Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) describes the teaching of non-language subjects through a foreign language and is part of mainstream education in Austrian schools; it is even compulsory at HTLs Austria’s upper-secondary technical colleges! Other than just doing more English (or any other foreign language), one of the big advantages of CLIL is that it helps school students to learn how to use a foreign language for professional and academic purposes, alongside their native language. This ability combines both competences in doing the subject, including acquiring relevant knowledge, and in using the appropriate language and is called bi/multilingual disciplinary literacies.

The CLIL Network for Languages in Education: Towards bi- and multilingual disciplinary literacies (CLILNetLE) brings together over 250 researchers from across Europe (and beyond) to work on a comprehensive conceptualization of such literacies, based on empirical research, plus some practical guidance for educators.

More than half-way through the funding period of this network, the amount of work coming out of it is amazing – plans for a joint volume, two special issues and around 15 publications plus 5 online items for teachers.

Go to www.clilnetle.eu for more info and updates.