Carte AIAI

Innovative Approaches of Institutional Work
2016-1-RO01-KA101-023901
www.aiaierasmusplus.tk

“Zinca Golescu” National College
Address: Egalităţii Street, no. 34, Piteşti, Argeş

Phone/Fax: 0040248218361
E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.zinca-golescu.ro

"The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an
endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot

be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein."

AIDA MIHAELA GRECU, CRISTINA VLĂȘCEANU, DANIELA LUȚĂ, GEANINA
PREDA-VÎLCU, MARIA BROȘTESCU, MONICA MIHÃESCU, ȘTEFANIA BĂLCĂU

A bundle of brilliant ideas

Innovative Approaches of Institutional Work
Abordãri Inovatoare ale Activitãţii Instituţionale

2016-1-RO01-KA101-023901

Pitești
2018

AIDA MIHAELA GRECU, CRISTINA VLĂȘCEANU, DANIELA LUȚĂ, GEANINA
PREDA-VÎLCU, MARIA BROȘTESCU, MONICA MIHÃESCU, ȘTEFANIA BĂLCĂU

ISBN 978-973-0-27812-5

Innovative Approaches of Institutional Work
2016-1-RO01-KA101-023901
www.aiaierasmusplus.tk

Beneficiary:

“Zinca Golescu” National College, Pitesti, Romania
www.zinca-golescu.ro

Partners:

English Matters, Jaén, Spain
www.englishmatters.org
Intercultural Association Mobility Friends, Barcelos, Portugal
http://mobilityfriends.org/
The Lake School of English Oxford, the United Kingdom
www.englishinoxford.com
NGO Motivated Learning for Everyone, Sofia, Bulgaria
http://mlfe.info/







CHAPTER I: Page6
ERASMUSPLUS K1 PROJECT OVERVIEW

Project title EN: Innovative Approaches of Institutional Work
Project title RO: Abordări Inovatoare ale Activității Instituționale
Reference number: 2016-1-RO01-KA101-023901
Project lifetime: 01.10.2016 – 30.09.2018
Partner countries: Portugal, Spain, the United Kingdom
Website: http://aiaierasmusplus.tk
Erasmus + Key Action 1: School Staff Mobility
Funded by the European Commission
Budget: 25.100 EUR

Beneficiary:
Colegiul Naţional „Zinca Golescu”, Piteşti
Address: Egalităţii Street, no. 34, Piteşti, Argeş
Phone/Fax: 0040248218361
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.zinca-golescu.ro

Project coordinator: Aida Grecu
Contact: [email protected]
Project purpose: to enhance the communicative-cooperative competences and CLIL
methodological approaches to 25% students and teachers.
Aims:
Aim 1: improving teamwork and communication skills of teachers working in mixed
groups;

Innovative Approaches of Institutional Work 2016-1-RO01-KA101-023901

Aim 2: boosting CLIL knowledge as well as teaching-assessment methodology for the Page7
English bilingual classes teachers;
Aim 3: internationalisation of our high school activity by means of participating in
training activities abroad and developing strategic partnerships in Erasmus plus
programme.

Mobilities:
- 1 CLIL job shadowing for the school manager and the head of the English and German
department - 2 participants;
- 3 CLIL training courses for English teachers - 3 participants;
- 1 communication and teamwork training course for management and teaching staff - 4
participants.

Training activities:
- CLIL Job shadowing - “Program of visits and apprenticeship”, organised by Associacao
Intercultural Amigos da Mobilidade”, Barcelos, Portugalia; venue: Barcelos, Portugalia;
14.11.2016 - 25.11.2016
http://mobilityfriends.org/contact.php

- “The CLIL CLUB: Methodology of English and Content for Teachers”, organised by
English Matters, Jaén, Spain; venue: Jaén – Spain; 20.11.2016 - 26.11.2016
http://www.englishmatters.org/

- ”Creative Teaching in the Secondary CLIL Classroom”, The Lake School of English,
Oxford, The U.K; venue: Oxford, the U.K.; 10.07.2017 – 21.07.2017
https://www.englishinoxford.com/

- “Developing Leadership Proficiency for Effective Teamwork and Management”
organised by NGO Motivated Learning for Everyone, Sofia, Bulgaria; venue: Barcelona,
Spain; 27.03.2017 – 05.04.2017
http://mlfe.info/

Selected participants:
Maria Broștescu - Highschool manager
Daniela Luță - Deputy manager
Aida Mihaela Grecu - English teacher (head of of the English and German department)
Geanina Preda-Vîlcu - English teacher
Monica Mihăescu - English teacher
Ștefania Bălcău - Sociology teacher and psychologist
Cristina Vlășceanu - Romanian teacher
Results:
- in the short run: more cooperative staff that is willing to work in groups in order to
achieve the aims of the school development plan, more patient and tolerant staff, more
fluent English speakers, updated CLIL approaches in regular lessons, more information
about other educational systems, cultures, traditions, civilizations, enhanced European

Innovative Approaches of Institutional Work 2016-1-RO01-KA101-023901

dimension, increased prestige on the local educational market, greater national Page8
acknowledgement, new opportunities to set up transnational partnerships;
-in the long run: setting up a KA 2 strategic partnership.
Certificates:
- Europass Mobility
- Certificate of attendance

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CHAPTER II: C.L.I.L. Teaching in a nutshell Page10

C.L.I.L. (content and language integrated learning)

Short historical background

Schools in which the teaching of certain subjects in the curriculum may be offered in a
foreign, regional or minority language have existed in Europe for several decades. Before the
1970s, this type of provision was mainly available in regions that were linguistically distinctive
(because they were close to national borders or used two languages, etc), or in the largest cities.
It thus concerned very limited numbers of pupils who were growing up in somewhat unusual
linguistic or social contexts. The aim was to turn them into bilingual children by enabling them
to acquire proficiency in languages comparable to that of native speakers. Indeed, the terms
generally used to denote this kind of provision are ‘bilingual’ school, education or teaching.

