ADAPTING

MATERIALS
ALINA POZDNIAKOVA, KARINA RUSINA,
KARINA SOSINSKA
ADAPTING MATERIALS FOR CLIL
INVOLVES ENSURING THAT THE
CONTENT BEING TAUGHT IS
ACCESSIBLE TO STUDENTS WHO
ARE LEARNING THE LANGUAGE,
WHILE ALSO PROVIDING
OPPORTUNITIES FOR LANGUAGE
DEVELOPMENT.
 HERE ARE SOME KEY
CONSIDERATIONS AND
STRATEGIES FOR
ADAPTING MATERIALS IN
CLIL:
 SIMPLIFY LANGUAGE:
SIMPLIFY THE LANGUAGE USED IN
THE MATERIALS TO MAKE IT MORE
COMPREHENSIBLE FOR LANGUAGE
LEARNERS. THIS MAY INVOLVE
USING SHORTER SENTENCES,
AVOIDING COMPLEX VOCABULARY,
AND PROVIDING EXPLANATIONS OR
DEFINITIONS FOR KEY TERMS.
VISUAL SUPPORT:
INCORPORATE VISUAL AIDS SUCH
AS DIAGRAMS, CHARTS, GRAPHS,
AND IMAGES TO SUPPORT
UNDERSTANDING OF THE CONTENT.
VISUALS CAN HELP CONVEY
MEANING EVEN WHEN LANGUAGE
PROFICIENCY IS LIMITED.
 PROVIDE CONTEXT FOR THE
CONTENT BEING TAUGHT TO

CONTEXTUALIZATION:
HELP STUDENTS
UNDERSTAND ITS
RELEVANCE AND
SIGNIFICANCE. RELATING THE
CONTENT TO STUDENTS'
OWN EXPERIENCES OR
INTERESTS CAN INCREASE
ENGAGEMENT AND
COMPREHENSION.
 LANGUAGE FOCUS:
IDENTIFY LANGUAGE OBJECTIVES ALONGSIDE CONTENT OBJECTIVES.
THIS INVOLVES HIGHLIGHTING KEY LANGUAGE STRUCTURES,
VOCABULARY, AND FUNCTIONS THAT STUDENTS NEED TO UNDERSTAND
AND USE IN RELATION TO THE CONTENT.

INTERACTIVE ACTIVITIES:
INCLUDE INTERACTIVE ACTIVITIES THAT ENCOURAGE
STUDENTS TO USE THE LANGUAGE IN MEANINGFUL WAYS
WHILE ENGAGING WITH THE CONTENT. THIS COULD INCLUDE
GROUP DISCUSSIONS, ROLE-PLAYS, PROBLEM-SOLVING TASKS,
OR HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES.
 LANGUAGE SUPPORT:
OFFER LANGUAGE SUPPORT STRATEGIES SUCH AS SCAFFOLDING, WHERE
MORE ADVANCED LANGUAGE LEARNERS SUPPORT THOSE WHO ARE LESS
PROFICIENT. PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEER COLLABORATION AND
LANGUAGE PRACTICE.
DIFFERENTIATION: RECOGNIZE AND ACCOMMODATE DIFFERENCES IN
LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY AMONG STUDENTS BY PROVIDING
DIFFERENTIATED TASKS OR MATERIALS. THIS ENSURES THAT ALL
STUDENTS CAN ACCESS THE CONTENT AT AN APPROPRIATE LEVEL.

LANGUAGE MODELS: USE LANGUAGE MODELS SUCH AS SENTENCE

FRAMES, LANGUAGE CHUNKS, OR SCRIPTS TO HELP STUDENTS PRODUCE
LANGUAGE IN CONTEXT. THIS GIVES THEM EXAMPLES TO FOLLOW AND
SUPPORTS THEIR LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT.
 SIMPLIFIED TEXT:
ORIGINAL: "THE PROCESS OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS INVOLVES THE
ABSORPTION OF SUNLIGHT BY CHLOROPHYLL MOLECULES IN PLANT
CELLS, WHICH IS THEN CONVERTED INTO CHEMICAL ENERGY."
ADAPTED: "PLANTS USE SUNLIGHT TO MAKE FOOD. THEY ABSORB
SUNLIGHT WITH SPECIAL GREEN PARTS CALLED CHLOROPHYLL. THIS
SUNLIGHT ENERGY IS CHANGED INTO FOOD FOR THE PLANT."
 VISUAL SUPPORT:
INCORPORATE A DIAGRAM
ILLUSTRATING THE PROCESS
OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS, WITH
LABELS AND SIMPLE
EXPLANATIONS IN THE
TARGET LANGUAGE.
CONTEXTUALIZATION: RELATE
PHOTOSYNTHESIS TO STUDENTS'
EVERYDAY EXPERIENCES, SUCH AS
EXPLAINING HOW PLANTS IN A
GARDEN GROW AND PRODUCE
FOOD USING SUNLIGHT.
THANK
YOU
SEE YOU NEXT TIME