Exploring the Potential of CLIL: Focusing on Local Culture

This article examines Korean college students general perspectives of content and language integrated learning class situating local culture and facilitating factors that enhance their increase of content knowledge and language skills through the course. This longitudinal study employed a classroom-based qualitative, mixed method research design. The data were drawn from before- and after- course survey questionnaires, in-depth semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and video recordings of students group presentation. Overall, the findings have shown that students achieved considerably the dual goals: language and content. What is more, students overall got motivated from experiencing the content and language integrated learning class. The interview data pointed to three main contributing factors playing crucial role for enhancing students content knowledge and language skills: a content-driven approach; communication practice through interactive class; and cognitive engagement process. The CLIL class enabled the students to dynamically interact with their peers, construct their own understanding of content knowledge, and enhance their content-related language ability in learning process. This study suggests that adopting CLIL approach situating local culture offers rich potential for broadening and deepening knowledge of their own culture and language skills.