Embedded English : integrating content and language learning in a Swiss primary school project

This paper reports on an evaluation study of a project introducing English in a partial immersion approach in Zurich starting in the early years of primary school. The challenge the project faces is two-fold: first, the educational authorities have overturned the traditional Swiss policy of learning the neighbouring region?s language first. Second, they have opted for a low key approach of 20 minutes? daily teaching in English using a Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) rather than an EFL method. The independent two-year study carried out by the authors works out the complex relationship between classroom interaction and the acquisition of early language structure (lexicon and morphology) as well as interactional competence (listening comprehension and dialogic tests). The paper focuses on three key questions: - How do the primary school teachers implement the method they were instructed in? - What observable behaviour by teachers and pupils is associated with learning outcomes? - How much and what kind of exposure to the new language is required to make the CLIL method sustainable, i.e. to reach the set objectives? The results gained from classroom observation and tests lend support to the hypothesis that a minimalist immersive method tends to fall short of authorities?, parents? and teachers? expectations. This is partly due to a lack of continuity and reinforcement of new language material as well as teacher-centred interaction. The Swiss sociolinguistic context is intricately tied to the project. Significantly, it promotes English, which is not an official language in Switzerland, as an international language of communication rather than as a lingua franca for intranational understanding, a taboo topic in this country. It is suggested that the Zurich project presents a socio-economic trade-off and runs the risk of losing sight of the ulterior goal of second language acquisition