During the 1970s and 1980s, development of this kind of provision has been influenced
in particular by the Canadian experiment with immersion teaching. This first began as a result
of English-speaking parents living in the province of Quebec who considered that proficiency
in French was vital in a French-speaking environment. Programmes for immersion teaching
have been enormously successful in Canada. Support from the education authorities and the
involvement of parents have undoubtedly been key factors in their success.

The acronym CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) started to become the
most widely used term for this kind of provision during the 1990s. CLIL is the platform for an
innovative methodological approach of far broader scope than language teaching. Accordingly,
its advocates stress how it seeks to develop proficiency in both the non-language subject and
the language in which this is taught, attaching the same importance to each. Furthermore,
achieving this twofold aim calls for the development of a special approach to teaching in that
the non-language subject is not taught in a foreign language but with and through a foreign
language. This implies a more integrated approach to both teaching and learning, requiring that
teachers should devote special thought not just to how languages should be taught, but to the
educational process in general.

One of the first pieces of legislation regarding European cooperation in CLIL is the 1995
Resolution of the Council. It refers to the promotion of innovative methods and, in particular,
to ‘the teaching of classes in a foreign language for disciplines other than languages, providing
bilingual teaching’. In the same year, the European Commission focused on the importance of
innovative ideas and the most effective practices for helping all EU citizens to become
proficient in three European languages. With reference to these ideas the Commission stated
that ‘… it could even be argued that secondary school pupils should study certain subjects in
the first foreign language learned, as is the case in the European schools’. The European
programmes in the field of education and training have had a catalytic effect in developing
different approaches to language teaching. Thus actions supported in the second phase of the
Socrates Programme from 2000-2006 have been established to provide for CLIL type provision.
In the Comenius Action of Socrates, financial support is earmarked for mobility activities
targeting ‘teaching staff of other disciplines required or wishing to teach in a foreign language’.
Under the Erasmus Action too, financial support may be awarded for ‘joint development and

Innovative Approaches of Institutional Work 2016-1-RO01-KA101-023901

implementation of curricula, modules, intensive courses or other educational activities, Page11
including multidisciplinary activities and the teaching of subjects in other languages’.

The debate on CLIL throughout the European Union is very much alive. Fresh initiatives
to promote this still novel methodological approach will be undertaken in the years ahead,
probably within the next generation of education and training programmes.

A bilingual education:
• Boosts confidence and capacity to communicate in English,
• Increases opportunities and global mobility for young people,
• Prepares young people to succeed in a multicultural society,
• Provides young people with access to education through collaborative technology,

• Inspires young people to engage as global citizens,
• Inspires and encourages teachers and policy makers to innovate.

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Innovative Approaches of Institutional Work 2016-1-RO01-KA101-023901

Overall presentation

Compulsory education in Portugal lasts nine years, that is from the age of six to fifteen.
In public schools, this basic education is free. Secondary Education (Ensino Secundário) was
made compulsory in 2013 and consists of further three years of schooling after basic education
from the ages of 15 to 18 years. The Regional Education Authority (Direcção Regional de
Educação) can provide contact and location details of schools.

Financial assistance may be available for extra expenses such as school meals, transport
and textbooks, depending on the family's circumstances. The Ministry of Education and
Science (Ministério da Educação e Ciência) is responsible for the administration of state
schools in Portugal.

School year structure in Portugal

The school year, which is divided into three semestres, runs from the middle of
September to the end of June, for compulsory schooling or to the middle of June for secondary
schools. Individual schools set the actual dates on condition that there are at least 180 school
days in each year.

Pre-school/Kindergarten

Pre-school attendance is optional and children may be accepted between the ages of
three and five. Pre-schools may be run by State organisations, charitable institutions, private or
cooperative organisations. Most international schools offer an international approach to pre-
primary learning following the International Preschool Curriculum.

Basic Compulsory Education

Basic compulsory education lasts for nine years and is divided into three consecutive
cycles, EB-1º, EB-2º and EB-3º.

Compulsory Provider of education Length Students’ ages
education cycles
4 six to ten
First cycle (EB-1º) primary schools 2 ten to twelve
3 twelve to fifteen
Second cycle (EB-2º) secondary school/ middle school

Third cycle (EB-3º) secondary school/ middle school

Assessment Page16

Students are assessed at the end of each school year in a National Exam as well as at the
end of each cycle. Those who are considered satisfactory will go on to the next stage. Pupils
who do not meet the required standards may be asked to repeat all or part of the year.

Portuguese primary schools use a grading system from 1 to 5, with 5 being the top grade
and 1 the lowest. Children are required to obtain a grade 3 and above to pass. Students who
achieve the required standard in the general assessment at the end of the third cycle are awarded

Innovative Approaches of Institutional Work 2016-1-RO01-KA101-023901

a certificate of basic education (diploma do ensino básico) by the school. This diploma is
essential for gaining entrance to Secondary School education.

