Thematic-Pattern-Based "Concept + Language Mapping" (CLM): Content and Language Integration in a Transdisciplinary Perspective

This book explores the issue of “integration” in content and language integrated learning (CLIL), and addresses the need for effective content and language integration by proposing the thematic-pattern-based “Concept+Language Mapping” (CLM) approach.

Peichang He explores effective integration of content and language learning during the instruction of content subjects using students’ additional language as the medium of instruction. The volume introduces the contextual background of a large-scale school-university collaboration CLIL research project and builds the conceptual framework of a thematic-pattern-based CLM pedagogy by drawing on the language-based theory of learning (Halliday, 1993), the construct of thematic patterns (Lemke, 1990), and the recent development of genre-based pedagogy (Lin, 2016; Rose & Martin, 2012). The research probes the design of thematic-pattern-based CLM teaching resources and examines the impact of the CLM pedagogy on students’ development of language and content knowledge during their learning of different junior and senior English Medium Instructed subjects. The author enhances the conceptual framework based on the ongoing research findings and the burgeoning literature on translanguaging practice (García & Li, 2014; Lemke & Lin, 2022; Lin, 2019) and proposes a trans-disciplinary plurilingual thematic-pattern-based CLM approach. The book concludes with a discussion on some promising future research orientations including a transdisciplinary plurilingual thematic-pattern-based CLM approach for CLIL sustainability, catering for learner diversity in CLIL, and teacher professional development in thematic-pattern-based CLM practice. The book shows readers the design of CLM materials and activities which are demonstrated through classroom interactions in lessons of different subjects and grades for students of diverse cognitive abilities and linguistic backgrounds.

This insightful volume will be of interest to researchers and trainee teachers exploring pedagogical approaches to CLIL, plurilingual, and transdisciplinary education and will provide pedagogical implications for teachers of both language and content subjects in schools worldwide.

Peichang He is a postdoctoral fellow at The Education University of Hong Kong. She has been a lecturer and teacher educator in TEFL and CLIL and has published in Journal of Immersion and Content-Based Language Education, Language Awareness, System and The Language Learning Journal.