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The JapanAssociation of English Teaching in Elementary Schools
Exploring the Use of Content and Language lntegrated
Learning (CLIL) in Foreign Language Activities
YAMANO Yub
Graduate ,StrhooL Sbphia C7hivensityKzirohama-Mshi Eiementar;y SthooL Hczsucia ci4)l Sbitama
Keywords: integrated learning, experiential learning, CLIL
Abstract
rlhis
paper reports on a panicular classroom use of an innovative program for fbreign
language activities. This program is Content and Language lntegrated Leaming (CLIL). First, the
rationale of CLIL application in Japanese elementary schools is explained. Next, the researchdesign was established and the research class was conducted. Then, the outcomes obtained from
classroom observations are discussed and the teachers' interviews examined. The major finding of
this study is that CLIL has the potential to deepen experiential learning by using the target
language through the content. Under this regimen, the panicipation ofboth the CLIL pupils andhomeroom teacher was encouraged, However, several diruculties were also identified in this study.First, the teachers' burden ofpreparation is high. Second, the different opinions among teachers
during the proceclure of the CLIL lesson proved problematic. Howeveg the latter finding also
highlighted the importance ofnot limiting pupils' potential in a CLIL environment based on theirattitude toward other subjects in the Ll, or their limited lariguage abilities. Thus, this argues thatCLIL has a potential to be an effective program for foreign language activities.
1. Introduction
Foreign language education at the elementary school level was formally implementod inApri1 2011 in order
"to
fbrrn the foundation ofJapanese pupils' cornmunication al)ility through
foreign 1anguages" (Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and [fechnology;
henceforward, MEXZ 2009, p. 1). Ctr)e of the teachers' responsibilities for this subject is to
establish programs by considering their pupils' interest and circumstances. A survey that was
conducted after the forrnal implementatiori of foreign language activities in 2011 revealed that
elementary school teaqhers were primarily concerned with course content and teaching methods
the most (The Society fbr [festing English Proficiency (STEP), 2012). Thus, it is nocessary to
figure out the solution to the problem,
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One suggestion regarding this issue was offered in the meXT guidelines. They
recommended that teachers make an effort to utilize the content of other subjects accordmg to
their pupils' interests OvlEXTL 2009), ln order to realize this, one innovative educational approach,
Content and Language lntegrated hearning (CLIL), seems promising.
CLIL originated in Europe to deve]op European students' communication ability by
improving the quality of foreign language oducation. Japanese elementary school foreign
language education also shares this ambition. Thus, this study aims to investigate the feasibility
and potentials ofa CLIL program in a Japanese public elementary school context.
2. The rationale for CLILApplication in Foreign Language Activities
CLIL was invented in Eurqpe to develop EU citizens' communication ski11s by encouraging
them to learn two other Ianguages in addition to their mother tongue, Since then, CLIL has
developed as a promising educational approach, which integrates content with non-native
language education (Coyle, Hood and Marsh, 2010; lkeda, 2011; Mehisto, Marsh and Frigols,
2008). During the last two decades, CLIL has fast proliferated in Europe. Numerous studies, at
both the rnacro- and micro-level, examined the potential of CLIL applications (Dalton-PufferlNikula and Smit, 2010), and, at the same time, developed framewotks to clarify CLIL practices,
The frameworks are called the 4Cs, which are the fbur principals of CLIL: Content (subject
matter), Cornmunication (language), Cognition (cognitive ski11s) and CulturelCommunity (therealization and appreciation of other cultures or communities) (Coyle et al., 201O; Mehisto et al.,
2008). ln Europe CLIL implementation at elementary school has proven effoctive, at improving
pupils' proficiency in the target laiiguage (BentleM 201O; Serra, 2007). Furthermore, another study
revealed that CLIL application fbstered a positive auitude in class, motivating study of the target
language (Gonzalez, 2011). Howeveg the question now is would these aMrrnative outcomes be
possible in a different context?
