- Clear communication of aims and content: Share content, terminology and realistic scenarios from your subject area with language teachers. This enables them to tailor their instruction accordingly. Provide timely information about CLIL goals and commonly used relevant phrases. You may have more insight into the training expectations of employer organizations as well as information about legal and regulatory changes in the field—keep language teachers informed.
- Induction for language teachers: Allow language teachers to participate in speciality subject exercises and gain insights into workplace practices. This improves their understanding of the subject content and enables them to better support language learning. If needed, language teachers can also give basic feedback and advice during operational tasks.
- Invite language teachers to observe speciality lessons: this is especially important for new language teachers. In turn, occasionally observe language classes to better understand teaching methods and your students' language levels. Collaboration can also help you develop your own language and pedagogical skills.
- Joint planning: Arrange regular meetings with language teachers before, during and after a course. Begin joint planning early, allowing language teachers time to familiarize themselves with operational training and objectives, and to prepare matching linguistic content accordingly, such as vocabulary and phrase lists needed for lessons or exercises. Decide together when key concepts are taught in the native language and when the foreign language is introduced to avoid students having to learn two "new" things at once.
- Realistic exercises: Design authentic, real-world exercises where language teachers may also take part as role players. This allows students to practice using language in situations similar to their future jobs. Use real documents and tasks as materials.
- Clear learning objectives: When conducting CLIL exercises with a language teacher, establish clear learning objectives for each lesson or activity from an operational perspective. Ensure that the language teacher understands these objectives and the overall purpose of the exercise.
- Open mindset: Be open to each other's suggestions. Diverse teaching methods, such as flipped classrooms, can enhance learning outcomes in both speciality subjects and languages. Regularly attend language classes and invite language teachers to observe speciality subject classes as well. Experiencing exercises firsthand helps language teachers better identify the vocabulary and communication skills students truly need.
- Basic knowledge: Ensure that students have mastered the basics of the speciality subject before integrating a foreign language. Introducing language content too early may impair learning in both areas.
- Highlight the value of language skills: Help students understand how important language competence will be in their future jobs. Motivation increases when students recognize the practical value of languages in their work.
- Student involvement: Encourage students to take an active role in both subject learning and collaboration with language teachers. Their feedback and suggestions can improve course content and quality.
- Support for work-life integration: Arrange visits, internships, and projects where students meet future employers. Use collected employer feedback and ask for comments directly from employer organizations.
- Joint feedback discussions: After every joint session or exercise, organize debriefs with students, speciality teachers, and language teachers. Also arrange regular meetings with language teachers to assess learning outcomes and accomplishments and identify development needs. Systematically collect feedback from students and language teachers. Review it together and make necessary changes for future sessions.
- Pass on knowledge and experience: When new teachers join, actively pass on knowledge about collaboration between language and speciality subject teachers.
- Keep the school management informed: Tell management about joint sessions and exercises and invite them to observe.
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