Learning english along with academic content, one step at a time
The university is preparing to internationalize its curriculum. Thanks to the Ministerial Project for the Internationalization of Undergraduate Studies at UC Chile, a diploma course in Content and Language Integrated Learning Methodology was offered in association with Dalhousie University.
photo_camera The Content and Foreign Language Integrated Learning Methodology is an approach for learning content through a language (such as English). (Photography: IStock)
At UC Chile, the vast majority of undergraduate classes are taught in Spanish.
But, in order to internationalize the curriculum, it is key to start offering courses in English.
To do so, faculty must adapt their teaching methodology and assessment practices so that they can teach their course content and English at the same time, in contexts where Spanish is the local language.
The Content and Foreign Language Integrated Learning Methodology is an approach for learning content through a language (such as English). This methodology is a way of using English as a medium of instruction and allows teaching a subject and learning a language at the same time.
That is why it is so relevant that, for the first time, a program has been carried out to train UC Chile faculty and professionals in the Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) methodology in the context of English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI).
The program was conducted at UC Chile together with the Faculty of Open Learning & Career Development of Dalhousie University (Canada).
In total, five faculty members, and two staff members, received the “Professional Development Certificate in EMI and CLIL” diploma, which consists of 90 hours divided into four courses.
The participants learned how to adapt their teaching methodology and assessment practices to teach the content of their courses and English at the same time, in contexts where Spanish is the local language.
In addition, seven professionals completed the “Leadership of Internationalization of the Curriculum Initiatives” course (20 hours), for the implementation of the theoretical and teaching principles that drive aspects of curriculum internationalization such as instruction through English, internationalization at home, and teaching and learning in diverse classrooms. This course was carried out together with the CLIL/EMI certificate.
All this was possible thanks to an inter-institutional effort between different central units of the University Leadership:
- Office of the Provost for Institutional Management: English UC Chile
- Office of the Vice President of Academic Affairs: Office of Academic Programs
- Office of the Vice President of International Affairs: Office of Global Education and Office of Global Mobility
- Office of the Vice President for Finance: Office of Human Resources
All about CLIL and EMI
Jennifer MacDonald—Director of English Language Studies and University Access at Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Open Learning & Career Development—managed the EMI and CLIL diploma.
As she explained, “EMI goes hand in hand with CLIL methodology. It is a way of integrating content and foreign language teaching to help bring more advanced learning.”
This methodology “is popular for supporting internationalization initiatives” at universities and contributes “to bringing in international students, scholars and staff by raising the international profile of all university participants.”
According to MacDonald, this methodology will be useful when a professor invites international faculty who do not speak Spanish to a module of their class, so that their presentation is subtitled in Spanish and students can carry out activities in both Spanish and English.
Professor MacDonald elaborates on the importance of the course for the UC Chile community and how it will contribute to students’ global competencies in this interview (in Spanish).
Increasing Internationalization
These two programs expand the internationalization of UC Chile, since this is an aspect that is raised in the Development Plan 2020-2025, and in the Institutional Improvement Plan (PMI) 1966.
The objective is to position a comprehensive model of internationalization for the UC Chile community, through “internationalization at home.”
Fernando Purcell, President of Academic Affairs, explained that these two certifications “are an important contribution to the objectives that our university has set to continue promoting internationalization in the different areas of our work.”
“The knowledge acquired by our professionals, in terms of internationalization of curricula, can boost the potential attraction of international talent that can come to the UC Chile to develop their studies, teaching or research and have a proper reception in the university community.”
The Vice President of International Affairs, Lilian Ferrer, emphasized that these mechanisms allow “promoting international teaching in the classroom through innovative teaching-learning methodologies and represent an opportunity to contribute to the development of global competencies, where the use of the English language in university classrooms is a key element, which helps to develop a perspective that holds a local meaning with a global vision.
Ferrer also highlighted the work conducted between strategic partners such as UC Chile and Dalhousie University:
“The synergy and cooperation that was achieved between both universities, in pursuit of a common goal such as internationalization, reflects very well what we seek as Office of the Vice President and as an institution. It is through international collaboration that the university can expand academic opportunities in education, creation and impact,” she said.
This is the first time a training program of this style has taken place at UC Chile, together with an international partner, since the creation of the Office of the Vice President of International Affairs in 2020.
Courses in 2023
2023 will see the first courses taught with this methodology, and students will be able to see its application in practical terms. They will include:
- “Introduction to Nanotechnology,” an elective course of the Faculty of Chemistry & Pharmacy taught by María Belén Monserrat.
- “Anthropology of Europe,” an elective course at the UC Chile Institute of Sociology, taught by Lili Almasi-Szabó.
- An elective course on solar cells, at the UC Chile Faculty of Chemistry & Pharmacy, taught by Professor Felipe Ángel Figueroa.
- A section of the required course “Nursing Care of Childhood and Adolescence”, taught by Paola Caba Mella, from the UC Chile School of Nursing, will also implement this methodology.
- A section of the doctoral program required course “Areas of Learning and Development,” taught by Valeria Cabello González, from the Faculty of Education, will also apply the methodology.
Valeria Cabello, who is head of the UC Chile Doctoral Program in Education, is interested in “continuing to expand this education to other UC Chile faculty, and hopefully, we can become a leading group to advance the internationalization of our institution at the undergraduate level as well.”
She hopes that the application of EMI/CLIC in her course will allow her to open up to “new students, enriching their formative experience in a space of diversity and multicultural exchange.”
She also calls on other UC Chile faculty to “step out of their comfort zone, putting themselves in the role of learners of educational approaches such as this one, which will favor localized, cross-cutting and global learning opportunities for our students.”
New Call for Applications and the Future
These two certifications were just the beginning of a process that does not end here.
According to Maribel Florez, director of Global Training of the Office of the Vice President of International Affairs, the idea is also to impact the university’s employees and professionals.
To this end, at the end of July, a call was launched—together with the Office of Human Resources—to offer the course “Leadership of Internationalization of the Curriculum Initiatives” to all university employees.
In addition, work is being done with the Office of the Vice President of Academic Affairs (CDDoc and the Office of Academic Programs), the Office of Human Resources, English UC Chile and the Bachelor of Education Program (English Track) “to forge together a path that expands the opportunities in the university to approach the English language”, explained Florez.
