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Implementing CLIL method as a tool for motivation of students with educational difficulties
Start date: Dec 1, 2014, End date: Nov 30, 2015 PROJECT  FINISHED 

Our school provides education in the field of business and services in Komarno region, which faces high unemployment rate, especially among recent graduates and working age population. One of the reasons is lack of foreign language skills and the ability to respond flexibly to rapidly changing labor market needs. The global crisis and its social and economic impacts have significantly marked the graduates` ability to be placed in the labor market. The number of students who dropped out of secondary education, have been increased. Many of them come from a disadvantaged environment, or the marginalized Roma communities. These factors are among the causes of their poor educational results, as well as increased risk of dropouts. They lack the necessary skills and competences required by the labor market. These are the reasons which we considered the most important in order to make the necessary changes in the organization of teaching and learning of students, development of new competences and skills and the application of efficient teaching methods and tools. We aim to enable students who come from socially and economically disadvantaged environment or belong to marginalized Roma communities with low level of foreign language competence to acquire and develop skills and competences in English language to help them face challenges and needs of a rapidly changing labor market . For this reason we have focused on the implementation of CLIL method in profile subjects such as economics, business administration and banking-seminar in: business academy and business and information services - international trade relations. Through CLIL method, the level of English language has been improved. Students are able to acquire business terminology and the ability to fluently communicate in English in their future professions such as member of diplomatic staff, sales representative, manager, entrepreneur, lecturer, marketing staff, sales staff and many others. In this project, we decided to attend a two-week CLIL course including Language Development from October 12 to October 23 in 2015 in ADC College North London. The course was attended by two teachers of vocational subjects and one English language teacher. All three have experience in implementing CLIL method, through the project of the Department of Linguistics and Intercultural Studies, Faculty of Education University of Constantine the Philosopher called CA-CLIL research and its effectiveness in teacher education at secondary vocational schools. They were also members of multilateral Leonardo da Vinci and Comenius teams. Ing.Zuzana Varga Podleiszek was involved in Junior Achievement program - a program aimed at developing pupils' entrepreneurial skills to succeed in business. Both teachers of vocational subjects are holders of certificates of the state language examination in English language which verify their level of English. In the past they taught English language in our school. All three teachers cooperate in the preparation of teaching materials. Teachers of vocational subjects are responsible for the contents and the teacher of English language for grammatical and lexical accuracy. During the project we organized 52 CLIL lessons, English language training and vocabulary consolidation. Students filled out a short questionnaire after each lesson, where they expressed their opinion on the lesson. Teachers of vocational subjects evaluated 50 employers` questionnaires in the region of Komarno and English teacher pupil evaluated 102 students` questionnaires. Team members attended 38 peer observation lessons, organized two lessons for primary schools and four lessons for other teachers of the school where they showed how to teach in a CLIL class. Each lesson has been thoroughly analyzed and conclusions are used for further improvement of work, methods and teaching materials. In September 2015 within the framework of the European Day of Languages the team members organized playful CLIL lessons. In October, members of the team attended a two-week course in ADC College and in November they organized a translation contest, lessons for primary schools and lessons for other teachers of the school. They created a project website and FB page www.clil7.webnode.sk CLIL- výu?bové materiály. The materials are shared in other teachers' groups e.g. SCOOP.IT. Useful experience with CLIL method was published in teachers magazines and local media. All team members have been participating in eTwinning projects focusing on CLIL. Based on the analysis of questionnaires, the experience of the course and the feedback from students, other teachers` observations and parents` opinions it has been proved that the level of the foreign language skills of pupils has been significantly improved alongside with their motivation to learn, because CLIL lessons meet their needs in terms of future employment. For this reason, we continue implementing the CLIL method in other vocational subjects.
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