About this Research Topic
Viewed like this, no truly interdisciplinary stance has been taken in research. For example, the question has not been asked to what extent CLIL students learn the language of the subject and can produce the genres typical of the subject in the foreign language. Within this integrative conceptualization, students are expected to produce subject-specific discourse in the CLIL language about the subject’s contents. Discourse, then, does not merely refer to students’ ability to use specific lexical items in correct grammatical sentences while talking about subject matter. It also implies mastery of the characteristics of specific text genres commonly used within a certain scientific discipline (Council of Europe, 2016).
“Genre” refers to a type of communication that is based on socially agreed-upon conventions. These conventions may concern the selection of topics, but also organizational, content-related or linguistic and stylistic features. Importantly, genres may be neutral in tone, but may also aim to manipulate the reader, promoting the authors’ attitude towards the topic, their ideological convictions, or their appraisal of particular events (Sercu, 2021). Examples of genres are ‘argumentative essays’, ‘historical reports’ or ‘lab reports’.
The foci are as follow:
- The primary focus is on students’ acquisition of discourse competence. Students need to learn how to master the discourses typical of a particular field of study. For history as a school subject, they need to learn how to write historical reports in the CLIL language. For chemistry, they need to write lab reports in the CLIL language. For economics, students need to learn the art of giving convincing economic presentations in the CLIL language.
- A secondary focus is on the acquisition of 21st-century skills. These skills include media & technology skills (information literacy, media literacy, ICT literacy); life & career skills (self-direction, cross-cultural competence, teamwork); or reasoning skills (analytic reasoning, problem solving, critical thinking).
- The articles can discuss the theory-based development of teaching materials and assessment procedures, but also empirical studies on students’ learning of discourse competence and 21st-century skills or on teachers’ perceptions of discourse and 21st-century competencies
acquisition in CLIL.
- CLIL can be considered as referring to any approach in which language and content learning and teaching are viewed in integrated ways. Thus, articles discussing the learning of discourse competence and/or 21st-century skills in dual language education programs are
also welcome.
- Foreign language can be understood as referring to a foreign, second, or world language.
Keywords: CLIL, subject literacy, subject-specific discourse competence, 21st-century skills, learning, teaching
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.