Materials Selection and Adaptation

CLIL is a way of teaching where students learn a subject and a new language at the same time. Instead of having separate lessons for language and subjects, CLIL combines them so students can build knowledge in both areas together. As CLIL has to meet both subject and language goals, choosing the right materials is very important. In this lesson, we will look at how to select and adapt CLIL materials so they are clear, interesting, and effective for your students.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

Understand how to select appropriate CLIL materials that match subject goals and language needs.
Identify ways to adapt materials to make them accessible for learners.
Apply strategies to add visual, linguistic, and task-based support to materials.
Evaluate materials using a clear CLIL checklist.
Create engaging, motivating activities that encourage content learning and language development.

CLIL Lesson 09 – Materials Selection and Adaptation

Differences Between ELT and CLIL Materials

When planning CLIL lessons, teachers may work with different kinds of materials. Each type has its own purpose, strengths, and challenges. Understanding these differences will help you choose the most suitable resources for your class.

ELT Coursebooks

ELT coursebooks are designed mainly for teaching English as a foreign or second language. They usually introduce a limited number of new words at a time, often around 8–10 vocabulary items per lesson. The language is carefully graded, meaning it progresses step by step so learners are not overwhelmed.

These books are built around a grammar syllabus or language functions such as describing daily routines or asking for directions. The topics are chosen mainly to support grammar practice rather than to teach subject knowledge.

Example:
A reading passage about the Stone Age that helps students practice the past tense rather than develop historical understanding.

Native Speaker Coursebooks

These books are made for students who already speak the target language as their first language. They contain a wide range of complex vocabulary and use language that is very close to native-level texts. The content is usually connected to a national curriculum, making it rich in detail and academically challenging.

While these materials provide authentic subject content, they can be difficult for ESL learners because there is little or no language support included.

Example:
A detailed history text from a UK school curriculum with complex sentences and advanced terms.

Instructions/Procedure

Instructions or procedure texts describe a series of steps to complete a task or process. These texts often use imperative forms and sequencing words like first, next, and finally.

Example in CLIL:
In a chemistry lesson, students follow written steps to conduct an experiment, such as mixing solutions or heating a substance.

CLIL Coursebooks

CLIL coursebooks are created specifically for teaching both content and language together. They include subject-specific skills, such as interpreting graphs, analyzing data, or understanding historical evidence. The language is adapted to help ESL learners, with extra support like glossaries, word banks, diagrams, and sentence starters.

These books are designed to build both subject knowledge and language skills in a balanced way.

Example:
A science lesson that teaches the life cycle of a plant, using clear diagrams, highlighted vocabulary, and guided questions to support understanding.

Key Concepts for Selecting CLIL Materials

When selecting CLIL materials for CLIL lessons, teachers need to ensure that the resources serve both subject learning and language learning. A helpful framework for this is the 4Cs of CLIL: Content, Communication, Cognition, and Culture. These four elements work together to guide you in choosing or adapting materials that meet the unique needs of your learners.

Content – Building Subject Knowledge

The first priority in CLIL is subject learning. Materials should present clear, accurate information about the topic, just like in a regular subject classroom. This ensures students are not just practicing language, but also gaining real knowledge they can apply in other areas of study.

When reviewing materials, ask:

Does the content match the curriculum goals for the subject?
Is it suitable for the students’ age group and academic level?
Are there visuals or clear explanations to help learners understand complex ideas?

Examples in an ESL Classroom:

A diagram of the water cycle with labels like evaporation, condensation, and precipitation to teach key science concepts.
A timeline showing major events in history, such as important dates in ancient civilizations.
A map with symbols to help explain geographical features like rivers, mountains, and climate zones.

Teaching Tip:
Break down difficult content into smaller chunks. Use visuals, bullet points, or step-by-step guides so students are not overwhelmed by large amounts of information.

Communication – Using Language to Learn

In CLIL, language is not just something students study; it is the tool they use to learn and express ideas. Good materials provide plenty of opportunities for students to practice listening, speaking, reading, and writing about the subject.

When selecting materials, consider:

Are there chances for active communication, such as group discussions or pair work?
Does the material include sentence frames, key phrases, or guiding questions to support students as they speak or write?
Are there listening and reading tasks that build both comprehension and subject understanding?

Examples in an ESL Classroom:

Pair discussions using sentence starters like:
- “The water evaporates because…”
- “This graph shows that…”
A worksheet with fill-in-the-blank explanations to describe the steps of photosynthesis.
Group presentations where students explain their findings from a science experiment using clear language support.

Teaching Tip:
Pre-teach key subject vocabulary before starting a lesson. Give students a word bank or glossary so they can refer to it during activities.

