GETXOLINGUAE 2013 ANA LLINARES

The Roles of Interaction in CLIL
Ana Llinares García
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
Getxolinguae 2013
Reflections on Language
15 May 2013

What do we mean by interaction in CLIL?
The way in which oral discourse is
organised in the CLIL/bilingual classroom to
enhance successful content and language
integrated learning.

Why focus on interaction in CLIL?
The ways languages are actually
used in classroom interaction and
activities.
“ how teachers and students use their languages
in teaching and learning activities so that we
have a better understanding of what goes on in
bilingual education classrooms in different world
locations.” (Leung 2005: 250)
Two key
language-focus
areas in CLIL
research
Leung (2005)
Llinares, Morton &
Whittaker (2012)
The demands and affordances of
language learning in the context of
curriculum subject learning.

Roles of language in CLIL: a snapshot
Llinares, Morton & Whittaker (2012) The Roles of Language in CLIL. Cambridge: CUP

Which features of interaction are relevant to
promote learning in CLIL?
(Mortimer & Scott, 2003; Llinares, Morton & Whittaker, 2012)
 What content is being communicated and what for? (focus)
 How is content communicated? (approach)
 What interaction patterns are used to communicate content?
(action)
 Learner participation
 The role of the teacher
 The type of activity

CONTENT
What is being talked about (genetic variation; factors of development in different
countries; Romanesque churches)
PURPOSE
What is being done with the content (engage students’ interest in a new topic; go over
homework; apply knowledge in new context etc.)
INTERACTION PATTERNS
Recurring patterns of talk (e.g. IRF - teacher initiates, student responds, teacher follows
up)
SPECIFIC ACTIONS
(ask different types of questions; get students to elaborate; recast or correct; evaluate
students’ contributions; ‘amplify’ for whole class etc.)
NEGOTIATION OF MEANING
How the content is being talked about (+/- interactive; only one version of the ‘truth’
accepted or many ideas encouraged)
Adapted from Mortimer & Scott, 2003
for the COMENIUS project “CLIL across Contexts”

CONTENT
PURPOSE (What for?)
Recurring patterns of talk (e.g. IRF - teacher initiates, student responds, teacher
follows up)
SPECIFIC ACTIONS

I. PURPOSE: Planning linguistic objectives in
relation to the content (focus)
1. What kind of content am I going to focus on? Is it
everyday content or is it academic?
BICS CALP (Cummins 1979)
2. What is my main objective?
• Collect the students’ ideas about the topic?
• Check whether the students have learnt a certain
concept?
• Apply knowledge to a new situation?
2. What kind of language do students need to have access
to that content?

I. The instructional and regulative registers
(Christie 2002)
Instructional Register
Content knowledge and skills being
focused on and how
(vertical or horizontal knowledge)
Regulative Register
Managing and organizing the
classroom as a social space
T: OK listen to me. What are we
going to do now? Something different.
Now we are going to change the teams.
We are going to change and everyone
who’s got the same colours are going
to sit together, right? Right? So for
example you have to stand up, right?
And change your places…
T: Why can’t you use the same land
without leaving it to rest?
S: Because you plant different things
T: Good. By planting different
things which need different substances
from the earth. Do you know in
Spanish? …
La tierra esta en…?
S: ba-?
T: en?
S: Barbecho
T: Barbecho good

I. Students’ participation in the instructional and regulative registers
(Christie 2002)
S1: Boys, look I think the ins – say
we do three…but can we do one
S2: Okay claro (Sp. of course)
S1: Because three is very…a lot
S2: We make one but not three or
four
S1: Okay A . Do you like my
opinion? My idea? C ((the teacher))
gave us a box…Please A speak in
English!
S2: But D, look! We only do one…
only one!
Instructional Register Regulative Register
(group work)T:Tell me the name of the different
parts of the ground plan. …These
chapels here. What are the names of
that?
S:Apses.
T:Apses, that’s right. And this one?
So we enter here. So what’s the
name of this central part?
S:Nave.
T:You are doing very well. M, do you
remember the name of these two
corridors at the sides? What was the
name of this?
S:Aisles ((pronounced /aizles/))
T:Aisle ((prononced /ail/)).That’s
right, the aisles here. Good.

I. Instructional register
Colloquial/horizontal (BICS) or Academic/vertical (CALP) discourse?
 Non academic language encourages students’ participation
and negotiation of meaning.
The transition into CALP needs to be sequential. For
example, in history, at lower secondary, language can focus on
chronological narrations. At upper secondary, language can be
more abstract, containing explanations and argumentation.
The challenge in CLIL is the sequenced movement into more
academic abstract language (CALP) maintaining
communicative situations that encourage everyday language
(BICS).

I. Regulative register
 Wider range of language functions (exchange of goods and
services).
 More possibilities if there are hands-on and group work
activities.
 The use of L2 in regulative register may be a challenge
(needs to be carefully and patiently nurtured).

CONTENT
PURPOSE
follows up)
SPECIFIC ACTIONS
NEGOTIATION OF MEANING (How?)

