Sauli Takala
LINC Conference on Learning, Innovation and
Creativity in CLIL
University of Turku, Sept. 25-26, 2009
•Overview
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Alignment refers to the degree of match between test
content and the standards
Goals, instruction and assessment need to be
aligned
Dimensions of alignment, eg.
Content
 Depth
 Emphasis
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Cf The Mikado (Gilbert & Sullivan):
My object all sublime, I shall achieve in time- To let the
punishment fit the crime, The punishment fit the crime
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CLIL is both similar and different from other instruction
Differences
- CLIL classrooms use as a medium of instruction and classroom
interaction a language (L2) in which the learners’ (and usually also
the teachers’) level of proficiency is somewhat or even considerably
lower than in their L1
- This represents a double burden: the need to learn both new
content and to use their available language resources effectively to
understand and produce meanings in L2 , and continously develop
their resources
- It is likely that both learners and teachers need to develop their
strategic competence beyond what would be adequate in non-CLIL
classrooms
- It is also likely that pupils/students need to develop their
linguistic awareness and their comprehension-monitoring beyond
what would be normally needed
- It is likely that students in CLIL classrooms need more tolerance
for ambiguity, more stress-tolerance and a higher anxiety threshold
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CLIL is both similar and different from other
instruction
Similarities
- CLIL classrooms are institutional educational
contexts like other classrooms
- The cultural context is the same (L1 matrix
culture)
- Pupils and students usually have extensive prior
experience of learning and studying in classrooms
- CLIL instruction has predetermined content
(curriculum) like other
- Such basic similarities help in may ways
teaching/learning in CLIL programmes
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Content is conveyed in communication and using language.
Academic content is presented using both general and subjectspecific discourse.
Thus it makes sense to pay attention to the ways discourse is
implemented in different subjects. -> CLIL teachers need to know
and learn to use consciously the basic discourse/genre conventions
in their subject
Thus it seems to me highly useful to have what Lyster (2007), and
others, advocate for CLIL: a “counterbalanced approach”.
There is therefore a need to combine content-focused and languagefocused elements in a well planned curriculum/program/course.
There should be goals defined both for content and language
learning (cf. Rauto & Saariaho at this conference)
There is a need for the teacher to provide at suitable intervals
coherent, longer descriptions, explanations etc in order to provide
input of longer academic talk (develop comprehension for further
knowledge acquisition via L2)
This also applies to students: they need to be challenged to provide
also longer oral responses and write longer texts
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What the classroom context can do is to create a
community with its own cultural reality, with its
own conventions of what is feasible and
appropriate,… such a context is bound to set limits
on what language learners are explicitly taught, and
these cannot of their nature contain “real world
communication.” But the crucial point is that this is
not language to be learned as such, but language to
be learned from (Widdowson 1998, 33)
Cf however, modern IT technology, virtuality is
providing new opportunities to join a community
which is external to the normal school context
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Questions play an important role in the CLIL
classroom (as in other classrooms)
How do questions condition the discourse
patterns which are possible in CLIL classroom
interaction?
How do questions influence the quality and
quantity of students´ contribution to classroom
talk?
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Display questions/referential questions
Closed questions/Open questions
Questions
-of facts
- for explanations
-for reasons
- for opinion
Comprehension checks, clarification requests,
confirmation checks
Some major academic language
functions
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Analyzing
Classifying
Comparing
Defining
Describing
Drawing conclusions
Evaluating & assessing
Explaining
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Informing
Narrating
Persuading
Predicting
Requesting/giving information
Hypothesizing
CLIL teachers would benefit from
knowing and systematically using
typical L2 expressions used for such
functions.
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Informing
Narrating
Persuading
Predicting
Requesting/giving information
Hypothesizing
CLIL teachers would benefit from
knowing and systematically using
typical L2 expressions used for such
functions.
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Informing
Narrating
Persuading
Predicting
Requesting/giving information
Hypothesizing
CLIL teachers would benefit from
knowing and systematically using
typical L2 expressions used for such
functions.
Content counts
 but
 also language counts
 Therefore a ”counterbalanced
approach” is desirable for optimal
impact of CLIL.
