CLIL is Content and Language Integrated Learning. It is a learning approach that enables the study of another curricular subject (the Content) through the medium of a foreign language. CLIL is the particular focus on a spectrum of cross-curricular teaching of languages that is currently receiving increased attention, as researchers and practitioners work to develop a place for it in mainstream education, as opposed to experimental project-based settings.

The key is in the degree of Integration of the two disciplines that is achieved, where cooperation between content teachers and language teachers is at a premium. In a well organized CLIL programme, students will be learning areas of language (not usually covered in ‘traditional’ language learning) within content lessons, while language lessons will be equipping students with the levels of sophisticated language use to manipulate authentic content (i.e. what native speakers could expect to face). Students’ motivation should benefit from these additional dimensions to their learning, presented in appropriate cultural settings, which should also contribute to more generic study skills.

There is discussion of CLIL in the context of cross-curricular schemes within the Valuing Languages area of the CILT site, and more extensive coverage, including an overview and detailed case studies of recent developments, within the 14-19 webpages.

A subject search of the online catalogue of CILT’s Resources Library [Browse Subject = content and language integrated learning] currently identifies 16 dedicated texts on the subject.

Major developments in CLIL have taken place in Europe during the last two decades. Details of ongoing exploration of its potential can be located on the site of the Council of Europe’s European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML).