Focus of Assessment
Assessment is one of the most important parts of teaching and learning. In the CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) classroom, assessment has unique challenges because the teacher is not only concerned with content knowledge but also with language ability. This lesson explores the focus of assessment in CLIL, looking at content, language, communication skills, cognitive skills, practical skills, and learner attitudes. It explains how to set assessment criteria, why learners should understand them, and how teachers can make assessment a tool for learning rather than just a way of measuring.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Identify the different focus areas of assessment in CLIL (content, language, and integrated approaches).
- Explain why it is necessary to assess communication, cognitive, and practical skills alongside language and content.
- Recognise how assessment criteria are used to measure progress against learning outcomes.
- Apply examples of ESL-based CLIL assessment in real classrooms.
- Reflect on your own CLIL context and plan balanced assessment strategies for your learners.
- Learning Outcomes
- Why is the Focus of Assessment in CLIL Different?
- The Focus of Assessment: What Am I Addressing?
- To find out what learners know about the subject
- To identify strengths and weaknesses in both content and language
- To provide feedback so learners understand how to improve
- To discover what motivates learners and how they approach tasks
- To monitor progress in thinking skills, practical skills, and strategies for learning
- To check if the teaching and planning have been effective
- To report to colleagues, parents, or education authorities
- To award a qualification or grade at the end of a course
- The Focus of Assessment: Assessing Content
- The Focus of Assessment: Assessing Language
- The Focus of Assessment: Assessing Content and Language Together
- Assessment Criteria in CLIL
- Beyond Content and Language: Other Assessment Focus Areas
- Summary: Focus of Assessment
- Focus of Assessment: Common Questions And Answers
- Focus of Assessment – A Practice Task
- CLIL Reference Resources
Why is the Focus of Assessment in CLIL Different?
In a standard subject classroom, the teacher’s main goal is to check what learners know about the subject. In a general language classroom, the teacher’s main goal is to check what learners can do with the target language.
In CLIL, learners are expected to progress in both areas at the same time. This creates questions:
- Should we test only the subject knowledge (e.g., science concepts)?
- Should we test only the language used (e.g., vocabulary and grammar)?
- Should we test both together?
The answer depends on the programme. In soft CLIL, which is often part of a language course, the focus is more on language. In hard CLIL, which takes place in subject lessons taught through English, the focus is usually on both content and language, sometimes with more weight on content.
ESL Example
Imagine a group of secondary school learners in Mexico studying Geography through English. If they are learning about rivers, the teacher might want to check:
- Can the learners identify rivers on a map? (content focus)
- Can the learners use vocabulary like “source,” “mouth,” and “tributary” correctly? (language focus)
- Can the learners explain in English how rivers shape the land? (integrated focus)
In this way, assessment in CLIL is never simple—it must take into account both strands of learning.
The Focus of Assessment: What Am I Addressing?
Before planning or carrying out assessment in a CLIL classroom, teachers should first stop and ask themselves: “Why am I assessing?” The purpose behind the focus of assessment will guide how it is designed, what criteria are used, and how results are interpreted.
To find out what learners know about the subject
This is the most traditional focus of assessment. Teachers want to check whether students have understood the subject content.
ESL Example: In a Science CLIL lesson on plants, learners may be asked to label the parts of a flower. The focus is not on perfect grammar but on whether they know stamen, pistil, petal, and stem.
To identify strengths and weaknesses in both content and language
Assessment should highlight not only what learners know but also the areas where they need more support. In CLIL, this means looking at both subject understanding and the language used to express it.
ESL Example: In a Geography CLIL class, a student may correctly identify a desert climate but struggle to use comparative adjectives to explain why it is “drier than” or “hotter than” other regions. Assessment here helps the teacher see both strengths (content) and weaknesses (language).
To provide feedback so learners understand how to improve
Assessment is not only about giving marks; it should help learners see how to move forward. Constructive feedback encourages progress in both subject and language learning.
ESL Example: In a History CLIL class, if learners write “The king rule country,” the teacher can provide feedback on the missing verb form (ruled or ruled the country). At the same time, the teacher can praise the correct use of the word king in the right context.
To discover what motivates learners and how they approach tasks
Assessment can reveal much about learner motivation. For example, do students enjoy practical, hands-on tasks? Do they prefer writing, speaking, or problem-solving?
