Page 30 - ELG2005 May Issue 470

COMMENT . OUT FEATURES & COMMENT

Point PIXABAY OF THE

of View BOX

Phil
Ball Let’s not go

back to business
“Content must cease to be

a slave to the language” as usual

Language classes shouldn’t be language led. CLIL shows Getting back to normal is the last
us that concepts and competences are key, argues Phil Ball thing we need, argues Chris Etchells,

author of ELTFootprint.uk, if it means
here’s an extract from an EL Competences are not ‘skills’. Skills are a
textbook I often use as a warmer for component of competences, as are thematic sacrificing the health of the planet in
CLIL training sessions. The chapter contents and subject-based procedures. They
Tis about ‘Routines,’ but before the are the ‘resources’ of a competence. In order pursuit of economic growth
learners can dive into this topic they are to assess a competence, a student’s behaviour
exhorted, in pairs, to ask each other must be observable, which requires the I don’t underestimate the business school, you should be clear why this
questions about their daily activities. student to ‘perform’ in some way. difficulties and personal tragedies is better. You can also use your
The example at the top of the page This performance requires a ‘situation’ caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, influence to promote environmental
features a boy asking a girl, ‘Do you have (Roegiers, 2000), which is why CLIL has but many of the measures taken to responsibility among your students.
breakfast in the morning?’ She dutifully become such a useful conduit for contain the virus are also good for You could also help your
replies, ‘Yes, I do’. competence-based approaches. In simple the planet. We are working from organisation to become carbon
The task that I give to the teachers, also terms, and to stick to the theme of global Discussion on global warming (and pandemics) can motivate students and help to assess competences home more; we are travelling less; neutral, including offsetting student
in pairs, is to imagine what the girl would warming, a teacher of, say, environmental we are sourcing more food locally; journeys. Check out
really say. Over the year, answers have science, no longer needs to teach this topic hard CLIL, which is ‘content-led,’ and soft professional development. But there is no use cities are quieter and the air is ELTFootprint.uk, where I’ve outlined
ranged from, ‘Is that a merely because the CLIL, which is allegedly ‘language led’. It’s a in playing around with content, just to satisfy cleaner. People have glimpsed a how.
trick question?’ to, ‘Are syllabus determines cute distinction, but within a competence-led linguistic objectives. Content must cease to more hopeful future where we live
you mildly insane?’ CLIL champions randomly that this will framework it is probably less necessary to be a slave to the language. It needs to be the in balance with the natural world.
Having just returned happen in February - but make it. other way around. The function of language is In Doughnut Economics, Kate The coronavirus
from addressing the UN the principle of because the ‘situation’ is CLIL champions the principle of language to serve content-based objectives. Amen. Rowley says, “The world is
in her second language, language as vehicle: real. Students tend to be as vehicle: you do something with it. So, if the Learners are no longer convinced by the experiencing a series of shocks and crisis has shown
Greta Thunberg, still at motivated by reality, as language teacher wants to work on saving the older, out-of-date paradigm. Ask Greta surprise impacts which are enabling
school and still learning you do something opposed to talking about planet, they can ask the students to prepare a Thunberg. I’m sure she’d agree. us to shift away from the idea of that online learning
English, is unlikely to be breakfast. presentation of, ‘what they would do to growth to ‘thriving’.” How can ELT
convinced by such a with it. The performance of reduce the climate crisis if they ruled the REFERENCES best thrive in the aftermath of can be effective
drill. students within the world’. Then, we might reasonably ask how n Ball, P. Kelly, K. and Clegg, J. (2015) Putting Covid-19? and enjoyable.
The book is not as old as you think, it is curricular frameworks of these subjects can the teacher and the other students might CLIL into Practice. Oxford University Press. On ELTFootprint.uk, I have
nevertheless comforting to reflect on the be tightly related to the particular curriculum assess their peers’ performances. Bullock, A. (1975) The Bullock Report: A outlined a number of steps. First, we
fact that this sort of empty drill – and all skills prescribed. Yet the situation they might The presenters will require the 2nd language for life. London: DOE. need to understand the challenge Above all, don’t be scared. Once
that sails in its methodological boat – is resolve could be, ‘Convince the UN delegate Conditional to make their proposals, but the Met, M. (1989) Learning language through facing us. According to The we understand the problem and the
gradually disappearing, replaced by units of who is visiting your local region that global proposals will need to be scientifically (and content: Learning content through language. In Intergovernmental Panel on Climate possible solutions, we can move
work bearing some resemblance to real warming is real, using evidence from the local ethically) valid. This is a language class, but K. E. Müller (ed.), Languages in elementary Change, we have around 10 years to from fear of the future to looking
experience, either scholastic or extra-mural. context’. it is not ‘language led.’ it is concept-led. schools (pp.43-64). New York: American Forum. avert the worst effects of climate forward to a better world.
Has CLIL helped turn the tide, or has the The interest for language teaching is The language for this particular Roegiers, X. (2000) Une pédagogie de change. Doughnut Economics So, let’s not go back to business as
world just become a more problematic place, obvious. Yet in the scholastic context, competence must be accurate and persuasive, l’intégration. Brussels: De Boeck. describes how we can achieve a “just usual. Whatever our place in ELT,
worthy of serious discussion even in situations in which students can demonstrate yes, but it must also reflect the discourse of and safe space for humanity” that let’s use the disruption caused by the
language classes? Probably a bit of both. competences authentically can be difficult to the particular science involved. Greta Phil Ball is a CLIL materials writer and meets everyone’s needs within the virus to help deliver a better future.
CLIL has certainly contributed to the idea come by. Thunberg is not effective because she teacher-trainer based in San Sebastián, Spain. capacity of the planet to support us. Do it for your students, for your
that in class we can talk about real things, But even within the relatively limited happens to be a C1 on the CEFR. She’s He was closely involved with the award- The UN Sustainable Development business, for your children and your
and do real things with real objectives. We parameters of the classroom, we can provide effective because she uses the discourse of winning Basque project, ‘Eleanitz’, and the Goals set out the minimum grandchildren. If we all act now
can use the language that derives from those valid frameworks for competence-based climate-crisis science accurately. CLIL textbook series for the Basque standards humanity needs to lead a within our own spheres of influence,
sensible aims, instead of using a textbook action (Ball et al. 2015). The internet has left Since 1995 and the birth of CLIL, subject competence-based curriculum (EKI), for good life. maybe the light at the end of the
unit on global warming as an excuse to us with no excuses: it enables genuine teachers have been exhorted to become more which he was nominated for the ELTONS How can those of us in ELT make tunnel really will turn out to be a
practise the 2nd Conditional. communicative opportunities with other ‘language aware’ (to paraphrase Bullock, Innovation Award in 2016. He is co-author of a difference? The coronavirus crisis brighter future for us all.
This is where the notion of competences schools, or with public and private 1975), but how about language teachers? Putting CLIL into Practice (Oxford University has shown that online learning can
fits snugly into 21st-century educational institutions. They have not really been asked to do Press 2015), co-designed the new CLIL be effective and enjoyable. So, if you n Chris Etchells is author
discourse, riding on the wave of approaches Why not do this in the language class? anything new, nor have the notions of Essentials online course for the British Council, can teach it online, please do. If you of ELTFootprint.uk and Managing
and works as a consultant and tutor for NILE
such as CLIL, which have conscientiously One possible hurdle is that CLIL has ‘content awareness’ or subject-based literacy in England. ball.philip6@gmail.com expect students to travel to your Director of English Country Schools.
prepared the ground. traditionally divided itself into two camps – ever been proposed as useful elements in their

30 May 2020 editorial@elgazette.com 31