Developing foreign language professional-communicative competence of pedagogical university students by means of CLIL

Introduction. The article describes a study of an original CLILbased teaching model at a teacher-training university, designed specifically to develop students’ foreign language professional-communicative competence (FLPCC). Its relevance is due to a lack of research into applying CLIL theory and methodology in teacher-training institutions of higher education, as well as to a practical need to improve the quality of pedagogy undergraduates’ foreign language instruction.

The aim of the present study is to substantiate the effectiveness of implementing the proposed CLIL-based FLPCC development model at a pedagogical university.

Methodology and research methods. The proposed model integrates the communicative and competence-based approaches, as well as the method of conceptual modelling. To assess and confirm the results of the experiment, the authors created a diagnostic complex test in accordance with the Professional Teacher Standard. A feedback survey among students and teachers was conducted, and a SWOT analysis was carried out. The applied methods of mathematical-statistical analysis: Mann – Whitney U-test, Student’s t-test.

Results and scientific novelty. Experimentally and statistically, the study proved the effectiveness of the proposed CLIL-based FLPCC development model. A new model-based CLIL-course was introduced, uniting the content, communicational, cognitive and cultural components of CLIL framework. The conducted experiment contributed to an increase in professional and subjectlanguage knowledge, development of the FLPCC skills and professional and communicative strategies, aimed at solving professional and pedagogical problems. The study presents a new perspective on tandem teaching by integrating the efforts of teachers from various scientific fields. A diagnostic complex test was developed in accordance with the Professional Teacher Standard. SWOT analysis of experimental results revealed the effectiveness and viability of the proposed model.

Practical significance. The study will be useful to teachers practicing CLIL, and for those looking for ways to develop FLPCC in a teacher training institution. Although the experimental work carried out in one university, does not claim to be comprehensive, the authors believe that the model implementation may improve the quality of teacher education.

1. Hymes D. On communicative competence. Ed. by Pride J. B. and Holmes J. In: Sociolinguistics. Harmondsworth: Penguin; 1972. p. 269–293.

2. Gal’skova N. D., Gez N. I. Teorija obuchenija inostrannym jazykam. Lingvodidaktika i metodika = Theory of foreign language teaching. Lingvodidactics and methodology. 3rd edition. Moscow: Publishing House Akademija; 2006. 336 p. (In Russ.)

3. Passov E. I. Kommunikativnyj metod obuchenija inojazychnomu govoreniju = The communicative method of teaching foreign-language speaking. Moscow: Publishing House Prosveshhenie; 1991. 222 p. (In Russ.)

4. Bim I. L. Kompetentnostnyj podhod k obrazovaniju i obucheniju inostrannym jazykam. Ed. by Hutorskoy A. V. In: Kompetencii v obrazovanii: opy proektirovanija = Competencies in education: An experience in design. A collection of papers. Moscow: INJeK Scientific Innovation Company; 2007. p. 156– 163. (In Russ.)

5. Safonova V. V. Kommunikativnaja kompetencija: sovremennye podhody k mnogourovnevomu opisaniju v metodicheskih celjah = Communicative competence: Modern approaches to multi-level description for methodological purposes. Moscow: Publishing House Evroshkola; 2004. 233 p. (In Russ.)

6. Verbickij A. A. Kontekstnoe obuchenie v kompetentnostnom podhode. Vysshee obrazovanie v Rossii = Higher Education in Russia. 2006; 11: 39–46. (In Russ.)

7. Zeer E. F., Tretyakova V. S., Miroshnichenko V. I. Strategic directions of pedagogical personnel training for the system of continuing vocational education. Obrazovanie i nauka = The Education and Science Journal [Internet]. 2019 [cited 2020 Apr 27]; 21 (6): 93–121. Available from: https://doi.org/10.17853/1994-5639-2019-6-93-121 (In Russ.)