School system for children aged 14-18 and post-secondary education

Secondary school education (Ensino Secundário) lasts for 3 years and is compulsory. It
is free to students who have obtained their basic education diploma. Students must decide
whether to opt for general education or vocational training. Four types of secondary education
are available:

• General Secondary Education (cursos científicos humanisticos)
• General and Vocation Secondary Education (cursos tecnológicos)
• Art Education (cursos artísticos especializados)
• Vocational Education (cursos profissionais)

Assessment

There are two types of assessment in post-compulsory schooling – internal and external.
The internal one consists of a general written test in every subject at the end of the tenth and
eleventh school years and in some subjects at the end of the final year. Based on a general test
plus the continuous assessment, the Class Council decides whether the student should advance
to the next class or repeat the year. External assessment takes the form of final written
examinations in the twelfth year in most of the subjects. In order to pass, students must achieve
a pass mark in every one of their course subjects.

Exams results are averaged to produce a final grade between 0 and 20. A grade of 10 or
above is required to pass. It is on this final grade number that universities and polytechnics
choose their undergraduates.

On successfully completing their secondary education, students are awarded a certificate
indicating the courses and the final marks obtained. Once a student passes their secondary
education, they can go on to apply for higher education

Higher Education (Ensino superior)

public universities polytechnics private or cooperative institutions of
higher education

Languages

Learning a foreign language (English, French, German or Spanish) is compulsory in the
second cycle of basic compulsory education. However, some pupils may begin learning a
foreign language (usually French or English) in the first cycle when the child is 6–10 years old.
In the third cycle (age 12–15) students take on a second foreign language (English, French,
German or Spanish). This means that within their basic and secondary education students will
have to study at least two foreign languages and many learn a third one.

Page17

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CLIL in Portugal Page18
In Portugal, there are no official CLIL programmes or syllabus implemented in public

schools, but only projects or extracurricular activities. We do find some institutions, either
private or public that practise CLIL, but this is in the form referred to as "soft CLIL".

According to our own job shadowing experience, CLIL teaching may be implemented
in public schools as projects under the supervision of a university expert, for the students
attending the second and third cycle of education (10 -15 year-olds). The admission to the CLIL
classes is done by sitting an examination meant to test the level of competence in the target
language. In order to teach a certain subject by means of a foreign language, it is necessary for
the language and subject teacher to cooperate so that they fully agree on the list of lessons to be
covered during a semester which has to be 30% out of the total number of subject classes per
semester. What is more, both of them are present in the classroom in order to make sure the
students get all the meanings right. At the end of each cycle (second cycle: 5-6 and the third
cycle:7-9), students are provided with a certificate to prove the level of their foreign language.
The most popular subjects that are partially taught by means of a certain foreign language are:
Geograpy of Portugal, History of Portugal, Biology, Arts and Crafts. It is to be noted that
teachers voluntarily participate in such a project, without receiving extra payment as it is
implemented in the form of an extracurricular.

Additionally, there are a number of International Schools throughout Portugal. They are
well-attended with a mixture of international and Portuguese students who may study on the
International Baccalaureate (I.B.) programme or for the British GCSE and A-level examination
systems. Term dates and school holidays may differ from those of Portuguese schools.

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Overall presentation

Education in Romania is based on a free-tuition, egalitarian system. Education is
regulated and enforced by the Ministry of National Education. Each step has its own form of
organization and is subject to different laws and directives. Since the downfall of the communist
regime, the Romanian educational system has been through several reforms. Compulsory
schooling usually starts at the age of 6 and is mandatory until the tenth grade which corresponds
with the age of sixteen or seventeen. The school educational cycle ends in the twelfth grade
when students graduate the baccalaureate. Higher education is aligned onto the European
Higher Education Area.

School year structure in Romania

School starts at the beginning of September and ends in June the following year. It is
divided into two semesters: September to January and February to June. The school year
comprises a week dedicated to special extracurricular activities, being popular under the name
”Another sort of school”. In terms of class size, there are classes that can hold up to 34 students
at the most, even though the most convenient number seems to be 25.

Elementary school includes primary school (the preparatory school year and the next 4
grades of primary school) and then four more grades (grades 5-8 of gymnasium).

Primary School Type
Age Grade Compulsory
6-7 Preschool Compulsory
7-8 1st grade Compulsory
8-9 2nd grade Compulsory
9-10 3rd grade Compulsory
10-11 4th grade

Gymnasium (Middle School)

Age Grade Type
11-12 5th grade Compulsory

12-13 6th grade Compulsory

13-14 7th grade Compulsory Page22

14-15 8th grade Compulsory

Innovative Approaches of Institutional Work 2016-1-RO01-KA101-023901

Highschool enrolment is conditioned on passing the National Test and participating in
the National Computerized Distribution

Highschool ( secondary school)

Age Grade Type

15-16 9th grade Compulsory

16-17 10th grade Compulsory

17-18 11th grade Optional

18-19 12th grade Optional

Important examinations throughout school years:

Age Grade Important exams in the life of a person
8-9 2nd grade National Exam
10-11 4th grade National Exam
12-13 6th grade National Exam
14-15 8th grade National Exam (important)
18-19 12th grade Baccalaureate (very important)

Assessment in the primary school is done by means of appraisal standards such as:
excellent, very good, good, sufficient, insufficient/ failed, whereas during gymnasium/ middle
school, highschool and university, evaluation is symbolized through grades from 1 to 10.

