Foreign language competence and content and language integrated learning in multilingual schools in Catalonia: an ex post facto study analysing the results of state key competences testing

ABSTRACT

The member states of the European Union have funded many initiatives supporting the teaching and learning of foreign languages. Content and language integrated learning is one of the experimental language programmes that have been introduced in Catalonia, in the north-east of Spain. The aims of this study are to analyse the results achieved by students on the state test of English language competence during the period 2009–2012 at (1) 1175 Catalan primary schools, (2) a purposive subset of 85 primary schools and (3) a school of reference (SoR), which applies a programme integrating physical education and language. The analysis indicates that the improvement of English competence occurs regardless of whether schools have participated in the experimental English language programmes. It is also showed that slightly better results can be observed in schools that apply the content and language integrated approach and a notable improvement in the SoR.

KEYWORDS:

• Foreign language competence
• CLIL
• key competences testing
• physical education
• multilingualism

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the support provided by the Evaluation Council of the Education System of Catalonia (ECES), the project ‘Key Competences within Quality Physical Education’ R&D Project; Ref. DEP 2012–33296, the research group ‘Language and Education’ (LED); Ref. 2014 SGR 1190 and the National Institute of Physical Education of Catalonia (INEFC).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

Josep Coral http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4522-1141