II. How is content communicated (Approach)
INTERACTIVE NON-INTERACTIVE
DIALOGIC Teacher and students
consider a range of ideas
Teacher reviews different
points of view
AUTHORITATIVE Teacher presents a specific
point of view
(the ‘official’ scientific
story)
Teacher leads a
question/answer
routine to establish
one point of view
Mortimer & Scott, 2003

Interactive/Dialogic
T: What do you think a mutant is? Have
you ever seen a mutant anywhere?
S: In films
T: In films? Can you give me an example of
a mutant? What is a mutant?
S: In plants
T: In plants? Do you have any mutant
plants at home? A mutant. It sounds like
something that happens in films.
S: A Doberman
T: But actually it doesn’t, it happens in
nature.
S: The Doberman
T: The Doberman. Is that a mutant? A
doberman? It looks weird, yes, but it’s
not a mutant, actually.
S: It’s a mixture.
T: It’s a mixture, yes. Of what?
S: Of races of dogs. Of dogs races.
T: Different breeds you say. Razas (Sp.
Breeds.) Yeah, they’ve been mixing
different dogs throughout time.
Non-interactive/Authoritative
T: So, listen, this is the way it is. I’ll write
something on the board for you, okay?
Okay, proteins are over. Have you studied at all?
SS: (yes)
T: Okay, listen, you all know this? You know
this, don’t you? Okay, now okay, a
compound A, that’s going to turn into a
compound B, okay? Chemical reaction, catalysed
by an enzyme one, right? Enzyme one, okay?
Enzymes are proteins, are they not? Yes. So,
there must be one gene, gene one, that
codes for this enzyme one. Do you agree?
SS: Yes.
T: Yes. Now, okay, now. Compound B turns
into compound C. This chemical reaction
must be catalysed by enzyme two, which in
turn would be coded for by gene two. Do you
agree? Yeah? Well, that’s the way it is.

The opportunities of interactive/dialogic
teaching for the development of BICS
TCH: Well, OK. Let’s check the answers of the
exercise on page five.
ST: Pilar?
TCH: On page five.
ST: Pilar, can I .. ?
TCH: What material, sorry?
ST: Pilar, can I ..?
TCH: Yes.
ST: On Sunday I go to a
TCH: I went to…?
ST: I go to a
TCH: I went
ST: I went to a ... How do you say exposición?
TCH: Exposition, exhibition.
ST: Exhibition and I find and I found a .. a ...
person that that that is making with two, ...
with two ... dos palos
TCH: with two sticks.
ST: with two sticks.
TCH: She was making what?
ST: She was making ..
TCH: Or he was making, that person was making...
ST: She was making the glass with a protect glass, is
make glass with with the fire and ..
TCH: So, ..
ST: two sticks,
TCH: So, water, ..
ST: and ..
TCH: Melts. OK, with heat and that ..
ST: she makes a special box to make the neck
TCH: Necklace? And where, where, where was that,
here in Tres Cantos?
St: In Madrid.
TCH: In Madrid. ((Now addressing all the students)).
Maybe we can talk to X and go and see it because that
experience is interesting.

Dialogic teaching in CLIL
 Students participate in interaction with longer turns and
more complex language.
 They learn communication strategies (when to intervene,
how to express ideas more clearly, etc…) to have access to
academic content and be recognized as legitimate
members of a community of practice (the CLIL classroom).
 They learn different perspectives on a topic (to negotiate
through the foreign language, to show agreement and
disagreement, etc…).
 There is linguistic redundancy as not only different ideas
are discussed but also the same ideas expressed in different
ways.

CONTENT
PURPOSE
follows up)
SPECIFIC ACTIONS

III. Interaction patterns (Action)
1. The IRF pattern (Initiation-Response-
Feedback)
2. CLIL teacher talk: types of questions, types
of feedback
3. Activity type and students’ active
participation

1. The IRF pattern
T: Where is water used?
(INITIATION)
S1: In the houses (RESPONSE)
T: Very good, X. In the houses
(FEEDBACK)
Limitations?
-It does not encourage students
to initiate turns and do other-
repair (van Lier, 1988).
-It doesn’t offer enough space
for students to participate with
longer turns and express their
own ideas (Nikula, 2007).
However, IRF is neither good nor bad per se.
It depends on the activity,
types of questions
and roles of participants.

2. Teachers’ feedback
T Where did first civilizations appear?
S1 That… eh… Egypt, along the Nile.
T OK. Yes. Along the Nile …Why along
rivers? Think about that. OK? So,
develop that idea.
S2 Eh … that they placed in the banks
of the river because they were the
only fertile lands.
T: Okay now... Let’s see.
Milk. Does milk come from
plants or animals?
S1: Animals.
T: From animals. That’s
right. From the cow or the
goats. So cut up the
pictures, cut up the pictures
from the milk. Em, have you
cut up the picture..?
S1: Yes
Using questions for
reason and metacognitive
questions
(Dalton-Puffer, 2007)
T What’s the matter with the saw?
S1 because the battery’s finished
T Oh, you need to get new batteries
S1 I can take this one
Using interactional
feedback
(Llinares, 2005)