8. Marsh D. Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL): A development trajectory [Internet]. 2012 [cited 2020 Apr 27]. 552 p. Available from: http://english.chita-shkola1.edusite.ru/DswMedia/contentandlanguageintegratedlearningadevelopmenttrajectory.pdf

9. Martínez Agudo J. D. Which instructional programme (EFL or CLIL) results in better oral communicative competence? Updated Empirical Evidence From a Monolingual Context Linguistics and Education. 2019; 51: 69–78. DOI: 10.1016/j.linged.2019.04.008

10. Anuradha T., Viswanathan R. Need for CLIL approach to teaching in Indian schools. Asian EFL Journal [Internet]. 2019 [cited 2020 Apr 27]; 21 (2): 32–45. Available from: https://www.elejournals.com/download?code=-5ca604acb8a4d

11. Calderón Jurado B., Morilla García C. Students’ attitude and motivation in bilingual education. International Journal of Educational Psychology. 2018; 7 (3): 317–342. DOI: 10.17583/ijep.2018.3558

12. Jakonen T. The integration of content and language in students’ task answer production in the bilingual Classroom. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism. 2019; 22 (4): 428–444. DOI: 10.1080/13670050.2016.1267694

13. Alousque I. N. Developments in ESP: From register analysis to a genre-based and CLIL-based approach. Revista de Lenguas para Fines specíficos. 2016; 22.1: 190–212. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.20420/rlfe.2016.0096

14. Jesus A. G., Javier B. A. From EMI to CLIL: Methodological strategies for bilingual instruction at university. EduLingua. 2018; 4.1: 51–64. DOI: 10.14232/edulingua.2018.1.5

15. Wilkinson R. Content and language integration at universities? Collaborative reflections. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism. 2018; 21: 1–9. DOI: 10.1080/13670050.2018.1491948

16. Verikaitė-Gaigalienė D., Andziulienė L. To be or not to be: An overview of CLIL implementation in Lithuania. Sustainable Multilingualism. 2019; 14: 123–135. DOI: 10.2478/sm-2019-0006

17. Pappa S., Moate J., Ruohotie-Lyhty M., Eteläpelto A. Teacher agency within the Finnish CLIL context: tensions and resources. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism. 2019; 22.5: 593–613. DOI: 10.1080/13670050.2017.1286292

18. Hung Y.-J., Good R. L. English textbook use in discipline-specific courses: A survey of university freshmen in Taiwan. Asian ESP Journal. 2016; 12.2.: 111–143.

19. Otto A., José L. E. Towards an understanding of CLIL assessment practices in a European context: Main assessment tools and the role of language in content subjects. CLIL Journal of Innovation and Research in Plurilingual and Pluricultural Education. 2019; 2.31. DOI: 10.5565/rev/clil.11

20. De la Barra E., Veloso S., Maluenda L. Integrating assessment in a CLIL-based approach for second-year university students. Profile Issues in Teachers’ Professional Development. 2018; 20: 111–126. DOI: 10.15446/profile.v20n2.66515

21. Zhetpisbayeva B. A., Kitibayeva A. K., Kazimova D. A., Akbayeva G. N., Zatyneiko M. A. Assessment issues in content and language integrated learning (CLIL). Journal of Advanced Pharmacy Education and Research. 2018; 8/4: 32–38.

22. Cimerman E. A., Almazova N. I. English language guide with CLIL elements for management students. Voprosy metodiki prepodavanija v vuze = Teaching Methodology in Higher Education. 2017; 6.20: 72–80. DOI: 10.18720/HUM/ISSN2227-8591.20.8 (In Russ.)

23. Baranova T. A., Kobicheva A. M, Tokareva E. Yu. Efficiency of CLIL application on the example of humanitarian disciplines. Sovremennye problemy nauki i obrazovaniya = Modern Problems of Science and Education. 2019; 1: 96–106. (In Russ.)

24. Sidorenko T. V., Rybushkina S. V., Rozanova YA. V. CLIL-praktiki v Tomskom politekhnicheskom universitete: uspekhi i neudachi. Obrazovanie i nauka = The Education and Science Journal. 2018; 8: 164–182. DOI: 10.17853/1994-5639-2018-8-164-187 (In Russ.)

25. Godzhaeva N. S., Logunov T. A., Lokteva M. S., Zolotareva S. A. Approaching CLIL from the periphery: Integration of content and language in Russian higher education institution. European Journal of Contemporary Education. 2019; 8 (2): 280–293. DOI: 10.13187/ejced.2019.2.280