Djennat Chouati, a Doctoral Researcher in English Linguistics, at CELISO Sorbonne University shares her reflections from our two-day international workshop on maximising learning outcomes linked to Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) in primary and secondary education.
As a doctoral researcher working on Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) in French schools, attending this CLIL-focused event was both intellectually enriching and methodologically stimulating. The event brought together researchers, practitioners, and institutional actors engaged in CLIL, creating a space for dialogue that was grounded in research while remaining closely connected to educational realities.
Despite the diversity of perspectives, the different presentations and discussions complemented one another and highlighted recurring themes: the need for conceptual clarity around CLIL, the importance of teacher training, and the role of institutional support in sustaining bilingual education initiatives. These issues resonate strongly with my own doctoral research, which examines how CLIL is implemented and perceived within French primary and secondary schools.
An opening session gave space to learners’ voices through testimonies from primary school pupils, highlighting their everyday multilingual experiences and how they naturally move between languages throughout the school day. Secondary school students from the Canadian School of Paris, coming from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds, also shared their reflections on learning through different languages in their particular school setting. Their accounts allowed participants to reflect on the various forms of multilingual education, and the particularities of CLIL within that domain.
I found the presentations by leading figures in the field to be particularly impactful for my own doctoral research. Professor Do Coyle’s work constitutes a foundational reference in the world of CLIL. Her reflections at the event offered both theoretical depth and practical insight, reminding participants of the importance of maintaining a balance between content learning, language development, and cognition. Listening to her situate CLIL within broader educational and sociolinguistic frameworks encouraged me to revisit and refine certain aspects of my own analytical framework.
Dr Jason Skeet provided a clear overview of the insights contained in his British Council report on the Current landscape of CLIL in primary education in France. His contribution was particularly meaningful for me, as it bridged large-scale research findings with classroom-level realities. I was inspired to follow up with him and discuss new publications, including those produced by the British Council and France Education international, that will directly inform my literature review and future analyses and represent a valuable addition to my doctoral bibliography.
