Evaluation of the implementation of CLIL (content and language integrated learning) methodology in the didactics of the English language in preschool education course taught in the preschool education teacher undergraduate program at the University of Alicante

Abstract

Introduction Here I mainly explain how the idea of this study came to my mind, justifying the reasons which drove me towards this study, explaining the research aims and why they are so relevant. I end up this point with the basis of the CLT method. Although it is known that the Spanish current Educative System promotes using the Communicate Approach to teach foreign languages in schools, other recently designed approaches are also used to help students improve their skills when communicating in a foreign language. One of these approaches is Content and Language Integrated Learning, also known as CLIL, which is used to teach content courses using the English language as the language of instruction. This approach improves the students' skills in English as the same time as they learn content from other areas. Theoretical Framework In this part of the study I research about CLIL Approach: CLIL Origins: Mohan's Knowledge Framework, What is CLIL, Special Educational Needs Students & CLIL, Applying CLIL in Class, The CLIL Teacher, CLIL in Spain and CLIL in Higher Education. I finish this point stating the problem proposal of the study. The goal of this thesis is to present a research project carried out at the University of Alicante during the academic year 2011-2012. With this research we obtained results that provide quantitative and qualitative data which explains how the use of the CLIL methodology affects the English level of students in the Didactics of the English Language in Preschool Education course in Preschool Education Teacher Undergraduate Program as students acquire the contents of the course. Conclusion In this study, it has been shown that Spanish students from the Valencian Autonomous Community studying in the Preschool Education Teacher Undergraduate Program at the University of Alicante have been able to learn course contents in a foreign language they were not fluent in while also learning how to correctly use the foreign language at the same time. At the end of the course, students found that the class being taught in English was not an obstacle for them to learn and assimilate the course contents. On the contrary, the course contents gave communicating in English a purpose and made it useful and significant.