Foreign language actiyities were fbrmally implemented in Japan in Apri1 201 1, This means
that all fiftli and sixth grade Japanese pupils receive a class once a week, for a tota1 of70 lessons
over two years. The overa11 objective of this edncation is "to
fbrm the foundation of pupils'
communication abilities though foreigri language" (MEXZ 2009, p, 1). Three desired outcomes
are: 1) "developing
understanding of languages and cultures through various experiences;' 2)
"fostering a positive attitude toward communication," and 3)
"familiarizing
pupils with the sounds
and basic expressions of fbreign languages" (MEXT, 2009, p. 1). Furthermore, various scholars
recommend that elementary teachers enhance pupils' leaming by balancing the level of their
cogriitive levels with their English competence (Butler, 2005; Ybshida, 201 1). in order to realize
these clijectives, one suggestion fbr constmcting the curriculum was given by MEXT in their
guidelines, It recommends teachers choose content for the class by linking it with other subjects
and considering students' interests (MEX[IL 2009). These objectives seem to parallel CLIL values
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and theoretical principles (Coyle, 2007; Coyle et al,, 2010; Mehisto et aL, 2008). These affmities
wi11 be funher explored below in terms of the 4Cs.
2.1 Content
The first important elemeng Content, refers to subject matter to be taught. This is not
restricted to academic subjects, such as science or social studies, but is flexible, dqpendmg on the
context of learning (Coyle et al., 2010; lkeda, 201 1). For instance, the content, of several CLIL
textbooks for begimers at the elementary school level, varies from social studies (i.e. geography
or history) to cooking ethnic food, depending on the theme of the lessons (BentleM 2009;Hoffinann, 2011). in Japanese contexts, these kinds of thematic lessons, created by integrating
several subjects with fbreigri laiiguage activities, might be feasible, This research was based on
that premise. In addition, the content ofthese cross-curricular programs aims to realize one ofthe
objectives ofCLIL, C`maximizing
the accommodation of students' interests" (Mehisto et al., 2008,
p. 29). The )vfl]XT new course of study echoes this, stating that teachers should be concerned with
pupils' interest and consider linking language study activities with other subjects (MEXZ 2009).Thus, CLIL and fbreign lariguage activities espouse similar techniques.
lmportantlM the scholarship is encouraging. Izumi (2011) suggests that, "CLIL
can providelearners with, not only meaningfu1 and rich input, but also make a place for meaningfu1 output"
(izumi, p. 71). In CLIL class, by receiving meaningfu1 input derived from the conterit, the students
can leam the target language while using it to understand, or to express their opinions. Coyle et al.
(2010) describe the situation as C`leam
as you use, use as you learn" (p. 10). in that situation, thetarget language is used not only as a subject but as a tool to acquire new knowledge as well. Thus,
the integration of the content brings students authenticity and naturalness when using the target
language in the CLIL classroom (Coyle et al., 2010; Marsh, 2000; Mehisto et al., 2008). As a
natural situation fbr language learning, Coyle et al. (201O) further states that it has the potential to
alleviate language learning anxiety as recommended by Ddrnyei (2001). According to Dornyei's
suggestion, for the creation ofari anxiety-reduced classroom environment, one ofthe conditions
requires "acceptance
of studerits' mistakes as part of the learning process" (DOrnyei, 2001, p. 94).This may be realized with the natura1 use ofa target lariguage that occurs with content learning in
CLIL classes (Coyle et al., 20 1O; Marsh, 2000; Mehisto et aL, 2008).
ln sum, the integration of content and language can provide students a meaningfu1,
authentic and natural EFL context by stimulating their interest. ln other words, CLIL has a
potential to make class environment enriclmg and secure (Coyle et al., 201O; Mehisto et al., 2008).
Therefbre, content is one of the most important aspects to implement CLIL in foreign language
actlvltles.
2.2 Communieation
For Communication, CLIL describes three different types of expression: the language of
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learning (language required to describe main concepts of the content), language fbr learning
(language required to participate in activities or tasks), and the language through learning
(unplanned laiiguage which emerges when CLIL students or teachers perceive the need to express
their thoughts or knowledge during the class.). in particular, the advent of ・Clanguage
through
learning" requires both learners' and teachers' positive participation in class (Coyle et al., 2010),
which is one ofthe main objectives of foreign language education in Japanese elementary schools.
2.3 Cognition
This refers to cognitive engagement in leaming and thinking processes (Coyle et al., 201O,
Mehisto et aL, 2008). With the use ofthe modified version ofBloom7s taxonomy (Anderson and
Krathwohl, 2001), ikeda (2011) categorizes these cognitive skills into two parts: lower-order
thinking skills (LOTS), the three thinking ski11s from the bettom, and higher-order thinking ski11s,
the remaining top three (See. Figure 1).
