)
Teacher – worksheets, PC + projector
Pupils – a pen
By the end of a lesson, the learners will:
 define what tourism is
 understand and recognize different forms and types
of tourism
 learn new vocabulary connected with tourism, its
forms and types
 predict from the pictures
 brainstorm and discuss their ideas concerning
tourism
 practise speaking
The teacher will:
 establish a positive classroom atmosphere
 instruct pupils clearly using gestures
 encourage pupils to speak English as much as
possible
 monitor the class during their work
 reflect on her teaching afterwards
 make pupils aware of the importance of learning
English
1. Greeting and a short introduction – 4 mins
The teacher greets pupils and asks them to prepare
their name tags. She explains the CLIL approach to
them.
2. Introduction to the topic - 10 mins
The teacher shows pupils some pictures and let them
guess what the topic of the unit is.
To set a positive atmosphere and encourage pupils
to speak English in the lesson she asks them to
discuss the topic of holiday and travel with a
partner.
71
 Then the whole class brainstorms the topic of
tourism (why people travel, where, when, how etc.).
3. Definition of tourism - 5 mins
The teacher distributes worksheets. Pupils read four
definitions of tourism, choose the one they like the
most and rewrite it using their own words.
4. Forms of tourism - 8 mins
The teacher explains different forms of tourism to
pupils using photographs and then asks them to take
their worksheets and match different forms of
tourism with pictures.
5. Types of tourism - 8 mins
Pupils complete types of tourism with the words
from the table. The teacher shows photographs to
pupils and their task is to comment on them using
different types of tourism.
6. End of the lesson - 10 mins
The teacher thanks pupils for their hard work and
cooperation. Pupils write a short reflection of the
lesson.
Homework: No homework
Assessment, monitoring: The teacher explains each activity and instructs pupils,
monitors them while working, helps them if necessary.
Pupils write a short reflection at the end of the lesson. The
teacher and her providing teacher also reflect on the lesson.

72
 LESSON PLAN 2
TOURISM - types of tourism, travel seasons
Trainee: Adéla Štěpánková School: ZŠ Nové Veselí Date: 6.3.2018
Time: 45 min.
No. of students: 19 (10 girls, 9 boys)
Class description: 9th graders, A2 (Elementary English)
Materials: Teacher – worksheets, PC + projector
Pupils – a pen
Content and language By the end of a lesson, the learners will:
objectives:  learn types of tourism
 name three main travel seasons, interpret them from
a graph and identify the reasons why some of the
months are more popular than the others
 learn new vocabulary connected with types of
tourism and travel seasons
 brainstorm and discuss their ideas concerning travel
seasons

Personal aims: The teacher will:

Stages of the lesson:
 establish a positive classroom atmosphere
 monitor the class during their work
 give comprehensible instructions
 let pupils speak as much as possible
 reflect on her teaching afterwards
1. Greeting and a short introduction – 2 mins
The teacher greets pupils and asks them to prepare
their name tags.
2. Revision of the previous lesson - 3 mins
The teacher revises with pupils, asks questions
about the topic, previous lesson, forms of tourism.
She also explains the difference between turismus
(cestovní ruch) a turistika.
3. Types of tourism - 10 mins
Pupils complete types of tourism with the words
from the table. The teacher shows photographs to
pupils and their task is to comment on them using
different types of tourism.
4. Tourist seasons - 20 mins
The teacher explains 3 main travel seasons to pupils
and discuss them using examples and visuals. Then
pupils look at the graph, determine particular travel
seasons and discuss with a partner (and then with
the teacher) which months are the most/less popular
and why.

73
 5. End of the lesson - 10 mins
The teacher thanks pupils for their hard work and
cooperation. She summarizes the lesson (what was
is about, key words etc.) and asks questions to check
pupils’ understanding.
Pupils write a short reflection of the lesson.
Homework: No homework
Assessment, monitoring: The teacher explains each activity and instructs pupils,
monitors them while working, helps them if necessary.
Pupils write a short reflection at the end of the lesson. The
teacher and her providing teacher also reflect on the lesson.

