In schools, learning in a holistic and coherent manner is largely prevented by a fragmented curriculum. Cross-curricular integration connects knowledge of different subjects and enables a more integrated teaching approach. In this thesis, I explore the possibilities of cross-curricular integration of English and Sociology using a CLIL approach, exemplified by the topic of the European Union. Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), is an appropriate approach to combine the teaching of a foreign language with a non-language subject. CLIL does not mean teaching a subject in a foreign language. The emphasis lies equally on content and on language learning. I have been testing cross-curricular teaching of English and Sociology with creating a cross-curricular module about the European Union and putting it into practice. In the theoretical part of the paper, I present CLIL in relation to other similar approaches to teaching, explore its presence in the Slovenian school context, and examine the possibilities of cross-curricular integration of English and Sociology based on the subjects’ syllabuses. Additionally, I present an overview of youth political participation on both Slovenian and European level, an analysis of the presence of the topic of the European Union in the school curriculum, and additional materials and educational activities related to the EU. In the empirical part of the paper, I present, firstly, the results of a survey for secondary school teachers of English and Sociology, in which I have researched how much and around which topics they cooperate, secondly, the results of a survey for secondary school students about their knowledge and attitudes towards the EU, and thirdly, the design, performance and evaluation of the cross-curricular CLIL module on the EU.
|