Cognition – Developing Thinking Skills

Cognition refers to the thinking processes students use to understand and apply knowledge. In CLIL, students are not only learning facts but also practicing critical and creative thinking skills. Materials should encourage learners to go beyond memorizing information and instead analyze, compare, classify, and problem-solve.

When checking materials, ask:

Does the activity challenge students to think deeply, rather than just repeat information?
Are there tasks that help students make connections between ideas?
Is there progression from simple thinking (like remembering) to more complex skills (like evaluating or creating)?

Examples in an ESL Classroom:

Classifying animals into vertebrates and invertebrates using a chart.
Analyzing data from a bar graph to draw conclusions about climate change.
Debating an environmental issue, using evidence from a reading text to support arguments.
Designing an experiment to test a hypothesis, such as how plants grow under different conditions.

Teaching Tip:
Use Bloom’s Taxonomy to guide task design. Start with lower-order thinking skills like remembering and understanding, then gradually move toward higher-order skills like evaluating and creating.

Culture – Connecting Learning to the Real World

Culture in CLIL goes beyond learning about other countries. It involves helping students see connections between their own culture and the wider world, encouraging them to become global citizens. Materials should include cultural references that make learning meaningful and relatable.

When selecting materials, think about:

Does the content include examples from the students’ own culture to build familiarity?
Does it introduce new perspectives to broaden their worldview?
Are there opportunities for students to compare and reflect on cultural differences?

Examples in an ESL Classroom:

Comparing local festivals with celebrations in other countries.
Discussing how geography affects lifestyles, such as comparing farming practices in two different regions.
Reading case studies about global environmental issues, then brainstorming ways students can take action in their own communities.

Teaching Tip:
Include activities that allow students to share personal experiences. This not only builds engagement but also helps them connect new knowledge to their own lives.

Checklist for Evaluating CLIL Materials

Choosing the right CLIL materials is one of the most important steps in lesson planning. The materials you select will shape not only what students learn but also how they learn. Good materials should balance subject knowledge and language support, while also keeping students motivated and engaged. When reviewing a textbook, worksheet, video, or online resource, use the following detailed checklist to guide your decisions.

Suitability for Age and Language Level

The material must match both the age group and the language proficiency of your learners. If the content is too complex, students will feel overwhelmed. If it is too simple, they may lose interest and fail to progress.

Questions to ask:

Are the topics appropriate for students’ age, interests, and maturity?
Is the language at a level they can understand, or does it need to be simplified?
Does the material avoid cultural references or examples that might confuse or upset students?
Are there opportunities for scaffolding to help students reach a higher level of understanding?

Example in an ESL Classroom:
A worksheet on the solar system might be perfect for 10-year-olds but too simplistic for teenagers. For younger learners, include pictures and short sentences, such as “The Earth goes around the sun.” For older learners, add more challenging tasks, like writing a short explanation of how gravity affects planetary movement.

Alignment with Learning Outcomes

Every CLIL lesson should have clear learning outcomes for both the subject and the language. The material must directly support these goals, not just provide interesting facts or activities.

Questions to ask:

Does this material help students achieve the content objectives of the lesson?
Does it also help develop the language skills needed to express subject knowledge?
Are the tasks and activities linked to what you expect students to know and do by the end of the lesson?

Example in an ESL Classroom:
If the goal of a geography lesson is for students to describe climate zones, a suitable resource might include maps with climate labels, plus sentence starters like:

“The desert climate is hot and dry.”
“The tropical climate has a lot of rain.”
A material that only provides a list of country names without descriptive language would not meet the learning outcome.

Language Support and Scaffolding

Many CLIL subjects involve specialized academic vocabulary and complex concepts. CLIL Materials should include built-in language support to help learners understand and use new terms confidently.

Questions to ask:

Does the material provide key vocabulary lists, glossaries, or definitions?
Are there sentence frames or language models to guide speaking and writing?
Does it include visual support like labels, diagrams, or charts?
Are there clear instructions, and are they written in simple, direct language?

Example in an ESL Classroom:
In a science lesson about the water cycle:

Provide a word bank with key terms: evaporation, condensation, precipitation.
Include a diagram with each step clearly labeled.
Offer a sentence frame for speaking practice:
- “Water evaporates when the sun heats it.”
- “Condensation happens when water vapor cools.”

Variety of Skills and Interactions

Good CLIL materials engage students in different language skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking) and different types of interaction. A mix of activities keeps lessons lively and addresses diverse learning preferences.

Questions to ask:

Does the material include a balance of receptive skills (listening, reading) and productive skills (speaking, writing)?
Are there activities that encourage pair work, group work, and individual work?
Does it allow for hands-on learning, such as experiments or creative projects?
Are there tasks that develop critical thinking and problem-solving?