Higher education

Higher education is accomplished through universities, institutions, academies of study
university studies schools. Admission to higher education for every cycle of academic studies
– first degree (bachelor), master, and doctorate – is organised based on the admission
methodology of each university, with the observance of the legislation in force. For all cycles
of academic studies, the number of places funded from the state budget is set by a Government
Decision.

Foreign Languages Page23
All schools in Romania have foreign language programs. Students must study at least

one language to an advanced level and a second one at a more basic level. The top language
taught in Romania nowadays is English, closely followed by French, German, Italian, Spanish.

Innovative Approaches of Institutional Work 2016-1-RO01-KA101-023901

It is in the 5th grade that students start learning the first foreign language (English, French or Page24
German) and the second one is included in the fith grade’s curriculum.

CLIL in Romania

In Romania, the term CLIL has only relatively come into use and has no precise
counterpart in Romanian. Two expressions close in meaning correspond to ‘integrated learning
of curriculum content and a language’ or ‘learning of a subject matter through a foreign
language’. Generally, the acronym of the English term is used as it is. There is little literature
in Romanian on the subject of CLIL and the most common term referring to this type of
education is bilingual education. It relates to use of the official national language and another
language as languages of instruction in an educational institution.

It all started back then in 1998/1999 school year when the Education Ministery decided
to pass a law in order to extend the number of teaching foreign languages classes so that the
immersion in the European context become faster. It was then that the intensive (3 or 4 classes
weekly) and bilingual classes (5 to 7 classes a week) came into being, both options needing the
approval of the County School Inspectorate as well as that of the Ministry of Education in
advance. The intensive foreign language teaching can be implemented not only in the primary
(starting with the 3rd grade on parents’demand), but also in the lower secondary
level/gymnasium while the bilingual studies can be carried out only in highschools. Both forms
of extensive foreign language teaching can be included in the curriculum, irrespective of the
highschool type (general education, technological, vocational), profile or specialization. To
entrol in such a class, it is compulsory to pass a linguistic examination to prove the required
level of competence in the target language. In the final highschool year, these students have the
opportunity to sit an examination in order to obtain a professional certificate in the foreign
language they thoroughly studied previously.

In general, bilingual school provision related to a particular modern language is as
follows:
• 5 classes a week spent teaching the modern language concerned, in all years (IX-XII);
• 1 class a week spent teaching the Geography of the corresponding linguistic area, in year IX;
• 1 class a week spent teaching the History of the corresponding linguistic area, in year X;
•1 class a week spent teaching ‘elements of culture and civilisation’ specific to the
corresponding linguistic area, in years XI and XII.

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Overall presentation

State education is the responsibility of the Ministry of Education, Culture and
Sport (Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte), although the 17 autonomous regions have
some responsibility for their own education system (including higher education). The Law for
the Improvement of Education Quality (Ley Orgánica para la Mejora de la
Calidad Educativa- LOMCE) covers the main points of the education law in Spain which are
as follows:

• school is compulsory and free of charge for all children from age 5 to age 16
• the system includes levels of education adapted to suit students with special needs
• all students receive basic vocational training in secondary education
• religious instruction is available but optional
• special systems exist for artistic education and language learning
• education authorities must promote the integration of foreign pupils
• education authorities must develop specific programmes in mainstream schools for

those that do not have a good grasp of the Spanish language.

School types

Spain has privately-owned and state schools. Some of the private schools are funded by
the state (concertados). Fees in these schools are generally lower than in other private schools.
State school education is free, although in some autonomous regions books and materials must
be paid for. Once a child enters primary school (primaria), vouchers (bonos) may be available
to help pay for books.

The School System Educación Educación Primaria ESO Bachillerato
Infantil
Spanish Guarderia
Pre-School Primary Education
English Nursery Education Compulsory Post-Compulsory
Secondary Secondary
Ages Ages 0-3 Ages 3-6 Ages 6-12 Education Education
non- non- compulsory Ages 12-16 Ages 16-18
compulsory
compulsory compulsory non-compulsory

Compulsory primary education (educación primaria)

The first cycle The second cycle The third cycle
(tercer ciclo)
(primer ciclo) (segundo ciclo) 10 – 12 year-olds
6 – 8 year-olds 8 – 10 year-olds

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Secondary education (Educación Secundaria Obligatoria - ESO)

The first cycle The second cycle

12 -14 year-olds 14 – 16 year-olds
compulsory education

Types of schools providing this education include: Institutos de Educación Secundaria,
Colegios Privados and Colegios Concertados. Pupils receive specialised training at ESO and
begin their preparation for the baccalaureate or vocational training. Once pupils have
satisfactorily finished four years of ESO they receive a Secondary Education Certificate
which is necessary for those who want to continue to higher secondary education studies or
intermediate vocational training.

Higher secondary education (bachillerato or formación profesional)

At the end of compulsory education (usually at age 16) pupils can go on to
bachillerato studies or vocational training (formación profesional). Their education can usually
continue at the same school they have been attending.

Vocational training: Students divide their time between school studies and on-the-job
training. Students who successfully complete their vocational training are awarded
the Certificado de Técnico in the relevant field. This certificate allows them to work in areas
related to their training, to pursue further training or to study for a bachillerato.

To go on to further education, students must sit an entry exam (Prueba de Acceso a la
Universidad, more commonly known as Selectividad). Higher education is not compulsory and
fees are charged. Costs vary depending on the course taken.