ESL Example: In an Environmental Studies CLIL project, some learners may be very active in group discussions while others prefer to design posters. By observing these choices, the teacher gains insight into learners’ motivation and learning styles.
To monitor progress in thinking skills, practical skills, and strategies for learning
CLIL is not just about language and subject knowledge; it also develops cognitive skills (such as comparing and evaluating), practical skills (such as experiments and projects), and learning-to-learn strategies (such as note-taking or summarising).
ESL Example: In a Maths CLIL lesson, learners may be asked to interpret two graphs. The assessment checks whether they can compare, find patterns, and explain trends in English, which combines subject thinking with language practice.
To check if the teaching and planning have been effective
Assessment also gives feedback to the teacher. If many learners fail to achieve a learning outcome, this may mean the teacher needs to adjust methods or materials.
ESL Example: If learners in a Science CLIL lesson cannot explain the stages of the water cycle, the teacher may realise that the diagrams used were too complex, or the explanation too language-heavy.
To report to colleagues, parents, or education authorities
In most schools, assessment results are not only for learners. Teachers often need to share progress reports with colleagues teaching the same learners, with parents who want to know about their child’s progress, and sometimes with national or local authorities.
ESL Example: A CLIL teacher might report that a student is strong in content knowledge (e.g., understanding scientific processes) but needs targeted support in academic writing.
To award a qualification or grade at the end of a course
In formal settings, assessment also serves to give learners grades, certificates, or qualifications that show their achievement. This can motivate learners to take their progress seriously and gives them a sense of accomplishment.
ESL Example: At the end of a CLIL History unit, learners may be graded not only on factual accuracy about events but also on their ability to present arguments in clear English.
The Focus of Assessment: Assessing Content
When assessing content, the teacher is primarily interested in whether learners have understood, remembered, and can apply the knowledge from the subject area. The accuracy of subject knowledge is more important than the correctness of the English used. Learners may use limited vocabulary or imperfect grammar, but as long as the main idea is clear and factually correct, they meet the criteria.
Why it matters in CLIL
- Ensures learners are actually learning the subject, not just memorising language.
- Builds learners’ confidence, especially in the early stages, because they are rewarded for their knowledge even if their English is not advanced.
- Helps subject teachers keep academic standards consistent.
ESL Classroom Examples
- Science: Learners are asked to explain what happens when water freezes. Even if a learner says, “Water go ice when cold,” the teacher focuses on the fact that the concept is understood.
- Geography: Learners label rivers, mountains, and deserts on a map. The spelling of names may not be perfect, but the accuracy of placing them on the map shows correct content knowledge.
- Maths: Learners solve a probability problem with coloured counters. If they write the answer as “It be seven of twenty,” the teacher accepts it because the mathematical reasoning is correct.
The Focus of Assessment: Assessing Language
When assessing language, the focus of assessment shifts to how learners use English to communicate ideas in the subject area. Teachers look at the use of vocabulary, grammar structures, discourse markers, and functions (such as describing, comparing, or hypothesising). Here, factual accuracy is less important than linguistic accuracy.
Why it matters in CLIL
- Develops learners’ ability to use academic English.
- Ensures learners acquire subject-specific vocabulary (e.g., “evaporation,” “tributary,” “industrial revolution”).
- Helps learners communicate their knowledge clearly, which is important for exams and higher studies.
ESL Classroom Examples
- History: Learners write a short paragraph about a historical event, using the past tense. A correct sentence such as “The king ruled the country in the 15th century” is valued more than factual detail.
- Economics: Learners practise verbs of intention, such as plan, decide, consider, in sentences about starting a small business: “We plan to open a new shop.”
- Art: Learners describe their own artwork using adjectives (colourful, bright, dark) and opinion phrases (I like my painting because…). The emphasis is on expressive language.
The Focus of Assessment: Assessing Content and Language Together
This integrated approach is at the heart of CLIL. Learners must demonstrate understanding of the subject while using appropriate English to explain, discuss, or present their knowledge. Teachers create assessment tasks where both strands are inseparable: learners need content knowledge to complete the task, but they also need language to express it.
Why it matters in CLIL
- Reflects the real purpose of CLIL: learning subject content through language.
- Encourages learners to see language not as a separate subject, but as a tool for learning.
