CLILing environmentally to develop students’ productive skills

Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) and interdisciplinarity go hand in hand in foreign language classrooms because language becomes the tool of communication, collaboration, expression and creativity in diverse contexts, addressing numerous topics and learners’ interests. By using a foreign language, learners are able to learn about current issues, act as global citizens and participate in real or simulated social, cultural or political events. To that end, the paper focuses on CLIL lessons about environmental issues, and esp. the issue of energy, through the collaboration of language and subject teachers. More specifically, it describes the practices implemented at the 2nd Model Senior High School of Thessaloniki during the school year 2021-2022 by the teachers of English language, Modern Greek Language, Chemistry and Math. By being exposed to a lot of relevant authentic material, and by using digital content and tools and alternative assessment practices, learners simulate real-life events, presenting, analyzing, discussing and writing about the issue of energy and climate change. By doing so, they develop a lot of language and soft skills, and perform as active citizens.