International schools Page29

There are a large number of international schools in Spain, each following a particular
educational curricula. These include the British GCSE and A-Level examinations, the
American high school diploma and college entrance examinations (for example ACT, SAT,
achievement tests and AP exams), the International Baccalaureate (IB) and the
Spanish Bachillerato. They are all private schools and charge fees for attendance. Some
international schools provide primary education only while others can cater for all ages,
including pre-school and nursery age children. In many instances children are taught by
nationals from their country of origin. There are some Spanish private schools that provide a
wider choice of languages to study (including English and French). Private international schools
usually follow the school holiday calendar and opening times of schools in their "home
country".

Foreign languages

It is precisely when children reaches the final year of primary school that they begin
with the basics of a foreign language, usually English. During public secondary education
another language may be added to their studies, usually French or German.

International schools generally teach in a foreign language; some international schools
also teach bilingually in Castellano.

Innovative Approaches of Institutional Work 2016-1-RO01-KA101-023901

CLIL in Spain Page30

British Council has been working since 1996 with the Departamento de Educación,
Política Lingüística y Cultura to support the implementation, development and evaluation of
bilingual education throughout Spain. The project has been pioneering for both Spain and
Europe and has inspired other governments and education authorities to develop bilingual
education and Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) projects in their schools.
Interest in CLIL has spread exponentially throughout Spain during the last few years and CLIL
programmes have received support from educational authorities and have been implemented in
mainstream schools.

Nonetheless, the degree and characteristics of this implementation vary greatly from one
Region to another since the political structure of Spain comprises 19 Autonomous Regions that
were granted political and administrative power by the 1978 democratic constitution. In the
bilingual communities (Balearic Islands, Basque Country, Catalonia, Galicia, Navarre, and
Valencia) the regional languages have been granted official status and have thus found their
place in the educational systems. Thus, the curriculum may be covered in at least two different
languages (with some subjects taught in a first language and others taught in a second one) in
three very different modes:

- it may be taught in the official language of the State (Spanish) but also in a joint
official language other than Spanish (Basque, Catalonian, Valencian and
Galician);

- it may be taught in the official language of the State (Spanish) but also partly in
one or two foreign languages;

- it may be taught partly in the official language of the State (Spanish), partly in a
joint official language other than Spanish (Basque, Catalonian, Valencian and
Galician)and partly in one or two foreign languages.

These three modes allow for a great diversity of CLIL models in Spain and can be
illustrated according to three different scenarios:

1. promoting bilingualism in a monolingual community;
2. fostering multilingualism in an already bilingual community;
3. improving competence in English through the ‘Bilingual and Bicultural Project’,

also known as ‘MEC/British Council Programme’

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Overview of the United Kingdom education system Page34

Education in the UK is compulsory for children aged five to sixteen. Children are legally
required to start attending school at the start of the term after their fifth birthday, either on 31
August, 31 December or 31 March. However they can start earlier than this. Pupils are required
to stay in school until the last Friday in June of the school year in which they reach 16 years of
age. Under the Education and Skills Act 2008, from 2013 compulsory education or training
must continue until the pupil is 17 and, from 2015, until the pupil is 18.

State education is free and can be secular or religion-based as well as mixed gender or
single gender. Education is also available in private, fee-paying schools, attended by
approximately ten percent of children. In addition, there are a number of international schools
in the United Kingdom, mainly in and around London.

The public school system

Nine out of ten children in the UK are educated in the state system which is funded by
the government. Primary schools usually include both girls and boys as pupils. Secondary
schools may be either single-sex or co-educational. Education departments in England,
Scotland and Wales fund schools through a Local Education Authority (or in Scotland, the
Education Authority). In Northern Ireland, schools are largely financed from public funds
through five Education and Library Boards.

The education system is generally split into four sections:

1. Primary schools: for children aged between five and eleven. They are usually mixed
gender and can be either secular or religion-based.

2. Secondary schools: most pupils transfer from primary to secondary school at the age
of 11. However, a system of middle schools also exists; here pupils are transferred from
primary school at either age 8 or 9 years, then onto secondary education at the age 12
or 13 years. Most secondary schools in England are comprehensive and do not operate
a selective entrance system. However, in some parts of England, a grammar school
system also operates and pupils are usually required to pass an entrance examination
based on their ability.

3. Further education: for children aged between 16 and 19 who want to stay on at school
or college to gain more qualifications.

4. Higher education: for teenagers and young adults wanting to go to university or college
to study for a degree or diploma.

The National Curriculum and obligatory exams

The National Curriculum defines the different stages and core subjects that all children
in the state system must be taught during their time at school.

For primary school children, the subjects they must learn are english, maths, science,
design and technology, information and Communication Technology (ICT), history,
geography, art and design, music and physical education. They are tested at the end of each
school year, although only some of these tests will be formally assessed. At secondary school
level, the subjects are the same, apart from students must also take modern foreign languages,

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art and design, and citizenship. Schools also have to provide sex and relationship education Page35
(SRE), religious education and in Year 9, they must take careers education and guidance.

When a child reaches Year 9 at secondary school, they will choose subjects for their
GCSE exams (General Certificate of Secondary Education; a national examination, the results
for which are posted in schools at the end of August every year). Normally children take up to
nine GCSEs. Pupils are then able to decide whether they would like to carry on with their
education and study for A Level (Advanced Level) exams. Around 320,000 teenagers take the
exams every year. They normally opt for three or four subjects.

