3. Scaffolding

3.3. Tasks promoting content development

A number of essential components are required for effective CLIL lessons, especially when it comes to the sequencing in which tasks correspond with the content:

  1. Introduction to Content: The manner in which students are introduced to the content sets the tone for engagement and comprehension. Effective introduction strategies lay the groundwork for deeper exploration and understanding.

  2. Processing Content: How students process content is vital, encompassing the structure of their thinking and expression of understanding. Task design should encourage critical thinking and meaningful expression to foster cognitive development.

  3. Combining Communication and Cognition: Balancing communication and cognition levels is essential in CLIL lessons. Tasks should not only facilitate language acquisition but also promote conceptual understanding and higher-order thinking skills.

  4. Motivation: Motivation plays a significant role in CLIL success, influencing students' engagement, effort, and perseverance. Teachers must employ strategies to sustain students' interest and enthusiasm throughout the learning process.

The concept of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), introduced by Vygotsky, guides task progression in CLIL lessons. Sequencing tasks in five stages within the ZPD framework facilitates incremental learning:

  1. Individual Work: Students brainstorm previous knowledge independently, addressing any misconceptions with scaffolding support.

  2. Group Work 1: New inputs are provided to groups, with each group receiving different input to address misconceptions and scaffold understanding.

  3. Group Work 2: New groups are formed, encouraging knowledge sharing among members from previous groups. Teacher monitoring is crucial at this stage to provide necessary scaffolding.

  4. Recapping Task: Groups reflect on what they've learned and perform a task together, reinforcing understanding with scaffolding support.

  5. Individual Work: Students apply new knowledge independently to demonstrate comprehension in a different context, with scaffolding assistance as needed.

Pair and group work are inherent to CLIL classrooms, allowing for collaborative learning experiences. Structuring tasks effectively empowers students to progress both in content and language acquisition, promoting academic communicative competencies and accelerating learning.