CONTEXT
Over the past decade there has been much focus on improving language learning,
communication skills, and intercultural awareness, across all educational
sectors. One educational solution is Content and Language Integrated Learning
(CLIL). This is a dual-focussed educational approach in which an additional
language is used for the learning and teaching of both content and language.
A range of European countries have seen exponential interest in this approach
since its inception in 1994. Now in 2007-2010 there is a need to pool experience
with respect to facilitating successful implementation of this educational
approach across all the member states of the Council of Europe.
The CLIL Matrix links to earlier work of the ECML (e.g. Thematic Collection of Workshop Reports on Bilingual Education (Abuja,G.), and Language Across the Curriculum (Kolodziejska, E. and Simpson, S). It is also linked to several European Commission activities in the period 1994-2007, and more recently, the Eurydice report Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) at School in Europe (2006).
The CLIL Matrix was produced by an international team Anne Maljers (Netherlands),
David Marsh (Finland), Stefka Kitanova (Bulgaria), Dieter Wolff (Germany),
Bronislawa Zielonka (Poland), working under the auspices of the ECML's 2nd
medium-term programme of activities 2004-2007.