The school years in state schools are categorised as follows:

Age 4-5 Reception
Age 5-6 Year 1
Age 6-7 Year 2 - End of Key Stage 1
Age 7-8 Year 3
Age 8-9 Year 4
Age 9-10 Year 5
Age 10-11 Year 6 - End of Key Stage 2
Age 11-12 Year 7
Age 12-13 Year 8
Age 13-14 Year 9 - End of Key Stage 3
Age 14-15 Year 10
Age 15-16 Year 11
Age 16-17 Year 12
Age 17-18 Year 13
Children are assessed at the end of three key stages to measure a child's progress and
parents receive a report stating the level at which the child is working.

International schools

There are a number of international schools in the UK which offer the International
Baccalaureate programmes that prepare students for the International Baccalaureate Diploma.
There is also a European School in Oxfordshire, called Culham European School, which was
set up for the dependents of European Economic Community employees working in that area,
although others are welcome on a fee-paying basis. In addition, there are a number of American
schools which offer a curriculum and social environment similar to that found in the United
States as well as French, German, Spanish and Swedish schools in London.

CLIL in the United Kingdom

Influenced by European advances in CLIL and a small yet growing number of secondary
schools which were starting to ‘experiment’ with CLIL by offering foreign language
opportunities in a wider range of contexts, there have been other developments which have led
to the concept of CLIL becoming more widely known. Specialist Schools, whilst still in the
public sector, are those schools that apply to the government for specialist status and funding
supported by additional funds from sponsorship. Language Colleges are one such category.
These schools have taken a lead in promoting foreign languages and the introduction of CLIL
is starting to attract attention – again led by language specialists.

Amongst the many initiatives to promote languages, the Ministry, (Department for
Education and Skills) financed a national CLIL project – CLIP (Content and Languages
Integrated Project) run by CILT, the National Centre for Languages and Research, between
2002 and 2005. This involved pairs of teachers (subject and language specialists) from 8

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secondary schools working collaboratively to explore CLIL potential. A Feasibility Study, Page36
carried out by CILT in 2001 considered CLIL as a potential vehicle for implementing UK
language policy in England: by developing the ability to understand and communicate in other
languages and by increasing opportunities for primary aged children to learn languages .
However, the emphasis on languages in the primary sector, perhaps to balance the reduction to
3 years for statutory language study in secondary schools, has not yet fully embraced the CLIL
potential.

The 2001 Feasibility Study found evidence of substantial CLIL activities (past and
present) in 47 secondary schools in England alone. Clusters of CLIL schools were identified in
the South East, the Midlands and the North East of England, with further work in Scotland
(Wales and Ireland were not included in this study). Many, but not all of the schools had
specialist language status, although factors such as the expertise and enthusiasm of teachers in
individual schools were found to play a crucial role. A few schools had already established
bilingual sections using CLIL approaches as the base. The diversity of the CLIL activity
reported was such that it was not possible to make any generalisations about the type of schools
involved, the subjects or approaches chosen, the ‘selection’ of learners and their age and ability.

Whilst the predominant CLIL language is French, there is some evidence of activity
being carried out in German and Spanish. In almost all cases the CLIL programmes were found
to be linguistically oriented, with a wide range of approaches: isolated lessons, bilingual days,
modules of work covering several weeks and occasionally year-long commitment. Where CLIL
is offered it is likely to be limited to ‘one curriculum subject, to a limited range of students and
for a limited time’. Seven case studies were highlighted in the Feasibility Study.

More recently, schools that have started CLIL have tended to opt for the humanities –
Geography or History. The instances of Science offered through a foreign language are limited.
In the UK, Mathematics is rarely promoted through CLIL.

There are no structural barriers to schools offering CLIL in foreign languages if they so
wish. A very small number of schools in England with access to the necessary teaching
expertise do offer CLIL type programmes although, to date, there have been no reports of such
provision in Wales or Northern Ireland.

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Activity 1: GALLERY WALK Page38
Gallery walk is a classroom exercise in which students walk around the classroom

looking at different pictures of historic importance.

THE AIMS OF THE ACTIVITY
• To acquire knowledge of the English historic personalities and be able to place them in
the century they represent.
• To practice the specific vocabulary
• To practice and develop speaking skills.

RESOURCES: pictures of different personalities sticked on the walls around the classroom.
PROCEDURE:

1. The teacher divides the class in groups of 4.
2. The groups of students walk around the classroom and make assumptions.
3. The winner is the group that was able to place correctly in time most of the personalities.
SUGGESTED PERSONALITIES: Henry VIII, Elisabeth I, Winston Churchill, Queen
Elisabeth II, Prince Charles.

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Activity 2.1. : RUNNING DICTATION - The Celts Page39

Running dictation is a classroom exercise in which students run to a text, memorise a part
of it and then pass the message verbally to a partner.

THE AIMS OF THE ACTIVITY:
• To acquire basic information about the Celtin invasion
• To acquire new vocabulary
• Student-student cooperation in order to practise and develop the speaking, reading,
writing and listening skills

RESOURCES: handouts, paper, a print-out copy of the text for each student.