2. Display and Referential questions
(Long and Sato, 1986)
Referential Questions
T: Who’s this swimmer…very
famous?
S1: Phelps. Michael Phelps
T: Michael Phelps. So do you think that
the children that Phelps might have
they’re gonna be from the very
beginning that strong?
S1: No
S2: I have two friends that they are
brothers and they are the same
strong
T: Well I have two daughters and one
of my daughters is very strong and
the other one is very thin. And they
have been brought up in the same
way.
Display Questions
T: Okay now... Let’s see. Milk. Does
milk come from plants or animals?
S1: Animals.
T: From animals. That’s right. From
the cow or the goats. So cut up the
pictures, cut up the pictures from the
milk. Em, have you cut up the picture..?
S1: Yes
T: Good! Let’s see, S. You’ve got a
lot of things that come from plants now.
Let’s find something else. Some other
food that comes from animals. Yes,
where does the bread come from: plants
or animals? You remember what it’s made
from? It’s made from wheat.
S2: Plants.

2. Academic function of questions
Questions for facts, reasons, metacognitive questions, etc…
(Dalton-Puffer, 2007)
T: So now we are successful because there is the
European union. Do you think the European Union is
positive …?
S1 Yes.
T Why?
S1 Because the European Union is very good for
everything. For example, now or travelling we have
to do less things and …about…mmm.. buying
products because it is much better and the money,
you have the same coin and is very easy…
Metacognitive
question

3. The role of the activity: ‘Show and Tell’
S1 Eh… this… this… this Saturday I was in Madrid. I go … I
was to Madrid. On Saturday I went to the Thyssen.
T Oh! Good.
S1 And I saw the portrait of Henry the eighth.
T Uh! That famous one. Yes.
S1 Yes. And it’s like that ((Meaning very small)).
T Yes A.? We expect portraits, don’t we? To always be
very big.
S (several): Yes.
Personal involvement,
more dialogic
Longer turns and self-repair

3. The role of the activity: Group work
S2 Now floods ... floods.
S1 When the water, eh-.
S4 It’s a lot of rainfall. A lot of precipitation.
S3 When there are lot of water in the…
S1 When the river precipitates.
S2 No because it’s rainfall.
S3 When there are a lot of … when there are a lot of
precipitations and the river … ((tosses her hands
about))
S2 Precipitation no, because it’s rainfall.
S4 A precipitation is when the water… Students’ cognitive and
linguistic engagement
Metalinguistic discussion
on floods

3. The role of the activity: Group work
S1: OK. We can help a lot if a natural
disaster ever occurs.
S2: We have money, food, water … We can
send to the people that. And, for
example, paper.
S3: No, things that they need.
S1: What do you do first, the food or the
paper for cleaning your bottom?
S3: Paper, but food the first.
• The students initiate their own
turns
• They ask different types of
questions (even rhetorical)
• They correct and help their
classmates (teacher role)
• Opportunities for “language
through learning” (Coyle, 2010).
They rely on linguistic resources as
new ideas come up
However, the students
often use the L1
S3: How did you make fire?
S1:Eh the teacher put something like ah was
eh similar to the - it was called esparto. I
don’t know how to tell in English. And they
put something in-inside the esparto and then
they blow- no first they made eh some -
S2: sparks

3. The role of the activity: Project work

3. The role of the activity: Project work
S1 One question. You said that you have to come to the… green
area or to the skate park?
S2 You have to come to the skateboarding park. It’s obvious!
S1 Yes, but you want that the people eh.. the foreign people
came to C to see our vegetation? In C vegetation!?
S2 And you like to be twenty metres square.. you like to.. to
build a.. skate park in twenty metres eh.. of square that is..
that in this green area keep all the animals and vegetation.
S1 eh.. eh I think I think is a very expensive project because L
said is five thousand euros. I think is really really expensive
to.. do a skateboarding park of this price
S2 Eh.. what do you mean with that? That is very expensive?
Clarification request
Rhetorical question
Metacognitive
question

CONCLUSIONS: What to communicate and
what for? (I)
 Be aware of the difference between regulative and
instructional registers.
 Create situations in which students participate in the
regulative register.
 From BICS to CALP (from everyday language to more
academic language).

CONCLUSIONS: How to communicate? (II)
 Authoritative/non-interactive communication might be adequate
for factual content learning but is poor for other non-factual
approaches to content learning and for language development.
 Dialogic/interactive communication gives the students the
opportunity of expressing their views on a topic.
 In order to be able to participate, they need:
linguistic resources to talk about academic content
linguistic resources to talk about personal experiences
Interactional resources to control turns
In CLIL, these resources must be acquired in the classroom.

CONCLUSIONS: What interactional patterns? (III)
IRF can limit students’ participation… or enhance it if
– teachers use a wide variety of question types eliciting
reasons, opinions,… and not only facts.
– teachers invite students to elaborate on their responses
It is necessary to create different types of activities
where students perform different interactive roles:
ask questions, do other-repairs, etc…
A wider variety of resources in the L2 Different ways of learning content

• Thank you
• Gracias
• Eskerrikasko

GETXOLINGUAE 2013 ANA LLINARES

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