---------------- llm..:
I-IO'I'S :r・order Thinking SkMs) :
. .(."v.i -y.c "!4. W U)- ----- -- l'
-"h[i-);i:g----'r-+LMl
r-order Think'inlg SkiLLs) :
(lbt rk .gi. .-e;- Jl) l/
Figure 1. Bloom:s 7Zixononu, Mbdijied b.y Andenson andKkathvtsohl r2001) (Zlkecla, 2011, p, 6)
The levels increasingly become diMcult as they ascend, from tCremembering",
at the base,
to the "creating" at the top. By understanding and considering the degree of dithculty in the
learners' thinking ski11s, teachers can hclp the pupils by organizing and practicing a yariety of
tasks requiring a good balance of different levels of cognitive skills in the lesson (Coyle et al.,
2010; lkeda, 2011; Mehisto et al., 2008). In other words, CLIL students are required not only to
understand the language but also use it `Cthrough
creative thinking, problem solving and cognitive
challenge" (Coyle et al., 2010, p, 29). In order to fu1fi11 this requirement, teachers should
incorporate appropriate levels ofcognitively demanding tasks as they create a CLIL program. In a
similar vein, the importance of enhancing activities in order to fi11 in the gap between the pupils'
very low levels of fbreign language competence and their comparatively higher cognitive levels in
the foreign language activities is indicated as mentioned above (Bulter, 2005; Ybshida, 201 1),
2.4 Culturel Community
Culture, the last element of the 4Cs, refers to "social
awareness of self and `otherness"'
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(Coyle, 2007, p, 550), Since CLIL has proliferated in Europe where cultural diversity is
appreciated. cultural awareness and progression toward intercultura1 understanding are
fundamental (Coyle et al., 2010).
Mehisto et al. (2008) use Community in order to explain the same principle. lkeda (2011)also adopts the tenn of Community instead of Culture when he intrQduces CLIL in Japan. He
states that Community can be more practical and comprehensible for Japanese teachers when they
consider how to accommodate this last principle. In the CLIL class room, community can be
expanded from the relationship among students in the classroom to that of whole world by
including not only the realization of various types of communities but also the mutual
understanding ofcultures (lkeda, 201 1 ).
C]nssrooiTi (4eS[Rt>
Scll()()1 (A).:tt)Townk:ity
(it'ifllT-d- - tiiSMHtYva)C;otintry (l'El)Regioii ()ttlta)Wor1d {jtil letf;tas)
Figure 2, 71ie concept qf'(]bmmunio, in CJLllL (7kedo, 2011, p. 9)
With these two terms, in this studM both Culture and Community were incorporated to
consider cultural awareness as well as the understanding of diverse communities. Since fbreign
language act{vities aim to cultivate international understanding (MEXZ 2009; Ybshida, 2003) the
appreciation ofboth culture and community helps achieve this objective.
Given these considerations, a feasibility study fbr a CLIL class is warranted. A fbreigri
language activities class is the venue ofchoice,
3. Method
3.1 Partieipants
The pupils of this experiment were 35 fifth graders (20 boys and 15 girls) in aJapanese
elementary school, The pupils had just started learning English six weeks prior to the research
class, so they were absoiute beginners in English. They were in a CLIL class with English as a
medium for a thematic lesson along with several subjects.
Three types of teachers taught in this study: a native English-speaking teacher CNTE); a
Japanese teacher ofEnglish (JTE), the researcher undertakmg this study; and a homeroom teacher.
The CLIL lessons were team-taught by the NTE and the JTE with the support of the homeroom
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teachen
3.2 Data Collection and Analysis
ln this studM different types of data were collected with recordings of the lessons and
teacher semi-stmctured interviews. First, audio and video equipment recorded classroom
interaction and students' reactions during the class. All the collected data was transcribed and used
to describe what happened in the class, such as pupils' behavior during the CLIL class or
unexpectod language which was emerged during the lesson, Second, involved teachers' pre and
post interviews were conducted to gain insiglit into perceived problems and appraisal ofpotential
fbr CLIL application. The homeroom teacher's open-ended discussion of pupils' reactions to CLIL
lessons proved especially salient. These data wi11 be utilized to investigate the feasibility and
potential for CLIL application in the conclusion.
3.3 Research class design
[[he three 45-minute research lessons were planned fbr CLIL class on the 2nd, 9th and 16th
of June, 2011. The topic chosen for this study was animals, based on the noeds analysis of the
pupils and input from the homeroom teacher All the lessons were related to animals by integrating
severa1 subjects: arts and crafts, science and social studies, The language ofthe lessons aimed to
familiarize students with narnes for colors, animals and habhats. This served as the primary target
vocahulary to be learned and, in addition, the vehicle fbr learning to communicate in English.
