CLIL Teacher Development: Challenges and Experiences

Abstract

Content and Language Integrated Learning is regarded as an innovative or alternative approach to Communicative Language Teaching. Stakeholders, researchers and other actors involved in teaching foreign language embrace CLIL in the hope that deficiencies in foreign language learning can be overcome so as to meet new socio-economic needs. However, CLIL is not only about benefits. In this article I will first outline some of its challenges and drawback particularly in reference to teachers and teacher development since other difficulties may be rooted in how teachers are prepared to respond to the new issues that CLIL seems to raise. Secondly, I will describe pre- and in-service CLIL teacher development opportunities partly based on personal experiences at the University of Warwick and then I will describe other personal experiences of workshops in Argentina. Last, I will suggest possible ways of incorporating CLIL understanding in Argentina as an example of an EFL context.