Snapshot of a lower secondary CLIL program in Japan

• Published in: Asian EFL journal (Busan) Vol. 15; no. 4; pp. 383 - 394
• Main Author: Clark, Gretchen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.12.2013
• ISSN: 1738-1460; 1738-1460

The program was embedded within the home economics curriculum, not as a stand-alone language course, with the aim to provide learners with greater English exposure. Inspiration for the program originated amongst school administrators while the actual day-to-day execution was handled by a native English-speaking language teacher (the author) and a native Japanese content teacher. Specifically, I was responsible for syllabus design, lesson planning, material creation and instruction. The home economics teacher acted as content advisor and assisted with classroom management during actual lessons. Participation in the program was mandatory, so all students in the first and second grades took part. From 2005-2010, the students were divided into two courses: a lower academic ability course and a higher academic ability course. A third English-focused course was introduced at the school in 2010. These students participated in the program for two years until its conclusion in the spring of 2012. Homeroom class sizes ranged from ten students to approximately thirty. Adapted from the source document