There were framed by learning interrogative questions using the word "what,"
such as: `Cwnat's
this?" "What
do you 1ike?" or "What
do you want?" which were also the target expressions in
Eigv-note I (201 1), an English material published by MEXT fbr fbreign language activities.
The aims of the CLIL lessons were established by incorporating the 4Cs, the crucial
principles of CLIL, while considering the objectives of the foreign language activity class as
fo11ows.
1fable 177ie Objectives ofa CILIL class with the aims ofthe Fbreign Langunge Activity C7ags
More precise description about the CLIL lesson procedures appears in Zlable 2 beloNM
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Table 2. 71ie Outline qfCLflL Lassons in ferms qfthe 4ds
4Cs 1StCLILlesson 2iCLILIesson 3rCLILIesson
Content Arts&crafts ScienceandArts&Socialstudies"Let'smakeyourcrafts "Let'sthinlcabout
favoriteanimals!" "Let'smakeourclassproblemsofanimals"
zoo!"
Communication(LOL) (LOL) (LOL)<the target"colors&animals"
t`animals&animals'"animals'habitatsnature
,
languagetobe habitats" things&`clean'and
learnedinthe(LFL) (LFL)`dirty'"
CLILlessons) i`What'sthis?" ccwhat'sthis?" (LFL)cclt'aN" "It'a-J;' "What'sthis?"
`:Whatcolordoyou"wnatcolordoyouc`It'aN"
Want?7' Want?"C`Thereare.""
"Whatareyou"wnatareYOUc`Howdoyoufeel?"
making?" making?C`Areyouhappy?"
(LTL) (LTL) (LTL)"colors&animalsnot"naturalthingsnotyet"requisitevocabularyto
yetstudied" studied" describetheirideas"Cognition (LOTS) (LOTS) (LOTS&HOTS)
Memorizing, Memorizing, MemorizingUnderstanding, Understanding, UnderstandingandAndApplying andApplying ApplyingEnglishvocabularyEnglishvocabulary EnglishvocabularywhiletomaketheiranimalstomaketheclasszooAnalyzing
Evaluating,and
Creatingthemessage:inordertosavetheer)dangered
animals
Community1 individualworktoGroupworktomakeClassroom discussionCulture makeanimals, theclasszoo abouttheglobalissue.
pairworkwiththe Pairworkwiththeteacherstoacquire teacherstocreateideasto
colorclay. helpanimals.
lndividualworktocreate
themessae
IVbte. LOL =
language of learning; LFL = language for learning; I-TL =
language through
learning; LOTS =
loweForder thinking ski11s, HOTS = higher-order thinking ski11s.
The next section wi11 describe the results ofthis CLIL application.
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4. Results and Discussion
4.1 CIassroomobservation
4.1.1 FirstCLILclass
ln the first lesson the pupils made their favorite animals by linlcing English class with arts &
handicrafts while using English words about `Ccolors"
and "`animals"
as a means of
communlcatlon,
At the beginning of the class, the English teachers introdnced (he names of colors and
animals. The pupils' panicipation was very positive. For instance, they tried to answer the
questions energetically in very loud voices. Several boys leaned forward to respond to the English
teachers' questions. The reason fbr this was that prior to the lesson the homeroom teacher
explained that the pupils could make their favorite animals only if they successfu11y conveyed
their needs in English to obtain the necessary colored clay. ConsequentlM the pupils showed keen
concentration during the introduction of the main vocabulary.
After introducing the vocahulary, three of the teachers disnibuted lumps of colored clay
while asking the pupils their favorite colors in English in a face-to-face interaction. In this
situation, the pupils had to use English as well as their existing knowledge because the clay was
only available in five colors, "red,"
"yellowi"
L`blue,"
CCwhite,"
and "black."
Therefore, when they
needed other colors, such as "green"
or "purple,"
they had to apply their cognitive ski11s al)out the
mixture ofcolors and the new English vocabulary at the same time. For instance, seven pupils had
to ask the teachers for black and white colored clay because they hoped to create elephants;
actually this was the most popular animal the pupils made, Duimg the interaction, the pupils were
eager to convey their needs to the teachers. Moreoveg cooperation between the pupils occurred
naturally many times, as when some pupils had difficulty expressing their required colors in
English.