- Develops both academic subject skills and communicative competence at the same time.
ESL Classroom Examples
- Environmental Studies: Learners compare renewable and non-renewable energy sources. They must use technical vocabulary (solar, fossil fuels), sequencing words (first, then, finally), and linking phrases (on the other hand, however).
- ICT: Learners complete a diagram of a computer and explain its functions. For example, “The keyboard is used to type information. The screen shows the results.” Both knowledge and language are essential.
- Science: Learners conduct a simple experiment, such as heating two liquids, and then describe what happened using correct verbs (changed, expanded, evaporated) and logical connectors (because, so, therefore).
Assessment Criteria in CLIL
Assessment criteria are specific statements that explain how a learner’s performance will be judged in relation to a learning outcome. They serve as a bridge between broad learning goals and the practical way teachers measure achievement.
While learning outcomes describe what learners should be able to do, assessment criteria clarify how success will be recognised. In other words:
- Learning outcome: “What should learners achieve?”
- Assessment criteria: “What evidence will show they have achieved it?”
This makes assessment more transparent, consistent, and fair for both teachers and learners.
Example: Science CLIL
- Learning outcome: Learners can explain the stages of the water cycle.
- Assessment criteria:
- Mentions the correct stages (evaporation, condensation, precipitation, collection).
- Uses the stages in the right order.
- Connects the stages with simple linking words (e.g., “first,” “then,” “after that”).
Why Are Assessment Criteria Important in CLIL?
Clarity for Teachers
They provide clear guidance on what to look for, ensuring teachers do not rely on subjective impressions.
Clarity for Learners
When criteria are shared in advance, learners know what is expected and can focus their efforts accordingly.
Fairness and Consistency
All learners are judged against the same standards, making assessment more reliable and transparent.
Balance Between Content and Language
Criteria allow teachers to balance subject knowledge with language demands, rather than overemphasising one at the expense of the other.
ESL Classroom Examples
Art CLIL (Young Learners)
- Learning outcome: Learners can describe their painting.
- Assessment criteria:
- Use at least three adjectives (e.g., “bright,” “dark,” “colourful”).
- Use one opinion phrase (e.g., “I like my picture because…”).
Geography CLIL (Secondary Learners)
- Learning outcome: Learners can describe the features of a river.
- Assessment criteria:
- Correctly name at least three features (e.g., source, mouth, tributary).
- Use prepositions accurately (e.g., “at the source,” “into the sea”).
- Present information in a logical sequence.
History CLIL (Teenagers)
- Learning outcome: Learners can write a short paragraph about an important event.
- Assessment criteria:
- Use past tense verbs correctly in at least three sentences.
- Include two key facts about the event.
- Use at least one linking phrase (e.g., “because,” “so,” “after that”).
ICT CLIL (Young Adults)
- Learning outcome: Learners can explain the function of a computer component.
- Assessment criteria:
- Identify the component accurately (e.g., keyboard, monitor, CPU).
- Use functional vocabulary such as “is used for…” or “helps to…”
- Provide one clear example of its use.
Science CLIL (Primary Learners)
- Learning outcome: Learners can conduct a simple experiment and describe the result.
- Assessment criteria:
- Carry out the experiment safely.
- Use at least three verbs of change (e.g., “melt,” “disappear,” “become”).
- Report the result in one or two clear sentences.
Balancing Content and Language in Assessment Criteria
Teachers must decide how much weight to give to content versus language. For example:
- In a hard CLIL Science lesson, more weight may be given to factual accuracy.
- In a soft CLIL English class using Geography texts, more weight may be given to correct use of vocabulary and grammar.
- In an integrated CLIL task, criteria may equally value both:
- Content: “Learner explains three differences between renewable and non-renewable energy.”
- Language: “Learner uses comparative structures (e.g., ‘cleaner than,’ ‘more expensive than’).”
Beyond Content and Language: Other Assessment Focus Areas
Support can happen before the assessment (preparation and adaptation) or during the assessment (real-time assistance). Below are strategies linked to common learner difficulties, explained with ESL classroom examples.
Communication Skills
CLIL aims to develop learners’ ability to use language in real academic contexts. Teachers may assess whether learners can:
- Respond to questions about subject content.
- Ask for clarification.
