SIOF

The language learning outcomes of students in CLIL settings outstrip those of their peers who study the language in stand-alone classes. Research also indicates that in some cases the language development of CLIL students lacks grammatical accuracy, appropriate syntax, and lexical specificity. To combat this, CLIL teachers need to interweave the teaching of content and language. This can be a complex task as the vast majority of CLIL teachers do not have specific CLIL training. The issue is particularly complex at secondary level where teachers are content specialists. This article presents the research and theoretical underpinnings of SIOF, a pedagogical tool that focuses on scaffolding, input, output and feedback practices in the classroom. This tool has been developed to guide teachers in their efforts to place a more explicit focus on language. The authors discuss how SIOF can lead to what they term a Language Sensitive Learning Environment and the development of both language proficiency and subject knowledge.