Teacher development: J-CLIL

Abstract

This chapter explores Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) pedagogy and teacher education (TE) in a context beyond Europe, especially focusing on the activities of the Japan CLIL Pedagogy Association (J-CLIL). It discusses CLIL pedagogy and TE first and then the issues in CLIL implementation, such as its definition, framework, teacher development, and teacher networks. J-CLIL primarily aims to support CLIL pedagogy in Japan, where primary and secondary school teachers have multiple roles at school and cannot always focus on teaching. The results of a questionnaire, which was conducted to see the current situations of CLIL pedagogy and TE, suggest that CLIL still does not have any stable status as an educational approach in the Japanese context. This chapter therefore proposes several ideas for CLIL teacher development: (1) the contextualized CLIL TE model, (2) the minimal requirements for CLIL teachers, and (3) the program design of CLIL TE in reference to task-based language teaching (TBLT). When starting CLIL TE, the role of J-CLIL will be a key platform to arrange and coordinate the programs. J-CLIL or CLIL teacher networks will play a significant role to help develop each CLIL teacher’s professional knowledge and skills for future CLIL pedagogy in the global context.