PROCEDURE
1. Divide the class into groups of 3 or 4 students each.
2. Put the copy of the text either on a wall or on your desk.
3. Arrange the groups of students so that they are all sitting a similar distance from the text,
if possible. Make sure that no groups are too close to each other or the text.
4. Tell students to choose a writer. The writer in each group takes a pen and paper.
5. Explain the rules of the game:
• The aim of the game is to copy the text. The first group to finish accurately is the
winner.
• One student at a time per group comes and memorises part of the text, runs back to the
writer and dictates to the writer. Then the next “runner” goes to the text and does the
same.
• The runners must not write.
• All runners must go to the text in turn.
• Only one student per group at a time.
• No cameras to take a picture of the text.
• No pens and paper for runners.
6. When the students have understood the rules say “go”.
7. When several sentences have been written tell the groups to change writers. Do this two
or three times so that all students have been writers.
8. When one group finishes stop the game.

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9. Either tell the winning group to read out their text and check for accuracy or give Page40
students the original text and get them to check themselves.

Running dictation text:
The Celts

The Celts are important in British history because they are the ancestors of many of the
people in Highland Scotland, Wales, Ireland and Cornwall today. They began to arrive here around
700BC. The Iberian people of Wales and Cornwall took the new Celtic culture. Celtic languages,
which have been continuously used in some areas since that time, are still spoken. The British
today are often described as Anglo-Saxon but it would be better to call them Anglo-Celts.

Activity 2.2.: RUNNING DICTATION- The Atlantic Ocean
Running dictation is a classroom exercise in which students run to a text, memorise a part

of it and then pass the message verbally to a partner.

Time: 50’
Group size: 28 students, intermediate
Space: classroom

THE AIMS OF THE ACTIVITY:
• To acquire basic information about the Atlantic Ocean
• To practise geography terminology
• Student-student cooperation in order to practise and develop the speaking, reading, writing
and listening skills

RESOURCES: handouts, paper, pen, a print-out copy of the text for each student.
PROCEDURE

1. Ask the class what they know about the world’s oceans. Ask how many there are. The
answer is four or five, depending on whether or not the Southern Ocean is counted (it’s
not totally officially recognised).

2. Divide the class into groups of 3 or 4 students each.
3. Put the copy of the text either on a wall or on your desk.

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4. Arrange the groups of students so that they are all sitting a similar distance from the Page41
text, if possible. Make sure that no groups are too close to each other or the text.

5. Tell students to choose a writer. The writer in each group takes a pen and paper.
6. Explain the rules of the game:

• The aim of the game is to copy the text. The first group to finish accurately is the
winner.

• One student at a time per group comes and memorises part of the text, runs back to the
writer and dictates to the writer. Then the next “runner” goes to the text and does the
same.

• The runners must not write.
• All runners must go to the text in turn.
• Only one student per group at a time.
• No cameras to take a picture of the text.
• No pens and paper for runners.
7. When the students have understood the rules say “go”.
8. When several sentences have been written tell the groups to change writers. Do this two
or three times so that all students have been writers.
9. When one group finishes stop the game
10. Either tell the winning group to read out their text and check for accuracy or give students
the original text and get them to check themselves.

Running dictation text:
The Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the world’s second largest ocean after the Pacific. Its area is about
106 million square kilometres, covering about one-fifth of the Earth’s surface. It is surrounded on
the west by the Americas, the north east by Eurasia and the south-east by Africa. To the south east
it meets the Indian Ocean and to the north is the Arctic Ocean. Some say that it goes as far south
as Antarctica, but others say that it meets the Southern Ocean to the south. The equator splits the
Atlantic in the middle into the North and South Atlantic Oceans.

The average depth is about 3.3 kilometres and the deepest point is the Puerto Rico Trench
which is about 8.6 kilometres deep. There is a mountain range (the Mid Atlantic Ridge) along the
bottom in the middle which runs from north to south. This is the longest mountain range in the
world.

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Activity 3: TRIVIA GAME Page42
Trivia Games is an activity where students have to answer by true or false and bet a

certain number of points from 10 to 100 depending on how sure they are of their answer. This
game can be used as a method of evaluation by the teacher.

THE AIMS OF THE ACTIVITY:
• To acquire basic information about the Henry VIII’s personality
• To acquire new vocabulary
• Student-student cooperation in order to practise and develop the speaking and reading
skills.

RESOURCES: handouts, paper, pen
PROCEDURE:

1. Divide the class into groups of 3 or 4.
2. Explain the rules of the game:

- For each answer you must bet between 10-100 points.
- You start with 1000 points.
- If you guess correctly, you gain the amount of the bet.
- If you guess wrongly, you lose the amount of the bet.

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3. The winner is the group with the greatest amount of points.

STATEMENTS TRUE FALSE BET TOTAL
Henry VIII started the Norman dynasty.
Henry VIII succeeded Arthur in 1509.
Henry VIII had eight wives.
His first wife was Anne Boleyn.
Anne Boleyn is the mother of Elisabeth I.
Henry VIII broke with the Catholic Church in
1533.
Henry VIII united Scotland and England.
Henry VIII used parliament to pass laws.
Thomas Cromwell was a Catholic Cardinal.
Henry VIII is buried next to Anne Boleyn.

Activity 4: Christopher Columbus

This a multiple-choice task meant to help students learn easier new facts about
Christopher Columbus and the discovery of America. This game can be used with any other
personality.

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THE AIMS OF THE ACTIVITY: Page44
• To acquire basic information about Christopher Columbus and the discovery of
America.
• To acquire new vocabulary
• Student-student cooperation in order to practise and develop the speaking and reading
skills.

