The document discusses the implementation of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) at Melbourne High School to enhance language education for boys, addressing challenges such as lack of relevance and engagement. The CLIL program integrates language and content, demonstrated through teaching history in German, leading to positive student feedback and improved engagement. Ongoing evaluation shows that students are continuing their language studies with promising results in their assessments.

1. Content and Language Integrated
Learning
Boys Can Learn Languages!

2. Context
• Melbourne High School, Melbourne, Australia
• Select entry boys’ school
• Top 3% of the state
• My role- Head of German and Head of Languages

3. What are some of the problems in
language education?
• Students not challenged
• Language study irrelevant
• Students have no immediate need to improve
in or focus on their language skills
• English is the universal language

4. Questions
Why?
What?
How?
With what results?

5. Second Language Acquisition
• The current research on second language
acquisition tells us that to become competent
in a language it must be presented in a
relevant context and must have a
communicative function (Richard and Rogers,
2001).

6. What is meant by CLIL?
• Content and Language Integrated Learning
(CLIL) is a dual-focused educational approach.
• The additional language (foreign language) is
used for the teaching of both content and
language.
• I teach the history curriculum through the
German language.

7. Why? Teaching boys at MHS?
Why did we trial a CLIL program at Melbourne High
School?
- Boys and language learning
- High achieving students
- Language drop off
- German program was not necessarily relevant to
the students needs and interests
- High order thinking
- Cognitive advantages of bilingualism

8. How do you teach a CLIL program?
• Integrated content-based instruction
–Content and language objectives are
planned concurrently
–Key vocabulary is pre-taught (essential)
–Highly scaffolded
–Routines
–Modeling

9. With what results? Program Review
• Student Survey (start and end of program)
• The students want to learn!
• Changed classroom atmosphere.
• They are creative with the language.
• Don’t rely on translators.
• Create complicated sentences.
• Students sat the year 9 history exam-results
were in-line with the year level results .

10. With what results?
Continued evaluation
• The year 9 CLIL students from 2013 are now
studying German in year 10.
• It will be interesting to see what happens to
the numbers at year 11 in 2015.
• For further information please email me at:
briggs.elizabeth.e@edumail.vic.gov.au