After they received their colored claM tl)e pupils began to make their favorite animals in the
six groups comprised oftheir usual 1unch groups. While the pupils created their fayorite animals,
the teachers asked questions, such as `CWhat's
this?" or "wnat
animal are you making?" in
one-to-one interactions, Nl the pupils engaged in interactions with a teacher at least three times in
which each of the three teachers asked every pupil questions about their animals in English.
4.12 SecondCLILclass
The second lesson had two aims. One was to have the pupils learn the new vocabulaiy
about the animals' habitats and place the animals into them. The other was to provide them with
the opportunity to make their class zoo in a cooperative learning situation.
At the beginning of the lesson, the English teachers asked the pupils questions about colors
and animals. The previous lesson was reviewed and the CLIL pupils responded actively in a very
loud, energetic voice answering with both the names ofcolors and ofanimals, giving the teachers
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confidence to proceed to the next step.
Then the teachers questioned the pupils about the places where the animals live. While
eliciting the pupils' responses, they allowed them to speak in Japanese. Following the English
teachers' correct answers in English, the pupils repeated the words. ln this way the new
vocabulary about the animals' habitats was taught. The teachers also asked the pupils to think
al)out what animals live in each habhat using their existing knowledge. During the proeedure, the
pupils tried to place their animals into five hal)itats: ocean, forest, wetland, savamia and
ArcticlAntarctic. Meanwhile, the teachers also introduced the pupils to new vocabulary for natural
features, such as "riveg"
"swamp,"
"tree,"
"iceberg"
and so fbnh.
Next the pupils proceeded to create their class zoo by regrouping their hand-made animals
inte five hahitat groups. ln each group, the pupils talked with their group members ahout what
color paper and clay were needed to make their animals' habitat. The three teachers asked the
pupils some questions, such as "What
color paper do you want?" "What
color clay do you want?"
After obtaining the materials, the pupils cooperated to make their habitats. During the tasK
various interactions were recorded, two ofwhich wi11 be described below,
First, a pupil in the Arctic & Antarctic group asked the homeroom teacher about how to say"ib(
LIJ" in English. After some consideration, she answered, "ice
mountain." However, the teacher
and the groups' pupils found something strange in the expression. Then, the teacher went to
coniirm it with the researcher and returned to teach the group the correct answer, `Ciceberg."
The
pupils teased the homeroom teacher about the mistake, but the teacher replied as fo11ows:
It is natuTal to make mistakes in foreign language learning so you do not have to hesitate to
do so. I think the things you've learned through your own mistakes are harder to forget and today I
could learn the word "iceberg"
in that way. I feel lucky! (Her remarks were given in Japanese,
then, translated by the researcher).
Following the interaction and teacher's statement above, the amount of student initiated
interaction in English frorn the group toward throe teachers increased a great deal compared to
other groups in the class. ・
A second interesting interaction was related to "language through learning." This language,
not part ofthe specific plan, appearod incidenta11y so students could express their opmion or learn
more. tt appeared when the school principal came to the class and panicipated in making some
natural things in the fbrest group. The researcher asked the principal with a polite expression,"wnat
color clay would you like?" The pupils realized the difference between the question asked
to the pupils, "What
color clay do you want?" and the one for the pimcipal. Thus the meaning of
`Cwould
you" was explained to the pupils. They were amazed to know that there are polite
expressions in English as well as Japanese. By experiencing the active interactions with the use of
"language
through learning," which represents both the students' and teachers' active participationin the class according to CLIL theoryl all the groups finished rnaking their animals' habitats in the
second lesson.
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4.1.3 ThirdCLILclass
4.1.3.1 The problems ofthe third CLIL lesson
Prior to the third CLIL lesson, the teachers were discussed three problems. The first was the
dithculty ofthe content. ln facg the content for the third lesson, the issue of endangered animals,
was to be studied in the third temi ofthe sixth grade according to the new course of study Ifthe
content was introduced to the pupils in the third CLIL lesson, it meant that the pupils had to study
it one year and two terms ahead of time. The second was the dienculty of the target language.
