Page 6 - CLIL MAGAZINE JESSICA TOBON GARCIA

Exploring the CLIL Approach

Explanation of the 4Cs-Framework (Content,
cognition, communication, and culture)

Coyle's (1999, 2006) 4C (Content, Cognition, Communication and Culture) framework
offers a solid theoretical and methodological foundation for planning CLIL (Content and
Language Integrated Learning) lessons and building materials, due to its integrative
nature. This framework is based on the following principles:
Content: Content is not only about acquiring knowledge and skills, but also about
students creating their own knowledge and understanding, and developing skills
(personalized learning).
Cognition: Content is related to learning and thinking (cognition). To allow students to
create their own interpretation of the content, it must be analyzed according to their
linguistic demands; Thought processes (cognition) must also be analyzed in terms of
their linguistic demands.
Communication: It is necessary to learn a language that is related to the learning context,
learn through that language, reconstruct the content and its related cognitive processes.
This language must be transparent and accessible; Interaction in the learning context is
essential for learning. This has implications when the learning context operates through
a foreign language.

Culture: The relationship between cultures and languages is complex. Intercultural
awareness is fundamental for CLIL. Its legitimate place is in the core of CLIL.
The aim is to provide CLIL teachers and textbook writers with flexible tools and
recommendations to develop quality materials based on the 4C framework, ensuring
quality and accountability in CLIL teaching and learning.