Example in an ESL Classroom:
A CLIL lesson on the water cycle might include:

Listening: Watch a short video explaining evaporation and condensation.
Speaking: Discuss the process with a partner using provided sentence starters.
Reading: Read a simplified text about the water cycle.
Writing: Complete a cause-and-effect chart to summarize the stages.

Motivation and Visual Appeal

Students learn best when they are interested and motivated. Visually appealing materials capture attention and make abstract ideas easier to understand.

Questions to ask:

Does the material use color, images, diagrams, and clear layout to engage students?
Is there an element of fun or discovery, such as puzzles, games, or real-world problems to solve?
Are the topics relevant to students’ lives, connecting to their experiences and interests?
Does the design avoid clutter and unnecessary distractions?

Example in an ESL Classroom:

A boring black-and-white worksheet on food chains may not excite younger learners.
Adding colorful pictures of animals and using a flowchart to show how energy moves through a food chain makes the concept both clearer and more appealing.

Progression and Challenge

CLIL lessons should help students build knowledge step by step, gradually increasing both content complexity and language demands. This process is known as progression. Good materials ensure that learners are supported as they move from simple to more challenging tasks.

Questions to ask:

Does the material start with basic concepts and vocabulary before moving to advanced ones?
Are there activities that scaffold learning, such as guided practice leading to independent work?
Does the difficulty level increase gradually, so students stay challenged but not frustrated?
Are extension activities available for faster learners who need more challenge?

Example in an ESL Classroom:
A history unit might start with a simple timeline of major events, then move to reading short texts about those events, and finally progress to writing a paragraph analyzing the causes and effects of a historical conflict.

Examples of Subject Skills in CLIL

A genre-based approach helps teachers meeting language demand by guiding students through the process of understanding and producing specific text types. This approach works in five stages:

Science

In science lessons, students develop skills such as observing, hypothesizing, experimenting, recording results, and explaining phenomena. They also learn to use scientific vocabulary accurately. An example activity in an ESL class could involve students conducting a simple experiment on evaporation, such as observing water evaporate from a shallow dish over time. Afterwards, they write a short report using target language like “evaporates,” “temperature,” and “rate of change,” practicing both scientific explanation and written English.

History

History lessons help students read for comprehension, interpret events, analyze sources, sequence information, and use past tense language correctly. In an ESL context, students might create a timeline of a historical figure’s life, describe key events using past tense verbs, and discuss the significance of these events in small groups. This activity encourages storytelling, narrative skills, and the use of comparative language.

Geography

Geography lessons focus on describing spatial patterns, exploring interdependence, using descriptive language, and comparing and contrasting phenomena. In an ESL classroom, students could label a map with climate zones, describe the weather and natural resources of each zone, and discuss how climate affects farming or daily life. They would practice comparative adjectives, linking words, and vocabulary related to geography and the environment.

Mathematics

Mathematics develops problem-solving, data interpretation, pattern recognition, logical thinking, and the use of precise language. For ESL learners, an activity might involve surveying classmates on favorite fruits or study habits, then creating a bar chart or line graph. Students describe the data, make comparisons, and draw simple conclusions using phrases like “more than,” “less than,” and “the majority of,” integrating mathematical reasoning with language practice.

Art

Art lessons cultivate observation, creative expression, describing processes, reflecting on meaning, and using descriptive adjectives. In an ESL class, students might draw the stages of plant growth, label each stage, and write sentences describing what happens at each stage. They can then share their drawings with partners and practice giving and responding to descriptive feedback, combining visual creativity with language development.

Adapting CLIL Materials for ESL Learners

Even well-designed CLIL materials often need to be adapted for the specific needs of your students. Adaptation helps make the content more accessible without reducing the academic challenge.

Add Visual Support

Questions to ask:

Are the topics appropriate for students’ age, interests, and maturity?
Is the language at a level they can understand, or does it need to be simplified?
Does the material avoid cultural references or examples that might confuse or upset students?
Are there opportunities for scaffolding to help students reach a higher level of understanding?

Simplify Language

Every CLIL lesson should have clear learning outcomes for both the subject and the language. The material must directly support these goals, not just provide interesting facts or activities.

Questions to ask:

Does this material help students achieve the content objectives of the lesson?
Does it also help develop the language skills needed to express subject knowledge?
Are the tasks and activities linked to what you expect students to know and do by the end of the lesson?

“The desert climate is hot and dry.”
“The tropical climate has a lot of rain.”
A material that only provides a list of country names without descriptive language would not meet the learning outcome.

