179 © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2015
M. Juan-Garau, J. Salazar-Noguera (eds.), Content-based Language Learning
in Multilingual Educational Environments, Educational Linguistics 23,
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-11496-5_11
Lexico-Grammatical Development
in Secondary Education CLIL Learners
Maria Juan-Garau, José Igor Prieto-Arranz, and Joana Salazar-Noguera
1 Introduction
Research on the impact of immersion programmes on second language acquisition
has generally shown benefits in comprehension and fluency, while lexico-grammatical
accuracy has traditionally been seen to lag behind (e.g. Lyster 2007). This has led
scholars to postulate the need for more focus on form in immersion and semi-
immersion settings (e.g. Pérez-Vidal 2007).
However, the case has also been presented for content and language integrated
learning (CLIL) approaches as beneficial learning contexts for the learner to acquire
and eventually master lexico-grammatical competence in the target language (TL).
After all, CLIL aims at fostering the learner’s overall TL competence (Dalton-Puffer
2008). Thus, as opposed to traditional Focus-on-Form formal instruction (FI), CLIL
has been said to present vocabulary and grammar in “authentic”, “specific” contexts
through “social activities in which students interactively construct their knowledge
of language use and practices” (Wilhelmer 2008: 20–21).
This has led to claims that CLIL students cognitively process their L2 at a deeper,
more intense level (Aliaga 2008). And there are even those who want to see in this
approach the long-sought tool with which to bridge the gap between Krashen’s
(1987) desirable “acquisition” and more limited “learning”. Thus, for Coyle et al.,
successfully implemented CLIL involves “the subtle overlap between language
learning (intentional) and language acquisition (incidental)” (2010: 11), which
could lead to the effective internalisation of morphosyntactic structures.
M. Juan-Garau (*)•J.I.Prieto-Arranz•J.Salazar-Noguera
Departament de Filologia Espanyola, Moderna i Clàssica, Universitat de les
IllesBalears(UIB),Ctra.ValldemossaKm.7.5,07122,PalmadeMallorca,Spain
e-mail: maria.juan@uib.eu
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