 Not just rich input, trusting language
proficiency to improve through it, but
also focus on developing language
resources.
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Types of assessment (purposes)
Asessment of CLIL instruction (what
happens….)
Assessment in CLIL instruction (main focus in
this presenatation)
Assessment for CLIL instruction (formative,
diagnostic)
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Who assesses?
Assessment by teachers (in/for CLIL instruction)
Assessment by learners in CLIL instruction
(process, outcome, self-assessment/monitoring
Assessment by peers
Like CLIL instruction, assessment
in CLIL is basically similar to
assessment in other subjects.
Assessment in CLIL needs to
fulfil the same quality criteria as
assessment in general
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Assessment is a procedure to elicit/describe
examinee behaviour in a specific domain of content.
All assessment, and assessment in CLIL is no
exception, has to fulfil general quality criteria.
Two of these are the most essential: validity and
reliability. Both refer to the quality of the assessment
activity, not in the first instance to the
test/assessment instruments. A test is not
valid/reliable: what may be valid/reliable are
assessment/test score – “tests in action”
The validity and reliability of assessment is also
context-dependent: therefore all tests and other
assessment procedures have to be appropriate for
the context.
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Validity refers to the validity of interpretations of
test/assessment outcomes.
Are the interpretations, decisions, actions based on
the assessment justified by the evidence collected
and are they supported by what is the current
theoretical view of the knowledge, skills,
competencies, attitudes etc.(“construct”) assessed?
Assessment is valid if the assessment procedures are
on target, that is, they focus on the construct and
display a minimal influence of construct-irrelevant
factors.
Valid tests measure what they are intended to
measure.
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Reliability is a related concept but is not synonymous
with validity
. It takes into account the fact that all assessment/testing
contains some potential for errors of various kind.
The smaller the part of error the more reliable is the
assessment.
As mentioned in the above, assessment is a procedure to
elicit/describe examinee behaviour in a specific domain
of content. An essential part of the procedure is the
scoring/rating guidelines, which enable the examiner to
quantify, evaluate and interpret that behaviour
(performance).
Reliable assessment is accurate, precise and consistent:
the same or similar performance is rated (almost or
roughly) the same (a) if the assessment is repeated and
(b) if different raters judge it independently of each
other.
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A third general quality standard refers to fairness in
assessment and the use of assessment. Like validity
and reliability, fairness is related to the whole
process of assessment.
Fairness is a complex question and there are
different views of fairness.
The absence, or adequate control, of bias in favour
of some individuals/groups in terms of content,
assessment method, assessment conditions etc is an
important requirement.
In addition to these general quality standards,
assessment needs to be responsive to the pragmatic
considerations: cost, time, effectiveness and
efficiency, in short practicality and usefulness.
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Forms of assessment
Teacher obervation/continuous assessment
observation form, checklists, logs, diaries
Assessment instuments: classwork, projects,
portfolio, quizzes, tests
Self-assessment, peer assessment
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Assessments should provide evidence of desired
competences
performances
achievements
consequences
While acknowledging
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cultural differences
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individual differences
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available capacities, resources, and opportunities
In ways that are
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valid (content and purpose is specified, and proved to be fulfilled
without irrelevant factors or unintended negative consequences)
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reliable (consistent, comparable, equitable, and fair)
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feasible (manageable, comprehensible, and relevant)
 Diagnosis
and Planning
 Achievement
 Formal
and Feedback
Certification
(Alister Cumming, 2009)
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Curriculum
Resources
Learning
Communication opportunities
Taught
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Studied or practiced
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Achieved
External, normative standards
Official recognition
Needs analysis
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(initial and cyclic)
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Self
Assessments
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Goals for learning
Short-term Performance
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Activities
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Tasks
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Records
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Observations
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Tests
Long-term Performance
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Accumulative, summative records
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Tests
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Institutional requirements
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Communication tasks
Surveys
Personal aims
Diagnosis of special needs
Pedagogical Activities
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Tasks
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Assignments
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Exercises
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Observations
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Responses (oral and written)
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Tests
Reflective Tools
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Logs
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Records
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Portfolios
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Self-assessment