Does CLIL shape language attitudes and motivation? Interactions with target languages and instruction levels

ABSTRACT

Besides being promoted as a way to improve target language proficiency, Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) is also believed to positively impact socio-affective variables such as language attitudes and motivation. Yet, few extensive empirical studies exist on these aspects in CLIL. The present contribution aims to address this gap in the literature by investigating language attitudes and motivation in CLIL on a large scale across two target languages (English and Dutch) and two instruction levels (primary and secondary). Questionnaire data were collected from 896 pupils in French-speaking Belgium measuring their language attitudes in terms of perceived easiness and attractiveness of the target language and their motivation in terms of expectancy for success, task value and cost. Results of the MANCOVAs show pupils report more positive attitudes and higher motivation in CLIL compared to non-CLIL and in English compared to Dutch. However, these differences mainly appear at secondary level, suggesting more favorable profiles develop after the fifth grade, which is the onset of formal foreign language instruction for non-CLIL pupils. Moreover, the effect sizes indicate that the target language (English vs. Dutch) plays a more crucial role than CLIL vs. non-CLIL regarding language attitudes and motivation.

KEYWORDS:

• Language attitudes
• motivation
• CLIL
• English
• Dutch
• expectancy-value

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a Concerted Research Action grant (ARC 14/19-061) awarded to Philippe Hiligsmann (spokesman; UCLouvain), Benoît Galand (UCLouvain), Laurence Mettewie (UNamur), Fanny Meunier (UCLouvain), Arnaud Szmalec (UCLouvain) and Kristel Van Goethem (UCLouvain). We thank Amélie Bulon, Isa Hendrikx and Morgane Simonis for their assistance in the data collection.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 The term ‘non-CLIL’ is used for the control groups, as a contrast to the CLIL groups under investigation, and by no means intended as a derogative term for the mainstream, non-bilingual approach.

2 While higher perceived attractiveness of the TL among pupils with lower SES seems counterintuitive, the explanation lies in (a) the significantly higher SES amongst pupils learning Dutch compared to English (see section 3.1) and (b) the significantly higher attractiveness of English compared to Dutch (see Table 5).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by a Concerted Research Action Grant (UCLouvain - UNamur) [grant number ARC 14/19-061].

Notes on contributors

Audrey De Smet

Audrey De Smet is a PhD-student at the Institut Langage et Communication (UCLouvain, Belgium) and NaLTT Institute (Université de Namur, Belgium). Her research focuses on the role of socio-affective variables in CLIL, as a part of the larger ‘Assessing Content and Language Integrated Learning’ research project.

Laurence Mettewie

Laurence Mettewie is professor of Dutch language and linguistics at the Université de Namur (Belgium). Her research focuses on societal aspects of multilingualism, multilingual education and emotional and socio-affective factors involved in SLA.

Philippe Hiligsmann

Philippe Hiligsmann is full professor of Dutch language and linguistics at the UCLouvain (Belgium). His research focuses on contrastive linguistics (Dutch-French) and on second language acquisition (in particular Dutch by French-speaking learners).

Benoît Galand

Benoît Galand is professor at the Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences (UCLouvain, Belgium). His research interests include motivation and engagement in learning, violence and bullying at school, and teachers’ professional practices.

Luk Van Mensel

Luk Van Mensel is a postdoctoral researcher at the NaLTT Institute (Université de Namur, Belgium). He has published on a variety of subjects in SLA and sociolinguistics, and is the coordinator of the research project ‘Assessing Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL): Linguistic, cognitive and educational perspectives’.