Disciplinary boundary crossings in collaborative CLIL in higher education

Abstract

This study uses European English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) experiences and the Boundary Crossings model (Moore et al., 2015) as a departure point to inquire and analyse Content Teacher (CT) perspectives about disciplinary boundary crossings in a systematic and collaborative Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) implementation in a private university in Colombia. A semi-structured interview explored the perspectives of ten CTs who collaborated with English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers and a language support centre in the design and implementation of CLIL experiences. The data were transcribed, coded and categorised with Atlas.ti. An analysis of the findings led to the formulation of a continuum which shows that four CTs draw strict to moderate boundaries between content and language learning, while the other six perceive these systems as an emerging, integrated whole. Some emergent pedagogical implications are also discussed.