Highlight Key Vocabulary

Questions to ask:

Does the material provide key vocabulary lists, glossaries, or definitions?
Are there sentence frames or language models to guide speaking and writing?
Does it include visual support like labels, diagrams, or charts?
Are there clear instructions, and are they written in simple, direct language?

Example in an ESL Classroom:
In a science lesson about the water cycle:

Provide a word bank with key terms: evaporation, condensation, precipitation.
Include a diagram with each step clearly labeled.
Offer a sentence frame for speaking practice:
- “Water evaporates when the sun heats it.”
- “Condensation happens when water vapor cools.”

Remove Unnecessary Details

Questions to ask:

Does the material include a balance of receptive skills (listening, reading) and productive skills (speaking, writing)?
Are there activities that encourage pair work, group work, and individual work?
Does it allow for hands-on learning, such as experiments or creative projects?
Are there tasks that develop critical thinking and problem-solving?

Example in an ESL Classroom:
A CLIL lesson on the water cycle might include:

Listening: Watch a short video explaining evaporation and condensation.
Speaking: Discuss the process with a partner using provided sentence starters.
Reading: Read a simplified text about the water cycle.
Writing: Complete a cause-and-effect chart to summarize the stages.

Adapt Tasks to Focus on Content

Students learn best when they are interested and motivated. Visually appealing materials capture attention and make abstract ideas easier to understand.

Questions to ask:

Does the material use color, images, diagrams, and clear layout to engage students?
Is there an element of fun or discovery, such as puzzles, games, or real-world problems to solve?
Are the topics relevant to students’ lives, connecting to their experiences and interests?
Does the design avoid clutter and unnecessary distractions?

Example in an ESL Classroom:

A boring black-and-white worksheet on food chains may not excite younger learners.
Adding colorful pictures of animals and using a flowchart to show how energy moves through a food chain makes the concept both clearer and more appealing.

Reflection: Teacher Considerations

When adapting materials, teachers often face challenges. Here are some common views:

Some teachers find online resources more engaging than printed books.
Adapting native speaker materials can be time-consuming.
Many prefer creating their own worksheets tailored to their students.
Students enjoy CLIL materials that are visual and interactive, with games and animations.

Tip: Start small by adapting just one element — such as simplifying the language or adding a diagram — rather than rewriting the entire lesson.

Summary: CLIL Materials

CLIL materials are different from ELT materials because they focus on subject content first, then language support.
The 4Cs of CLIL (Content, Communication, Cognition, Culture) guide material selection.
Good CLIL materials are age-appropriate, motivating, and progressive.
Adapt materials by:
- Adding visuals
- Simplifying language
- Highlighting key vocabulary
- Removing unnecessary details
- Shifting tasks to focus on subject learning
Always use a checklist to evaluate whether your materials meet CLIL goals.

CLIL Materials: Common Questions And Answers

Q1. What is the main difference between CLIL and regular ELT materials?
CLIL materials focus on teaching subject content (like science or history) through a second language, while ELT materials mainly focus on grammar and general language skills.

Q2. How can I make a difficult text easier for my students?
Paraphrase long sentences, highlight key words, and include diagrams or visuals to support understanding.

Q3. Should I create my own CLIL materials or use textbooks?
Both approaches work well. Start with textbooks or online resources, then adapt or supplement them to fit your students’ needs.

Q4. What if my students have very low language levels?
Use bilingual word banks, simplified instructions, and hands-on activities to make the content more accessible.

Q5. How do I know if a CLIL material is effective?
If students can understand the content, use the target language to communicate, and show progress in both subject knowledge and language, the material is effective.

CLIL Materials – A Practice Task

For questions 1–7, match each learner’s comment (1-7) with the most suitable way to adapt CLIL materials (A-F).

Ways to Adapt CLIL Materials

A. Use visuals or visual organisers
B. Simplify or shorten the text
C. Add a diagram
D. Remove unnecessary details
E. Highlight key content vocabulary
F. Add word banks or glossaries
G. Paraphrase words

Learner’s Comment

(1) “I understand the picture which shows us how plastic is made and I’ve tried to guess the words in the explanation but I just can’t understand them.”

(2) “There are so many words in this report. How can we know which are the most important ones to learn?”

(3) “We’ve tried to work out what this process is about but there’s nothing to help us understand it.”

(4) “We need to learn this new vocabulary about alternative energy but we just can’t look up all the meanings in the lesson.”

(5) “It’s impossible to imagine what’s happening inside the volcano.”

(6) “I could understand most of the homework worksheet about the PE equipment but I had to keep looking at it for the names of the PE equipment which we have to use in the gym.”

(7) “I took so long to read the business article because the writer had added examples of so many different types of companies but many of them were the same.”

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.

CLIL Magazine

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.

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