Research by the Nuffield Foundation (2000) suggests that the teaching and learning of Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) in English secondary schools is in crisis. At the same time, some schools are implementing initiatives intended to raise the status and the quality of MFL learning. One such school is the College du Pare [fictitious name] where in September 1998 the Bilingual Foundation Course (BFC) was introduced. In the BFC, non-linguistic subjects (English, History, Geography, Religious Education and Pastoral and Social Education) were taught to 3 out of 6, Year 7 classes (11-12 year olds) through French. From September 1998 until July 2000, I was one of the teachers in the BFC and conducted my research for this thesis by developing my theory of practice through case study. The data served as the basis for my understanding of CLIL classroom interaction. In order to present my research framework, I illustrate in Chapters 1-2 how I have come to consider the key features of my theory of practice (van Lier, 1994, 1996) as being meaningful, focused and pragmatic. In Chapters 3-4, I describe my theory of practice of CLIL classroom interaction by jointly examining CLIL theories and my classroom practices. This allows me to develop a 'support and challenges' framework, which leads to learners' noticing and 'performance' in the foreign language. On the basis of my research, I re-examine my arguments in Chapter 5 based on my two main findings: - I suggest that CLIL makes (foreign) language use visible: CLIL allows both the teacher and the learners to become aware of their language use. - I relate this argument to the current situation for MFL teaching and learning in English secondary schools which then leads me to reconsider theory of practice in general. NB. This ethesis has been created by scanning the typescript original and may contain inaccuracies. In case of difficulty, please refer to the original text.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:514574 |
| Date | January 2002 |
| Creators | Wiesemes, Rolf |
| Publisher | University of Nottingham |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/10364/ |
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