Introduction to Teaching CLIL Course

This 4-week introduction to CLIL course will develop your skills in how to teach CLIL effectively in whatever teaching and learning environment you are working in. This short teacher development course gives practical ideas to use in the classroom and the theoretical background behind them.

Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) takes place when a subject (such as maths, science, geography) is taught in English, to learners with a different first language. There are two main focus points for each lesson; the subject content and an element of the English Language. It is closely related to EMI (English as the Medium of Instruction) which focuses solely on teaching the subject matter, and this course is beneficial to practitioners of both methodologies.

CLIL is commonly used in many state schools and international settings, where children need to improve their English as well as learn compulsory curriculum subjects. Using English to teach another subject/topic is also a stalwart of every English teacher's repertoire, be it a grammar point or some vocabulary, hooking your lesson topic onto another subject is a standard technique for many of us.

This course gives a solid base of knowledge about this type of teaching either for newly qualified teachers or those with more experience and includes teaching strategies for planning and teaching successful CLIL lessons.

Choose your dates and Apply for the Introduction to Teaching CLIL course now! >>

Who is the Introduction to Teaching CLIL course for?

This course is applicable in a wide range of contexts; from primary/secondary state school subject teachers to those working at International schools, language teachers who are supporting subject teachers, and teacher trainers who are supporting CLIL teachers.

Everybody who is using English in a subject classroom, whether for CLIL or EMI, can benefit from the content of this course.

Apply for this course if you answer YES to the following questions:

Are you teaching (in any setting) at the time of the course?
Do you have a basic teaching qualification? (including CELTA or equivalent)
Do you have an English level of B1 or B2 minimum?
Do you have some experience in teaching Young Learners?

What is the structure of the Introduction to Teaching CLIL course?

This is a blended course with live and asynchronous components. Each week starts with a synchronous session lasting 90 minutes which is recorded for anybody who can’t attend. The rest of the weekly material is online and accessed as asynchronous self-study tasks within the week. The tutor will provide input and feedback, and course participants use the discussion forums to comment and compare the topic material with each other.

What is the content of the course?

There are four modules in this course, each focusing on a different element of CLIL.

Module 1 looks at the definitions and theoretical underpinnings of CLIL

Definitions and different models: soft and hard CLIL
CLIL aims: dual focus on content and language
Teacher competencies: What does a CLIL teacher do?
Theoretical underpinnings: The four Cs and the three Ds of CLIL
What does CLIL look like in practice?

Module 2 focuses on the planning and execution of a CLIL lesson

Defining learning objectives
Task complexity and sequencing: from input to output
Identifying academic language demands
Scaffolding content, scaffolding language

Module 3 works on materials

Selecting CLIL materials
Adapting materials for the CLIL classroom
Creating CLIL materials
Identifying cognitive and linguistic challenges: Cummins’ quadrants

Module 4 is about assessing in the CLIL classroom

Content, skills or language, what do we assess?
Summative assessment: what makes a good exam question?
Formative assessment: tips and techniques
Backwards design

What is unique about the Introduction to Teaching CLIL course?

You will learn about the practical applications of the theories of CLIL. Being part of a global cohort means that you have many opportunities to share ideas and collaborate with other CLIL teachers around the world.

Read what Erik Middel had to say about his experience on the Introduction to Teaching CLIL course: https://ihworld.com/news-blog/ih-blog/feedback-on-the-introduction-to-teaching-clil-course/

What is the time commitment of the CLIL course?

As well as the 90-minute live session each week which takes place on Mondays (these sessions are preliminarily scheduled for 1 pm UK time, but each course will be agreed upon between each tutor and course participants), Course Participants are expected to commit 3-5 hours per week to the course online.

FAQs

How much does the Introduction to Teaching CLIL course cost?

The course fee for the Introduction to Teaching CLIL course is £325 (£276 for IH staff).

Ask about discounts for state school teachers. Discounts cannot be used in conjunction with each other.

*plus VAT for UK-based customers

How is the Introduction to Teaching CLIL course assessed?

Each of the four modules has an integrated assessed task which is completed during the course and graded by your tutor. The final grade is pass/fail.

Does the Introduction to Teaching CLIL course cover large classes?

Large classes, 50 students or more, are challenging to teach successfully. The course will give you strategies for managing them. For example, setting up and running group-work activities may be more complicated, so you may decide to focus more on pairwork in order to make sure students still have plenty of opportunities to produce language and to talk about the concepts they are learning about. Assessment can be tricky with large classes too, and the course will suggest ways to deal with this issue too.

Will the Introduction to Teaching CLIL course help me in classes where there is a language range?

CLIL is an active teaching methodology, so CLIL teachers often find students who struggle in more traditional classes are more engaged and participate better in CLIL lessons. To make sure no student gets left behind, linguistically, however, CLIL teachers need to develop their scaffolding techniques. The course suggests lots of ways to do this, with practical examples from CLIL materials to refer to.

I know a bit about CLIL. How useful is this introductory course?

Although the course is an introduction, it definitely goes into the theory behind the practice in detail (but not in a boring way, honestly!). Yes, this course is for you too!

My school sets the curriculum. Will I be able to make use of what I learn in the course?

Each teaching context is unique, but the course offers a wide variety of options for teachers and even if you can’t use them all, there will certainly be at least some things you can use in your own classroom.

Will my level of English be good enough to take the course?

As far as possible, the theory and concepts presented in the course are explained using simple language to make them accessible to teachers with B1 and B2 levels of English.

Is there a Reading list for the Introduction to Teaching CLIL course?

All of the materials required for the course are provided. There is a resource library with articles, materials, videos, lesson plan templates, web pages etc. for further exploration. There is further suggested reading, but none of the suggestions are essential.

Will I get a certificate for the Introduction to Teaching CLIL course?

Yes – upon successful completion of the course and assessment criteria, you will receive a digital certificate.

Who are the online tutors on the Introduction to Teaching CLIL course?

The IH OTTI tutors are experienced and expert CLIL as well as being qualified online teacher trainers.

How to apply

Choose your dates and fill in the online application , which is sent directly to us. You will have to answer some basic questions about your qualifications and experience, but there is no need to submit any documents or proof of language level.
We will review your application and get in touch if we have any queries.
Once your application is approved, we will send you a payment link to pay for the course via debit/credit card.
Once the payment fee is paid (by you or your employer) we will confirm your place on the course.
A few weeks before the start date we will send your login details, and you can access the platform / VLE to familiarise yourself with how it works before the course starts. We will also send you any pre-module reading materials.

There is no deadline for applying, but once we have 12 people confirmed on a course, then it is full – so it is better to send your application form in as soon as you’re interested, to secure a place on the course!

We create each new course specially for the participants, and so we need to close applications on the Wednesday before the course begins to give us time for this.

Course Dates and Fees:

22nd February - 22nd March 2025 - £325 (£276 for IH staff).
19th July - 16th August 2025 - £325 (£276 for IH staff).

Plus 20% VAT for UK-based customers. Discount for state school teachers on request.

Are you looking for some suggestions for some useful CLIL websites?

Check out our recent blog https://ihworld.com/news-blog/ih-blog/seven-super-suggestions-for-useful-clil-websites/