It feels like we really only scratched the surface. I think also that we are only really a scratch on the surface. It was only at TESOL Arabia that I experienced subject teachers (Maths and Science) presenting in the programme at what is a language teachers’ conference. What we really need is some way to build dialogue with colleagues in other areas of the curriculum and those rare colleagues who are actually ‘teaching Physics in English as a foreign language’. There are so few examples of faculties working in collaboration to train teachers in an integrated approach to teaching content through a foreign language that it’s shocking. It’s time trainers made efforts to build courses at pre-service level that did put into practice all of the ‘sense’ we’ve been talking about. The problem may be one of ‘protecting your territory’. It’s something I imagine Germany would be doing at full pace given that colleagues graduate by default with two disciplines so a language and a subject gives them ideal CLIL material to work with, but it is not.
It was a thoroughly challenging discussion, one which I think raised more questions than found answers. This means that there is ample opportunity for you, the reader, to get involved. You might like to start this at the YLT group (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/younglearners/) and here at onestopclil in the discussion forum. We look forward to reading your views!
There was also an invitation to set up a group to continue the good discussion started in the YLT forum. 'Does anyone feel inclined to found the YLTSIG workparty on CLIL?!' This may just happen if the energy of the YLT SIG Group is true to form!
Keith Kelly
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