CLIL: The Advantages and Disadvantages of Implementation in the Croatian Environment

master's thesis

• Author: Valentina Gučec
• Mentor: Ivana Cindrić (mentor)
• Committee member: Smiljana Narančić-Kovač (predsjednik povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Ivana Milković (član povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Ivana Cindrić (član povjerenstva)
• Granter: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Teacher Education; Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2019-07-12, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: HUMANISTIC SCIENCES; Interdisciplinary Humanistic Studies; Teaching Methods in the Humanistic Sciences

Abstract

‘There is little doubt that being educated through the medium of the language you are learning is the best experience of real use of that language that schools can provide.’ (Halliwell, 1992, p. 140). Many approaches to foreign language learning, which support that statement, have emerged recently and have been in focus in the field of education. One of them is CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning), which is the focus of this thesis. It implies learning the language naturally while using it as a medium to transfer the content to the pupils. In this thesis, the foreign language in focus is English. It also focuses on an implementation of this relatively new way of teaching in Austrian and Croatian primary schools. Considering the fact that the research was conducted in primary schools, this thesis focused early learning of foreign languages and the way young learners react to that way of foreign language learning. The aim of this study was to investigate the advantages and disadvantages of CLIL approach during two lessons, one in Austria and one in Croatia. The study, conducted by the author, is an observational research in which two CLIL lessons are parallelly described and compared. The findings indicate that CLIL lessons are more interesting and challenging for both teacher and pupils. Both reacted well, there were no language problems nor problems with the preparation for that kind of a lesson. The pupils were highly motivated and enjoyed the lessons, especially the Croatian pupils, who are not used to learning that content in their language lessons. However, Croatian lesson was more of a CLIL language lesson because the focus was more on the language. The main conclusion of the study is that CLIL approach should be given more attention in Croatia and that it should be included into foreign language learning in Croatia as CLIL language lessons.

Abstract (croatian)

‘Nema sumnje da je biti obrazovan kroz jezik kojeg se uči najbolje iskustvo stvarnog korištenja jezika kojeg škola može pružiti.’ (Halliwell, 1992, str. 140). Nedavno su se pojavili mnogi pristupi učenju i poučavanju stranog jezika koji podržavaju navedenu tezu, te su u centru pažnje u području obrazovanja. Jedan od njih je i CLIL (Integrirano učenje sadržaja i jezika), koji je tema ovog rada. Pristup podrazumijeva prirodno učenje jezika koristeći ga kao medij za prenošenje sadržaja učenicima. U ovom radu, strani jezik koji se istražuje je engleski. Naglasak je na primjeni ovog relativno novog načina poučavanja u austrijskim i hrvatskim osnovnim školama. Uzimajući u obzir činjenicu da je ovo istraživanje provedeno u osnovnim školama, rad se fokusira na rano učenje stranog jezika i način na kojeg mladi učenici reagiraju na takav način učenja jezika. Cilj istraživanja je bio istražiti prednosti i nedostatke CLIL pristupa promatrajući dva CLIL sata, jedan u Austriji i jedan u Hrvatskoj. Rad, kojeg je provela autorica rada, je istraživanje promatranjem u kojem su dva CLIL sata paralelno opisana i uspoređena. Rezultati pokazuju da su CLIL nastavni sati zanimljivi i izazovni za učenike i učitelje. I jedni i drugi su dobro reagirali, nije bilo jezičnih problema niti problema s pripremom za takav način poučavanja stranog jezika. Učenici su bili izrazito motivirani i uživali su u satu, pogotovo hrvatski učenici, koji nisu navikli učiti jezik na takav način. Međutim, nastavni sat u Hrvatskoj je bio CLIL jezični sat, a ne predmetni CLIL sat, jer je naglasak bio na učenju jezika. Glavni zaključak ovog rada je da bi se CLIL pristupu poučavanja trebalo posvetiti više pažnje u Hrvatskoj i da bi trebao biti sastavni dio učenja i poučavanja stranog jezika u Hrvatskoj u obliku CLIL jezičnih nastavnih sati.

• Keywords: CLIL; primary school; foreign language learning; English as a foreign language
• Keywords (croatian): CLIL; osnovna škola; učenje stranog jezika; engleski kao strani jezik
• Language: english
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:147:036566
• Study programme: Title: Integrated Undergraduate and Graduate University Programme of Study of Primary Teacher Education and Integrated Undergraduate and Graduate University Programme of Study for Primary Teacher Education with English and German Language; Study programme type: university; Study level: integrated undergraduate and graduate; Academic / professional title: magistar/magistra primarnog obrazovanja (magistar/magistra primarnog obrazovanja)
• Type of resource: Text
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Open access
• Created on: 2020-07-23 10:39:30