74
 LESSON PLAN 3
Tourism and its impacts
Trainee: Adéla Štěpánková School: ZŠ Nové Veselí Date: 8.3.2018
Time: 45 min.
No. of students: 19 (10 girls, 9 boys)
Class description: 9th graders, A2 (Elementary English)
Materials: Teacher – worksheets, PC + projector
Pupils – a pen
Content and language By the end of a lesson, the learners will:
objectives:
 be aware of changes in their village
 compare the changes of a place based on a given
text
 recognize and classify different effects of tourism

 learn new vocabulary connected with impacts of

tourism
 identify pronunciation of new words
 practise speaking and reading

Personal aims: The teacher will:

Stages of the lesson:
 establish a positive classroom atmosphere
 explain the effects of tourism to pupils
 monitor the class during their work
 give comprehensible instructions
 let pupils speak as much as possible
 reflect on her teaching afterwards
1. Greeting and a short introduction – 2 mins
The teacher greets pupils and asks them to prepare
their name tags.
2. Talking about changes - 5 mins
Pre-reading activity. Pupils think about the village
where they go to school and try to name things
which have changed during past 10 years. The
teacher makes notes on the blackboard.
3. Reading Coconut Island - 15 mins
Pupils are given worksheets. They read about the
Coconut island and its changes and compare the
island 5 years ago and now. Then they work with a
partner and discuss which of those changes are
positive and negative and add other effects of
tourism.
The teacher uses the notes on the blackboard about
their village and discusses with pupils which of
those changes are positive and negative.
75
 4. Effects of tourism - 20 min
The teacher explains 3 main types of effects of
tourism using definitions and pictures.
Then pupils work in small groups, they are asked to
match terms to the given examples of effects of
tourism. The whole class checks it together.
Pupils are asked to use their worksheets and write
some examples of effects of tourism.
5. End of the lesson - 3 min
The teacher thanks pupils for their hard work and
cooperation. Pupils express their understanding of
content by “Understanding arrow” reflection.
Homework: No homework
Assessment, monitoring: The teacher explains each activity and instructs pupils,
monitors them while working, helps them if necessary.
Pupils reflect on the lesson by means of “understanding
arrow” at the end of the lesson. The teacher and her
providing teacher also write a reflection on the lesson.

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 LESSON PLAN 4
Tourism - revision, test
Trainee: Adéla Štěpánková School: ZŠ Nové Veselí Date: 9.3.2018
Time: 45 min.
No. of students: 19 (10 girls, 9 boys)
Class description: 9th graders, A2 (Elementary English)
Materials: Teacher – worksheets - mind maps, tests
Pupils – a pen
Content and language By the end of a lesson, the learners will:
objectives:  revise their knowledge about tourism
 write the test to check their understanding of the
topic
Personal aims: The teacher will:
 establish a positive classroom atmosphere
 support the learners before the test
 monitor the class during their work
 give comprehensible instructions
 reflect on her teaching afterwards
Stages of the lesson: 1. Greeting and a short introduction – 2 mins
The teacher greets pupils and asks them to prepare
their name tags.
2. Revision of tourism - 15 mins
Pupils revise for the test. They are given mind maps,
they work in small groups and fill in missing words
connected with types and forms of tourism. They
revise 3 main types of travel seasons by means of a
graph. They match names of effects of tourism with
examples.
3. The test - 25 mins
Pupils write tests on the topic of tourism.
4. End of the lesson - 3 min
The teacher thanks pupils for their hard work and
asks them about the test.
Homework: No homework
Assessment, monitoring: During the revision the teacher explains each activity and
instructs pupils, monitors them while working, helps them
if necessary.
After the lesson, the teacher assesses pupils’ written tests.
The teacher also writes a reflection on the lesson.

