Core Competencies & CLIL: Integrated Learning Approaches

Posted on May 28, 2025 in Primary Education

Key Competences for Personal & Professional Growth

Key Competences represent a transferable, multifunctional package of knowledge, skills, and attitudes that all individuals need for personal fulfillment and development, inclusion, and employment. These include:

Linguistic Communication

Focuses on the functional control of a foreign language.

  • Awareness: Understanding language in use and reflecting on language appropriate for different ages.
  • Ability: To understand and be understood, both orally and in writing.
  • Attitude: Developing a positive attitude towards languages.

Example

Write about yourself and your friends.

Digital Competence

Focuses on the effective use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).

  • Awareness: Being conscious that ICT use contributes to English language learning.
  • Ability: To search for and retrieve electronic information.
  • Attitude: Responsible use of ICT.

Example

Write an email message to a best friend in London.

Learning to Learn

Focuses on awareness of one’s own learning process, whether individual or collaborative.

  • Awareness: Being aware of personal learning styles and reflecting on them.
  • Ability: To dedicate time and effort to learning and reflecting on what has been learned.
  • Attitude: Positive attitude towards self-motivation.

Example

Activities that connect new concepts with existing knowledge, or activities using an English textbook.

Social and Civic Competence

Focuses on developing social relationships and fostering responsible, supportive citizenship.

  • Awareness: Awareness of diverse surrounding cultures.
  • Ability: To engage in multicultural dialogue.
  • Attitude: Positive attitude towards other cultures and countries, including aspects of emigration and immigration.

Example

Reading about other countries.

Initiative and Entrepreneurship

Focuses on acquiring autonomy in the learning process and developing initiative.

  • Awareness: Awareness of the importance of autonomous study.
  • Ability: To work independently and cooperatively.
  • Attitude: Positive attitude towards decision-making and collaboration.

Example

Activities within a unit that encourage self-evaluation.

Artistic and Cultural Competence

Focuses on developing creativity and fostering appreciation and enjoyment of music and art.

  • Awareness: Awareness of various cultural elements: music, art, literature.
  • Ability: To engage in artistic expressions.
  • Attitude: Positive attitude towards cultural diversity.

Example

Singing a song.

CLIL: Content and Language Integrated Learning

CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) is a dual-focused educational approach where an additional language is used for teaching and learning both content and language. It applies to subjects taught in a language different from the learners’ mother tongue, such as:

  • Science
  • Geography
  • History
  • Physical Education
  • Arts

CLIL’s conceptual origins can be traced back to the Roman Empire. CLIL is highly important, especially as English serves as a vehicular language globally.

The four interrelated components of CLIL are:

The 4 Cs of CLIL

Content

Refers to curricular subjects, other than languages, that can be taught through the target language.

Cognition

Refers to reasoning, creative thinking, and evaluating.

Communication

One of CLIL’s main aims is to increase student talking time and reduce teacher talking time.

Culture

Learners in CLIL develop respect for diverse ways of life and learn about different cultures. It promotes understanding of other cultures.

CLIL Example: Solar System Unit

Aims
  • To understand the Solar System and acquire specific concepts and vocabulary related to the topic.
Content
  • The Big Bang in the formation of the Universe.
  • Fascinating facts about the Solar System.
  • The Sun as the main star of the Solar System.
  • The Earth in the Solar System.
Cognition
  • Predicting information.
  • Making comparisons, e.g., of different planets.
Communication
  • Pupils will discuss different animals in class.
Culture
  • To understand the origin of the names of the planets in the Solar System.
  • To appreciate differences in planet names across various countries.

Intrapersonal Intelligence

This intelligence involves understanding and comprehending oneself.

Indicators

  • Considering different points of view.
  • Consistently correcting and learning from mistakes.

Activity

For 5th and 6th Year Students: Debate

Topic: Let’s Save Our Environment

Discussion points:

  • What are your thoughts on this topic?
  • How do you contribute to environmental preservation?