RESOURCES: handouts, paper, pen
PROCEDURE:

1. Ask some questions about the discovery of America and write them on the board.
2. Encourage the pupils to copy the questions in their notebooks and discuss the

answers in small groups, eg, When was Columbus born? Where did he want to
travel? Who helped Columbus? How many weeks was Columbus at sea? When
did Columbus discover America? Did Columbus think it was America or India?
How many trips did Columbus make to America? When did he die? •
3. Arrange the pupils in small groups.
4. Ask the pupils to fold their worksheets so that they cannot see the table below
the text. Read the text aloud with the class.
5. Encourage the pupils to call out possible answers for each gap.
6. Encourage them to use I think___. eg. I think number 1 is east.
7. Ask the pupils to read the text in Activity 2 and look at the table below it.
8. Encourage the pupils to discuss and circle the answers in their groups.
9. Explain that the groups can win points for each correct answer.
10. Get feedback from the different groups and check their answers.
11. Show the route Christopher Columbus followed on a world map.
12. Show the class where Columbus intended to go.
Answers: 1-west; 2-Spain; 3-Huelva; 4-90; 5-Atlantic; 6-land; 7-Indians; 8-three; 9-1506

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Activity 5: THE COMUMBUS QUIZ Page45
This quiz is meant to make students learn new information about the discovery of

America.

THE AIMS OF THE ACTIVITY:
• To acquire new information about Christopher Columbus and the discovery of America.
• To acquire new vocabulary
• Student-student cooperation in order to practise and develop the speaking and reading
skills.

RESOURCES: board, small pieces of cards
PROCEDURE:

1. Arrange the pupils in small groups.
2. Write some questions about Christopher Columbus on pieces of card.
3. Stick the cards on the board so that the pupils cannot see the questions.
4. Invite a group to go to the board and choose one card.
5. Read the question out loud and let the groups discuss the answer for about half a minute.
6. Encourage the group who chose the card to answer the question. If the answer is right,

they win a point. If the answer is not correct, they lose their turn and the next group can
answer the question.
7. Invite another group to choose a question.
8. Follow the same procedure until the pupils answer all the questions.
Possible questions: 1. Name one food that Columbus brought from America.
(pineapple, etc) 2. When was Columbus born? (1451) 3. Who helped Columbus with the trip?
(Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain) 4. When did Columbus depart from Palos?

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(1492) 5. How many weeks were Columbus and his men at sea? (10) 6. How many men did Page46
Columbus take with him on his first trip? (90) 7. Columbus took three ships; what were their
names? (the Pinta, the Niña and the Santa Maria)

Activity 6: THE GRASS SKIRT
You can do this funny interactive integrated speaking, reading and listening activity at

any moment of the lesson.

THE AIMS OF THE ACTIVITY:
• to introduce new material at the beginning of a new topic
• to acquire new specific vocabulary
• to revise material already learned at the end of a topic.

RESOURCES: board, small pieces of cards, handouts
PROCEDURE:

1. Stick the sheet of paper on the board at one end.
2. Cut the sheet so that each student can take a strip. This means that each student will have
one part of a sentence or one piece of information, or one sentence starter which will not
match with the ending. NB- print as many strips as you have students.
3. Ask one of the students to read the first half of their strip out loud. Stress the need to read
out the text loudly and clearly so that everyone can hear. If others are talking, ask the student
to read again until you have everyone’s attention.
4. Somewhere around the class, someone will have the answer/end of the sentence.

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5. The first time you try this, students may be a little unsure about what is expected.

6. There may also be students who know the answer but don’t have it written down on their
strip. If the person who has the answer doesn’t realise they have it, encourage others to say
the answer and then ask who has ...

7. Then ask the student to read out the ‘answer’ again.

8. Then they read their ‘question’ and the process continues until all the strips have been
read out and you come back to the beginning again. You may like to repeat the task and this
time tell students ‘If you can do it in under a minute, you won’t have any homework tonight!

An area of a land controlled by a particular a monarch
leader
To win a victory over someone territory
A Military expedition organized by Western to rule
Christians to recapture land in the East
To take land or people from your enemy Conquered Constantinople in 1204
using soldiers
A very serious illness which is transmitted were killed by a highly contagious disease
from one person to another known as the Black Death between 1348 and

To govern a country or territory 1351.
A Christian army a crusade
Thousands of people all over Europe
Another name for a king or a queen to conquer
a plague

Activity 7: HOT CHAIR/ BACKS TO THE BOARD

This is a good activity for getting the students going in the morning. It is also excellent
for revising vocabulary, tenses or structures.

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THE AIMS OF THE ACTIVITY: Page48
• to introduce new material at the beginning of a new topic
• to acquire new specific vocabulary
• to revise material already learned at the end of a topic.

RESOURCES: board, chalk, chair
PROCEDURE:

• Divide your students into two or three groups.
• One volunteer from each group sits in a chair with their backs to the board, facing their

group.
• The teacher has a list of vocabulary items that you want to use in this game.
• Take the first word from that list and write it clearly on the board.( ex. weather)
• The aim of the game is for the students in the teams to describe that word, using

synonyms, antonyms, definitions etc. to their team mate who is in the seat - that person
can't see the word! (ex. ”It’s sunny!”;”What’s the..... like?”, etc)
• The student on the chair listens to their team mates’ definitions/explanations and tries
to guess the word.
• The first student to say the word wins a point for their team.
• He/She challenges a member in the other team to play (a weaker player, possibly)
• Then write the next word…
It works great for all levels and ages.

Activity 8: PICTURE REVEAL
This activity is very useful when the teacher wants to introduce a new topic, but also as

a method of revision of tenses and modals.

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