Impact of Integrating Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) For Sri Lankan ESL Students at Tertiary Level (With Special Reference to Reading Skills)

Abstract

Keppetigoda and Chandradasa (2015) highlighted that the theoretical framework of bilingual education is the Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), a new approach in language education as students learn both target language and content in target language (Cross, 2014). However, majority of the undergraduates are exposed to education totally in an environment where L2 is used after their learning in monolingual stream in L1 (Sinhala and Tamil) and bilingual stream (only a few subjects are taught in L2) at schools. To address this issue, the universities conduct compulsory ESL courses for the first year students. Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology too conducts an ESL course which needs a revision of the existing syllabus. The researcher introduces CLIL method to upgrade the existing syllabus. Thus this study examines the impact of implementation of Content and Language Integrated Learning for Sri Lankan ESL students at tertiary level with special reference to reading skills. Two hypotheses were identified; CLIL group performs better than ordinary ESL group in terms of reading skills and application of CLIL methods in reading comprehension at tertiary level increases students’ ability to use reading skills strategies. The sample consists of two groups: experimental and controlled and they are given a pre-test. After weeks of teaching the groups are exposed to a post test. Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategies Inventory by Mokhtari and Reichard (2002) is employed to examine the use of comprehension strategies by students. The findings are analyzed through SPSS. The research findings show the degree of improvement in reading skills of the sample and their metacognitive awareness after being exposed to CLIL. The study further provides factors to be investigated in future research in order to enhance English language competency of ESL students in Sri Lankan Universities.