THE PATTERNS AND EFFECTIVENESS OF LANGUAGE USE IN CLIL CLASSROOM

1. THE PATTERNS AND EFFECTIVENESS OF LANGUAGE USE IN CLIL CLASSROOM By Didi Sukyadi Indonesia University of Education Presented at Thai TESOL Conference Khon Kaen, Bangkok, 25-26 January 2013

2. Background • Since 2006, the implementation of content language integrated learning (CLIL) started through the establishment of called Fledgling International Standard Schools (FISS). • Every municipal goverment should establish one FISS which should meet national education standard plus standards adopted from those of OECD countries. • FISS was characterized by the use of English as the language of instruction for teaching math and sciences, while for the rest of the subjects useBahasa Indonesia.

3. Problems • Most math and science teachers do not have sufficient training in English and English teaching pedagogy. • Some teachers are indicated to use only a small amount of English during their teaching such as for opening and closing the lesson. • The main activities are mainly in Bahasa Indonesia. • Now, the law ordering the running of FISS has been nullified by Constitution Court, but the spirit and practices are still alive.

4. Research Question? • What are the patterns of interaction during the teaching and learning activities. • Is the use of language pedagogically indicate an effective classroom interaction?

5. Theoretical Framework • Snow, Met and Genesee (1989) CLIL language: content obligatory language for learning content and content-compatible languagefor supporting content • Coyle et al (2010): CLIL Language: 1) Language of learning, 2) Language for learning, and 3) language through learning. • Language of learning= content language, language for learning = for learning interaction, language through learning = for learning new knowledge.

6. Theoretical Framework • Different from ordinary conversation where the transition-relevance place (TRP) becomes available through: (1) “the current speaker selects thenext speaker,” (2) “the next speaker self-selects,” and (3) “the current speaker, in the classroom discourse, the rule is the IRF sequence (teacher initiation–student response–teacher feedback; Sinclair & Coulthard, 1975) or IRE, whereE stands for Evaluation (Mehan, 1979). According to Wells (1993) in Waring (2009)

7. Effective CLIL Classroom(de Graaff et al 2007) (1) Teachers facilitate exposure to input at a (minimally) challenging level byselecting attractive authentic materials, adapting texts up to the level ofthe learners and scaffolding on the content and language level by activeuse of body language and visual aids.

8. Effective CLIL Classroom (2) Teachers facilitate meaning-focused processing by stimulating the learners torequest new vocabulary items, check their meaning, use explicit andimplicit types of corrective feedback on incorrect meaning identification,and practice through relevant speaking and writing assignments.

9. Effective CLIL Classroom (3) Teachers facilitate form-focussed processing by giving examples, usingrecasts and confirmation checks, clarification requests and giving feedback(sometimes including peer feedback). CLIL teachers providing explicit form-focused instruction, e.g. by explaining rules.

10. Effective CLIL Classroom (4) Teachers facilitate output production by encouraging learners’ reactions,working in different interactive formats and practising creativeforms of oral (presentations, round tables, debates) and written (letters,surveys, articles, manuals) output production, suggesting communicativelyfeasible tasks, giving the learners enough time for taskcompletion, encouraging learners to speak only in English, providingfeedback on students’ incorrect language use and stimulating peer feedback.

11. Effective CLIL Classroom (5) Teachers facilitate the use of compensation strategies by stimulating studentsto overcome problems in language comprehension and languageproduction, reflecting on use of compensation strategies, and scaffolding on-the-spot strategy use.

12. METHOD • Respondent: Biology, Math and Physics teachers teaching in Junior High Schools categorised as Fledling International Standard Schools. • Their teaching sessions (a session for each teacher was videotaped and transcribed. • The results were analyzed based on the theoretical framework mentioned above.

13. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION • IRF is confirmed: Extract 1. 32F:By the way ((pause)) where is DNA is located? (=I) 33Students:Nucleus. (=R) 34F:Correct. This is cell [showing her slides to the students] (F)

14. Initiation • Teacher mostly uses questions to initiate IRF Extract 2. T : =Oh, no. Greater than 180°. ((pause)) (mekkabunitcor) 200 degree is call? 200 degree is call? ((pause)) Ok Hasni. ((pause)) What is the name? Ayo Acute angle, obtuse angle, and then? S : Right T : Right angle. And then? ((pause)) What is the angle? ((pause)) R- r- r-? S : Right T : No. R – E – ?

15. Language of Learning and Language For Learning are essential in IRF F:By the way ((pause)) where is DNA is located? (=I) Students:Nucleus. (=R) F:Correct. This is cell [showing her slides to the students] (=F) Cell is the basic of living things and nucleus at the center of cell. Let’s make define! That’s nucleus [looking at power point slide about nucleus] What is that? [pointing to the slide] (=I) Students: Chromosome. (=R) F:Good. Chromosome is coil of DNA. DNA’s strange ((pause)) like this [looking at slide of DNA] Yup ((pause)) amazing (=R), right? (=I) Students: Yeah. (=R)

16. IRF & Language Trptych • The knowledge of language of learning is really important for CLIL classroom teachers and students as only by knowing the language of learning IRF, including language for learning, can be achieved. • When they know the language of learning, then they will be able to use it as language for learning that will establish successful conversation during the classin that the contribution comes from both sides.

17. Teacher’s Feedbacks are varied • Extract 4. F:Is it possible? David Beckham and Victoria have children like this? Students:No. F:Of course not. Why? Students:Different spesies. F: Excellent. So amazing phenomena in genetic is a spesies can reproduce similar spesies. Humans reproduce humans. Cats reproduce cats. Elephants reproduce elephants. That’s amazing.

18. Effective CLIL Classrooms • It can be seen clearly that for the first category, exposure to input, all the teachers have fulfilled the indicators given by Westhoff (2004). • There was problem with the text selection, text adaptation, teacher talk adaptation, and text adaptation during the teaching and learning process. • For the second category, content-oriented processing, third category, form-oriented processing, and fifth category, strategic language use, all the teachers have also fulfilled all indicators. • However, the frequency among the teachers in the process of applying all indicators was different. In this study, the physics teacher was found to be the least frequent teacher who applied all indicators for the effective language teaching performance in CLIL classroom • In the fourth category, (pushed) output, only physics teacher who did not fulfilled all the indicators. There were two indicators that were not applied, asking the students for interaction and stimulating the students to use the target language.

19. Effective CLIL Classrooms • Biology and Mathematics teachers always asked their students to give presentation in English, they stimulate them to speak in English and help them when they had some difficulties in the use of the special terms as well as the grammar. • In the contrary, physics teacher did not try to have her students give presentation in English although in the conversation they have already used English. • In other words, it can be said that Physics teacher has not stimulated the students yet to use the target language and this is influenced by the English Proficiency of the teacher.

20. Thank You