- Express agreement or disagreement politely.
- Present ideas in a group discussion.
ESL Example: In a Biology CLIL class, learners discuss the impact of pollution on rivers. A learner might ask, “Can you explain what ‘contamination’ means?” This shows ability to seek clarification.
Cognitive Skills
Learners must also develop higher-order thinking skills such as comparing, classifying, sequencing, and evaluating.
ESL Example: In a Maths CLIL class, learners are asked to compare two graphs and explain the trends using phrases like “increases,” “decreases,” and “stays the same.”
Practical Skills
In subjects like Science, ICT, or PE, learners need to carry out practical tasks. Assessment can focus on how well they perform these.
ESL Example: In a PE CLIL class, learners demonstrate three warm-up exercises while naming the muscles being stretched.
Attitudes to Learning
Motivation, independence, and cooperation are also important. Teachers may assess whether learners can:
- Work systematically.
- Ask for help when necessary.
- Cooperate with classmates.
- Work independently.
ESL Example: In a Group Project CLIL class, the teacher observes whether learners share responsibilities fairly and complete tasks on time.
Summary: Focus of Assessment
- CLIL assessment focuses on content, language, or both, depending on programme goals.
- Teachers should always be clear why they are assessing and what the main purpose is.
- Assessment criteria guide teachers and learners by making expectations clear.
- Beyond content and language, assessment can include communication, cognitive, practical skills, and learner attitudes.
- Transparency is key: learners should know what is being assessed and why.
Focus of Assessment: Common Questions And Answers
Q1. In CLIL, should I correct every language mistake?
No. The focus is on whether learners can use language to communicate subject knowledge. Correct serious errors that block understanding, but do not over-correct.
Q2. How do I balance content and language assessment?
It depends on the subject and aims. For soft CLIL, language may take priority. For hard CLIL, content and language are often integrated. Use clear criteria for both.
Q3. Can younger learners be assessed on cognitive skills?
Yes, but at their level. For example, asking them to classify animals as “farm” or “wild” is a basic cognitive skill. Older learners can be asked to evaluate or make predictions.
Q4. How can I assess practical skills in a language classroom?
Include hands-on tasks. For instance, in a Science CLIL lesson, learners measure water temperature and record results in English. Both the practical action and the language used can be assessed.
Q5. What if learners feel stressed by assessment?
Share the purpose and criteria clearly, use formative assessment (like observation and peer feedback), and show learners how assessment helps them progress.
Focus of Assessment –
A Practice Task
Instructions: Match each focus of assessment (1-7) with the correct classroom example (A–G) . Select your answer from the dropdowns, then click Check Answers.
Focus of Assessment
- A: Content
- B: Language
- C: Content and Language
- D: Communication Skills
- E: Cognitive Skills
- F: Practical Skills
- G: Attitudes to Learning
Classroom Examples
- Learners compare two graphs and explain the trends using words like “increase,” “decrease,” and “stay the same.”
- Learners explain what happens when water freezes.
- Learners cooperate in groups to complete a project on renewable energy.
- Learners label a diagram of a computer and describe the functions of its parts.
- Learners practise using the verbs plan, decide, and consider in sentences.
- Learners demonstrate three warm-up exercises while naming the muscles involved.
- Learners ask questions during a Biology group discussion to clarify meaning.
CLIL Reference Resources
Core Textbooks
- Bentley, K. (2010).The TKT Course: CLIL Module. Cambridge University Press.
- The official preparation book for the TKT CLIL module, with clear explanations, tasks, and practice questions.
- Coyle, D., Hood, P., & Marsh, D. (2010).CLIL: Content and Language Integrated Learning. Cambridge University Press.
- A foundational text explaining the 4Cs Framework and CLIL methodology.
- Mehisto, P., Marsh, D., & Frigols, M. J. (2008).Uncovering CLIL. Macmillan Education.
- Practical strategies and classroom ideas for implementing CLIL in different contexts.
Online Resources
Cambridge English Teaching Framework – CLIL Resources
- Free resources, articles, and sample activities for teachers preparing for TKT CLIL.
- Articles, interviews, and case studies about CLIL from teachers around the world.
TeachingEnglish (British Council) – CLIL Resources
- Articles and lesson ideas for teachers using CLIL in ESL/EFL classrooms.