During the lesson, they had to understand the afbrementioned difficult content not in their Ll but
in English, which the fbreign language the pupils had just started learning. The last was the
dithculty of the task, which necessitated that the pupils conceive ideas about how to save
endangered animals, both in Japanese and English. Thus the last lesson would pose three
challenges in terms of content, language and task. The NTE describod this lesson plan as"impossible"
in the pre-interview for the lesson, The homeroom teacher also expressed her deep
concern and doubt about the lesson plan; therefore, she recommended the researcher abandon the
third CLIL lesson and fbcus on the success ofthe two previous lessons,
The three teachers held a final pre-meetingjust befbre the day of the third CLIL lesson. The
researcher explained her reasons for conducting the last lesson; it had the important elements of
both fbreign language activities and CLIL: the understandmg of international matters which might
enrich the students' experiential learning appropriate to their age and interest, She explained this to
the other teachers and finally consensus was reached, [[Xvo modifications were adopted in order to
help the pupils learn the content and English more comfbrtahly. One was to introduce a skit about
endangered animals. The scripts were revised many times and the use ofrealia (e.g. a plastic bag
shaped 1ikejellyfish, a helmet fbr a constmction werker) was added, The other was the strategic
use of code-switching in order to enhance students' understandng both the content and target
language, since CLIL allows fbr the use of two languages, the pupils' Ll and the target language,
ln sum, this resulted in two decisions: 1) the use of Japanese for complicated instructions or
explanations, 2) the exclusive use ofEnglish during the skit. Then all teachers agreed to conduct
the last lesson.
4.1.3.2 The third CLIL lesson
The last lesson aimed to provide the pupils opportunity to think al)out the solution of the
prdblem LChow
to save endangered animals" by understanding content related to international
issues while using the learned language to convey their ideas through English. [[his lesson was
arguably the most demanding one, but one which might provide the students with the opportunity
to link their age-appropriate centent and cognitive skills, and think deeply in a fbreigri laiiguage
actlvlty.
The teachers started the lesson by askmg the pupils' feelings. At this stage, no one answered
they were sad. Next the teachers reviewed the last lesson with the use ofthe pictures ofthe pupils'
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habitats, which had been taken during the last lesson, and confirmed the pupils' corrrprehension of
the names of animals' habitats in English, Next they introduced the new vocabulary, the key words
of the lesson, "clean"
and "dirty"
by collocating them with two habitats, such as "clean
ocean,"
`tdirty
ocean," "clean
fbrest" and "dirty
fbrest."
Then the skit began. The first skit was about the problems of endangered sea turtles in the
polluted ocean. ln the skit, the NTE played a sea turtle and the researcher a person coming to the
beach. The pupils were surprised to see the turtle eating the entire plastic bag due to its
resemblance to a jellyfish and eventually dying. Following the first skit, the second one was
perfbrmed for the pupils. This skit illustrated the issue of elephants endangered because of
defbrestation. The NTE wore a helmet and played a constmction worker by cutting down trees tomake a house. Then a hungry elephant, the Japanese English teacheg appeared and looked fbr
fbod by saying, "I'm
very hungry, But there are no trees and no leaves ... I'rn very hungry, , ." then
the elephant died of hunger After the skit, the researcher also showed the pupils apicture ofa
dead elephant due to defbrestation. It should be noted here that, in spite of the CLIL teacher'sconcern, none of the pupils in the class was distracted or inattentive. On the contrarM theyconcentrated on the skits very seriously
After the two skits, the English teachers asked the pupils how they felt al)out seeing the
problem of endangered anirnals. [[Ihe teachers asked, "How
do you feel? Are you happy? Are youangry? Or are you sad?" The pupils nodded to the last question, which meant that all the pupilsunderstood the problem and felt sympathy fbr the endangered animals. ln fact, three pupils shed
tears at this moment in spite ofthe fact that no one answered they were sad at the beginning ofthe
lesson.
Then the homeroom teacher asked if pupils knew how to save the animals. The class
discussiori began and several pupils expressed their qpinions in Japanese. The English teacherstranslated the ideas into English and wrote them on the blackl)oard.
After the discussion, the 1ast and the most demanding task was introduced by the researcheg
which required them to think about the ideas and create messages to save the animals in Japaneseand English. All the pupils agreed to engage in the task and started to create their messages. Then
the three teachers helped the pupils individually by translating their ideas into English with the useof learned vecEibulary ln fact, the pupils showed deep conceritration on the task, which irrrpressed
all the teachers and led them to perceive CLIL in a very positive way.
