What Impact Does A Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) Approach Have on Vocabulary Acquisition?

Abstract

This paper aims to investigate the efficacy of a CLIL-focused approach on vocabulary acquisition in a 2nd year college photography course taught entirely in English. In the first year the course was taught, many students reported difficulties with the specific vocabulary related to photography, a lot of which falls outside the top 2,000 words in the General Services List (West, 1958). Therefore, in the second year, a dedicated CLIL approach was adopted and implemented. Students (n=24) were given a vocabulary quiz on the first day of class and the same quiz on the last day of class. Results clearly indicated that a CLIL-focused approach to teaching vocabulary is extremely effective.