Document type
ArticleVersion
Accepted versionPublication date
All rights reserved
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/2445/163514
Vocabulary learning at primary school: comparing EFL and CLIL
Journal Title
Director/Tutor
Additional contribution
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Abstract
Comparative studies on CLIL (Content Language Integrated Learning) often show an advantage in favor of CLIL vs. non-CLIL students. However, oftentimes studies are difficult to interpret because the hours of instruction between the groups under comparison tend to be quite different. This study focuses on a single group of students (n=22) aged 8 who were exposed to EFL instruction in the Fall term and to CLIL instruction (Science) in the Winter term. The major objectives are to analyse the vocabulary in the materials that were used in class and to examine gains in productive lexical knowledge. Results show that students were exposed to a greater amount of words and to more abstract and technical vocabulary in the CLIL materials and that they made significant progress in vocabulary learning in both contexts. The study also reveals that learning English through Science proved to be a more challenging experience than learning the foreign language in the English class.
Related resource
Citation
Citation
TRAGANT MESTRES, Elsa, et al. Vocabulary learning at primary school: comparing EFL and CLIL. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism. 2015. Vol. 19, num. 5, pags. 579-591. ISSN 1367-0050. [consulted: 12 of October of 2026]. Available at: https://hdl.handle.net/2445/163514