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 LESSON PLAN 5
Tourism - role play
Trainee: Adéla Štěpánková School: ZŠ Nové Veselí Date: 12.3.2018
Time: 45 min.
No. of students: 19 (10 girls, 9 boys)
Class description: 9th graders, A2 (Elementary English)
Materials: Teacher – worksheets, reflection sheets, computers
Pupils – a pen
Content and language By the end of a lesson, the learners will:
objectives:  prepare holiday plan based on given criteria
 work in group, cooperate
 present their holiday plan in front of their classmates
 revise vocabulary connected with travelling and
tourism
 practise their speaking skills
 assess their speaking
Personal aims: The teacher will:
 establish a positive classroom atmosphere
 explain the activity to pupils
 monitor the class during their work
 give comprehensible instructions
 reflect on her teaching afterwards
Stages of the lesson: 1. Greeting and tests – 3 mins
The teacher greets pupils. She tells them about the
test they wrote last lesson. Pupils may look at them
and ask additional questions.
2. Role play - 20 mins
The teacher explains today’s activity to pupils. They
work in small groups and pretend to be travel
agents. Their task is to prepare holiday for their
clients in Vysočina Region based on given
requirements. They can use computers and search
the Internet.
3. Presentations - 20 mins
Pupils present their prepared holiday plans in front
of the class. Each pupil needs to speak. Pupils assess
their own performances, the teacher assesses pupils
as well.
4. End of the lesson - 2 min
The teacher thanks pupils for their hard work and
great performances.
Homework: No homework
Assessment, monitoring: The teacher explains the activity and instructs pupils,
monitors them while working, helps them if necessary.
During the presentations the teacher assesses the pupils
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(their performances).
After the lesson, the teacher writes a reflection on the
lesson.

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Appendix 2: Materials

TOURISM - worksheet 1

1. Let's talk about holidays and travel!

Talk to your partner about holidays and travelling. Here are some questions you can ask:
Your last holiday Choosing a holiday
Where did you go? Do you plan your holidays?
How long did you stay? Which do you prefer: summer holidays or winter
What did you do there? holidays? What are the advantages and
Who did you go with? disadvantages of each?
Where did you stay? What are the differences between a holiday with
What was the food like? your family and a holiday with friends?
Were you able to speak English? Do you prefer holidays which include a lot of
What was the weather like? activities or more relaxing ones?
Do you prefer to visit cities, the beach or
Your next holiday mountains?
Where are you going to go? Which do you like more: foreign or domestic
How long are you going to stay? holidays?
Who are you going to go with? What are the advantages and disadvantages of
Where are you going to stay? buying a holiday with everything organised for
What special things do you plan to do? you compared with a holiday which you create
Do you plan to try the local food? fully by yourself?

2. What is tourism?
Read the definitions of what tourism is. Choose your favourite one. Write the definition using words
you know.

My definition of tourism: ______________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________ .

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2. Forms of tourism
Mass tourism is the act of visiting a destination with a large number of people at one time. This type
of holiday usually include accomodation, food and trips.

Leisure - cultural tourism, nature tourism, religious tourism, sports tourism, adventure tourism
Business - meeting, exhibition, conference
Alternative forms - ecotourism, agrotourism (farm stays), wildlife tourism, culinary tourism

Write the form of tourism to each picture:

3. Types of tourism
Complete the types of tourism with the words from the table:
the number of participants place the way of organization the length of stay

According to________________
domestic tourism (within the country)
international tourism (travelling abroad)

According to __________________
short-term (1-3 days)
long-term (more than 3 days)

According to _____________________
individual (individuals, family)
group (groups, tours)
mass (mass events such as sports events)

According to _____________________
organized (travel agency)
non-organized

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 TOURISM - worksheet 2
1. Travel seasons
In the tourism industry, a year is divided into three main seasons that depend on the destination and
type of vacation:
Peak season (High Season) – the most popular time of a year to visit a particular destination. It
usually corresponds with school or public holidays, such as Christmas or Easter, and with times
when the weather is the best for a particular type of holiday.
Off-peak (Low Season) – the opposite of peak season; time of a year when the tourist numbers and
prices are the lowest.
Shoulder season – travel period between peak and off-peak seasons, usually spring and fall.

Look at this graph which shows the number of visitors to Yellowstone National Park in the United
States during the year. Work with a partner and try to identify the three types of travel seasons.

