Abstract
This thesis presents my in-depth exploration of Content and Language Integrating Learning (CLIL) within the context of China’s tertiary education. I have spent three years on an action research project to develop an indigenized CLIL model catered to the China’s College English (CE) education context.Tracing the origins of CLIL, its global research landscapes, and its application in China, I identified the absence of the CLIL Tool Kit (Coyle et al., 2010, p.75), a comprehensive practical framework for CLIL approach, in China’s CE education context. This absence results in the lack of clear norms regarding the CLIL implementing process. By defining CLIL as a teaching method guided by a specific framework and instructional process rather than merely an abstract concept, I proposed the major research question: How can the CLIL Tool Kit be operationalized for Chinese College English students?
I have employed an action research approach to iteratively refine the CLIL model guided by the structured CLIL Tool Kit through three cycles of teaching practice in my workplace to investigate its operational process, the operable pedagogical approaches and its effects on students and teachers’ experience. My reflective journals written throughout the teaching practice, questionnaires distributed to my colleagues and students, and observation notes taken by my two research partners were the data sources for this study.
The research commenced with the application of the CLIL Tool Kit to an existing course, Academic English for Science and Engineering. However, it became evident that the content was not sufficiently engaging for lower-grade students, leading to a less-than-optimal outcome. To address this issue, I adjusted the content focus from academic English to “the history of Western science”. The new content minimizes the need for prior disciplinary knowledge—a critical consideration for lower-level undergraduates. Before fully implementing the new course, I introduced a feasibility study. It involved designing and piloting a unit titled “Hippocrates (an ancient Greek doctor)” from the new course. The results were promising, with both teachers and students expressing approval of the new content. Building on the insights gained from the first round and the feasibility study, the second round involved the full implementation of a theme-based CLIL program with the course A Brief History of Western Science. The result indicated that students recognized and appreciated the dual benefits of language learning and content acquisition in the program.
The final product of the action research is a five-staged Operable Theme-based (OTB) CLIL Model highlighting my teaching philosophy of “teaching language through content” to achieve the unity of instrumentality and humanity in China’s CE education. The findings also include the context-sensitive pedagogical utilization of two types of questions (closed and open-ended questions), multimodal resources, two languages (L1 and L2) and information and communication technology (ICT).
The research contributes to the field by providing a localized CLIL model for China’s CE education, filling the theory-practice gap, and offering an applicable example of using CLIL Tool Kit in Chinese educational context.
| Date of Award | 15 Nov 2025 |
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| Original language | English |
| Awarding Institution |
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| Supervisor | John Trent (Supervisor) & Robert Weekly (Supervisor) |