4.2 Ileachers'interviews
As mentioned, there are three types of teachers involved in this study: the homeroomteacher in a supportive role; the native English-speaking teacher (NTE), one of the main teachers
ofteam-teaching; and the native Japanese teacher ofEnglish (JTE), who was also one of the mainteachers ofthe research class and the researcher ofthis study. Their negative and positive opinions
wi11 be described belov¢
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4.2.1 Negative factors
The native English speaking teacher described two matters conceming this CLIL
application: 1) his skepticism ahovrt whether the CLIL lesson gave the pupils fbreign lariguage
facility since they rarely had explicit practice and 2) the great burden placed on the teaches to
discuss the lesson plans and make materials. He mentioned that CLIL requirod greater effbrt and
preparation compared to regular ones. It did in fact take him ten hours of extra work without pay
As a conclusion, he preferred the regular style ofthe lessons in his class after his CLIL experience,
On the other hand, the CLIL class also imposed 25 hours of extra wotk on the homeroom
teacher for the discussion with the researcher though, she never mentioned it. instead, the
homeroom teacher was deeply concerned about the anticipated burden the pupits would face
during the third lesson in temis of three issues: the dithculty of the content, language diMculty
and the demanding task, as mentioned in the classroom observation discussion.
The researcher also acknowledged the teachers' heavy burden to have mutual understanding
among the teachers to conduct the CLIL. Furtherrnore she deeply anticipated that the last CLIL
lesson would require the pupils' cognitive engagement as the homeroom teacher mentioned. On
the other hand, the researcher expected that the lesson would provide the pupils with meaningfu1
experiential learning by studying the problem that their favorite animals are facing now ln fact,
most of the animals created by the pupils in the first CLIL lesson were endangered in the world.
Howeveg with the other teachers' objections to the lesson plan, a strong anxiety emerged in the
researcher's mind about whether the researcher was truly heading in the right direction for the
pupils, or whether the third class would sacrifice the CLIL pupils' positive participation because of
the diMculty of the lesson. Nevenheless, by observing the CLIL pupils' deep attachnent and
involvement in their animals and the animals' habhats during the previous two lessons, the
researcher believed in their potential ability to engage in the last demanding lesson when she was
convincing the other teachers to proceed. Howeyeg it should be noted that the fear never
disappeared until the researcher saw the CLIL pupils' positive participation during the third lesson.
422 Positiye factors
Although the NTE expressed negative opinions on the CLIL instruction, he admitted
positive outcomes fbr the CLIL application; that is, CLIL motivated students to have interaction in
English with their own will, which the NTE never experienced befbre. SpecificallM the N[[E
noted that the last CLIL lesson was "quite
impressive.'7 By taking into account the challenging and
demanding activity of the lesson, he perceived that the pupils' positive participation in the class
was impressive. In fact, many pupils asked him how to express their ideas in English, which
provided him with a great surprise. Nl the pxpils seriously engaged in expressing their ideas in
English. Howeveg he still opposed contiiruation of the CLIL instmction because of the increased
worlcload. He stated that ifhe had that responsibility all the time, it would be a heavy burden for
him, although he stated it might be interesting to conduct a CLIL lesson once in a terrn or school
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year:
The homeroom teacher expressed her greatest pleasure in observing the pupils' unusual
behaviors in the CLIL class. She called their very positive participation throughout the lessons,
even in the third lesson, "miracles."
After the last CLIL lesson, she reevaluated her reluctance to
conduct the challenging task. This change derived from the pupils' daily attitude toward other
subjects and so she was not aware of their vast potential. ln paniculag one of the most impressive
things for her was that she observed students with learning dithculty who showed positive
behavior fbr the first time during the CLIL instmction. For instance, one student, who had learning
disability (LD), showed his wi11 to generate more products by voruntarily approachng the teachers.
Furthermore, another student with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), whowholeheartedly participated in the class, used learned English vocabulary in the interaction with
the homeroom teacher after school. These facts showed her how CLIL deepened their engagement
in the class by stimulating their interest. Therefore, the teacher hoped to constantly employ the
CLIL method in order to irnprove the quality offoreign language activities.
The researcher found three factors as positive during the sequence of three CLIL lessons; 1)
having meaningfu1 student-initiated interaction through authentic content in English, 2) observing
deep engagement of the students by stimulating their interest toward international matters and
having them use cognitive ski11s apprqpriate to their age, and 3) encouraging the positive
participation of the homeroom teacher even in a diMcult situation. ln particulag the 1ast one was
recognized when the homeroom teacher and the researcher were talking about the homeroom
teacher's condnct toward her mistake occurred duimg the second lesson. Her remarks were as
fbllows:
At first, I thought that the CLIL lessons were kind of intimidating fbr me. It's because there
were many English words. , ,in the lesson, . .Bug at the same time I realized that my experience to
teach ather subjects would be utilized in the CLIL lesson, which gave me confidence to participatein the class... And ifmy cenduct really encouraged my pupils to ask for the correct answer and
use English without anxiety. , . , I could feel that it was worth my being in the lesson, even though
I'm not sure about my English ability. (All her rematks were given in Japanese, which weretranslated by the researcher).