What are the most popular months to visit Yellowstone? Why? ________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
What are the less popular months and why? ________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
What do you think is the best time to visit Yellowstone? Why? __________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

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 TOURISM - worksheet 3
Reading: Coconut Island

Coconut Island is a beautiful, tropical island with, of course, coconut palms, golden beaches and clear
blue sea. I’m sorry, I made a mistake there. Coconut Island was a beautiful island. There are still
coconut palms, golden beaches and clear blue sea but not like before. So, what happened?
Well, the beach is full of people, sunbeds and umbrellas. There are fewer palm trees because there are
more and more buildings. Hotels, holiday resorts, guest houses, restaurants, swimming pools.
The tourists seem happy: the weather is wonderful, the food is tasty and cheap, and the sea is warm.
The local people seem happy: there are many people selling things on the beach, there are lots more
jobs and better roads. So, why am I unhappy?
Well, I have a friend who was here five years ago. Her photo album is full of wonderful pictures of
empty beaches. Also she has pictures of small, wooden bungalows on the beach. No need to book, she
said, it‘s very cheap, very quiet and very peaceful.
Not anymore! The beach is never empty! Children are shouting and screaming, and the hotels are very
expensive and full. I’m lucky to have a small room at the back of one hotel.
It’s not so safe either – my friend stayed in a bungalow on the beach that had no lock. Now the hotel
room says it’s a good idea to put things in the safe box.
But perhaps this is progress? Not only are the roads better but there is also a new medical clinic. There
are many new businesses opening all the time.

Compare Coconut Island now with the island five years ago. Just make notes, not full sentences.
changes Coconut Island 5 years ago Coconut Island now
accommodation cheap bungalows expensive hotels and resorts
scenery
employment
noise
security

Work with a partner. Which of these changes are positive and which of them are negative? Can you
think of any other benefits and problems of tourism?
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

Glossary: sunbeds - lehátka; fewer - méně; guest houses - domky pro hosty, hotýlky; empty - prázdný; no need
to book - netřeba rezervovat; not anymore - už ne; shout and scream - křičet a ječet; lock - zámek; safe box -
trezor; perhaps - možná; business - podnikání; accomodation - ubytování; scenery - krajina, příroda; employment
- zaměstnanost; noise - hluk; security - bezpečnost

__________________________________________________________________________________________
Adapted from: http://www.onestopenglish.com/skills/reading/pdf-content/reading-lessons-tourism-elementary-
reading-text/154735.article

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Appendix 3: Extracts of pupils assessment

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Appendix 4: Examples of the test

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Appendix 5: Examples of Role Play

Role Play - Travel agents

Imagine that you are a group of travel agents working in a travel agency. Your task is to plan short
holiday for your clients who are going to spend 3 days in the Vysočina region. All the clients will
travel by car. You will work together to prepare the most suitable holidays for them based on their
requirements.
Don’t forget to include information about:
 places
 activities
 accomodation
 dates
 prices
 (transport)

Be ready to present your holiday plan to your classmates.

The Smith family

John (aged 33), Jane (aged 31), July, (aged 6),

Billy (aged 4)

Requirements:
activities for the children
activities they can enjoy as a family
some sightseeing
love animals
during summer holidays

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 Role Play - Travel agents
Imagine that you are a group of travel agents working in a travel agency. Your task is to plan short
holiday for your clients who are going to spend 3 days in the Vysočina region. All the clients will
travel by car. You will work together to prepare the most suitable holidays for them based on their
requirements.
Don’t forget to include information about:
 places
 activities
 accomodation
 dates
 prices
 (transport)

Be ready to present your holiday plan to your classmates.

Martin and Elizabeth

Martin Long (aged 65), Elizabeth Long (aged 64)

Requirements:
avoid school holidays
sightseeing (UNESCO)
try local food
hate night clubs and too much noise
nice and calm place to stay

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Appendix 6: Extracts of the evaluation of role playing

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Appendix 7: Extracts of teacher and peer assessment

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