CLIL materials analysis: what is there? Code complexity, context dependency and cognitive processes in an upper secondary CLIL Science textbook

Abstract

The materials employed in the CLIL classroom are expected to address content learning and L2 language development at the same time. However, what is considered “good” in acquisitional terms might not correspond to subject-specific curricula requirements, and vice versa. The dearth of appropriate ready-made CLIL materials is deemed to place unrealistic expectations upon teachers, who seem to opt more frequently for self-production or adaptation. Moreover, research in the field of CLIL textbook analysis and development appears limited as compared to the broadly explored field of L2 teaching and learning. Within CLIL, the majority of the studies is directed towards the formulation of criteria or checklists for materials design and adaptation, instantiating “what should be there” according to the educational principles underlying CLIL practice. This dissertation, after reviewing the literature on CLIL materials, aims at the implementation of a multi-level analysis of a CLIL Science textbook published in Italy for upper secondary students. The research is framed within a qualitative paradigm and seeks to identify “what is there” in the textbook by considering code (lexical and syntactic) complexity, context dependency (scaffolding) and cognitive processes activated.