In fact, the homeroom teacher's cooperation was crucial. Her advice and knowledge about
other subjects and her students were indispensai)le for constructing the CLIL lessons. This fact
gave the homeroom teacher confidence and 1ed her to handle the diMcult situation in a very
positive way during the class. This also gives the pupils a good role model fbr a language learner
As a result it reveals a potential to realize an anxiety-rednced classroom environrneng which
D6rnyei's recommends (2001). As the homeroom teacher indicated, CLIL requires rich input
including incidental 1anguage al)out the content. This would seem to be a 1arge obstacle at first for
teachers independently. Howeveg as long as the teachers could stay positive and seek the right
language during the class, for instance, by using dictionary or askmg an ALT or J'IIE in order to
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consult the correct use of the target laiiguage, it seems possible for the homeroom teachers, and
others, to conduct CLIL lessons. ln addition, the positiveness ofhomeroom teachers may have a
great potential to secure the learning environrnent, and must be helpfu1 for students' future
learning. ln sum, the researcher presumed that these phenomena derived from the new
environment that CLIL brought, with the synergy of fbur essential elements, Content,
Communication, Cognition and CulturefCommunity. However, no matter how promising the
results are, it is only one exploratory studM thus, as the NTE indicated, it is 1ikely the burden for
the teachers that could be a setl)ack fbr CLIL implementation in other elementary schools. This
realization urged the researcher to verify the potential ofCLIL in more varied contexts in order to
explore an effective program for foreign language activities.
5. Conclusion
This paper aimed to explore the feasibility and potential ofa CLIL application in a Japanese
elementary school. The investigation reveals that the CLIL application seems feasible and has the
potential to deepen the pupils' experiential learning to use English tlll:ough authentic content. The
integration of content from other subjects and foreign language learning within the immeworks of
CLIL might be one solution to the contemporary challenges with content and effective teachng
that Japanese elementary school teachers face.
Howeveg several problems were identified in this study. First, CLIL teachers' wi11 have a
heavy burden with preparati(ms. in this studM three subjects (arts and crafts, science and social
studies) were integrated around an anirnal theme. This was done so as to conduct the CLIL lessons
with consideration for the fbur elements ofCLIL and for the key expressions set fbrth in Eigo-note
L Many possible CLIL lessons cculd be explored: such as, thernatic lessons about food by
integrating socials studies and cooking of home economics, exchanging e-mail or video letters
with foreign studerits to leam al)out their country by integrating social studies, or learning various
types of onomatopoeia in English by realizing the difference between Japanese, and so fbnh. We
can call these lessons CLIL as long as the teachers adheres totthe 4Cs when they constmct the
lessons. ln any case the preparations would be demanding, however, there is a vast potential to
utilize the knowledge and experience of homeroom teachers in the CLIL class, which might
provide them with confidence to condnct foreign language activities,
Second, the teachers' anxiety abaut the students' responses to the innovative but unusual
procedure was fbund problematic in this study. Howeve4 this indicates that teacher should not
underestimate their students' abilities in a CLIL environment on the grounds of their attitude
towards other subjects in Ll medium, or because of their limited language al)ilities. Ofcourse, this
was only one exploratory study of a CLIL application in a Japanese public elementary school.
Thus, it is too soon to suggest these results ofthe study can be generally applied. Therefore, it is
hoped more research wi11 be done to verify the feasibility and potentials of CLIL in varied
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contexts in the future to improve Japanese fbreigri language activities.
Acknowledgements
[[his paper is based on my MA thesis (Yamano, 2012) submitted to the Gradnate Schoo1 of
Linguistics of Sophia University
I would like to express my sincere gratimde to my supervisog Professor Kensalcu Ybshida and
members of the MA thesis committee, Professor Ybshinori Whtanabe, Professor Shinichi Izumi
and Professor Makoto lkeda. I would also 1ike to express my profound gratitude to the
participants: The CLIL class homeroom teacheg and the native teacher of English, fbr their
dedicated cooperation, and all the pupils who earnestly panicipated in the lessons. Without their
help, this paper could never have been written.
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