CLIL at a Dutch secondary school : Between Expectations and Reality

Abstract

The integration of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) in the curriculum is a vital part of bilingual education in The Netherlands. However, schools struggle with the implementation of CLIL. For this practice based research, the authors have interviewed various actors, teachers and administrators, at a Dutch bilingual secondary school about CLIL. They have focussed on the actor's knowledge of CLIL, how they attempt to implement CLIL at school and their perception of CLIL as part of the curriculum. The results from these interviews were compared with each other, and the formal demands from the Europees Platform. Based on these interviews, the authors found that many actors at the target school were not fully aware of what CLIL is, and that there is a clear demand for specific support amongst both teachers and administrators. Finally, the authors have given some suggestions on how to improve the quality of CLIL at Dutch bilingual schools.