Teaching Materials and CLIL Teaching

Abstract

The Reform of the Italian school system that came into effect in 2012 introduced CLIL into the upper secondary school curricula. As a result, it has created ad-hoc teacher education programmes for subject teachers to learn to teach their subject in a foreign language using CLIL methodology. This revolutionary step has involved the University Language Centres in the teacher education and it has generated the publication of a large quantity of teaching material (TM) for all school subjects, as well as academic research in this field. It is relevant both for the teacher trainer and for the subject teacher to develop a critical perspective of the TM available. Thus, this article aims to examine the published TM currently available on the market from a methodological viewpoint. The material analysed and the methodology applied here were used in teacher education programmes for future CLIL teachers in which the author of this paper was involved as a teacher trainer of the University of Cagliari Language Centre. Certain critical aspects of language learning, such as comprehensible input and adherence to the 4Cs (communication cognition, content, and culture) of the CLIL methodology framework were carefully considered in the study.