An approach to CLIL teacher language awareness using the Language Triptychh

CLIL teacher training is one of the main challengingconcerns of both CLIL theorists andpractitioners. This paper aims to contribute to thefield by providing an example of a needs analysisfor CLIL teacher training regarding linguistic requirementsof teaching content subjects throughEnglish. The theoretical framework underlying thisproposal is the Language Triptych (Coyle et al.,2010) and the dichotomy BICS/CALP (Cummins,1984). Open questionnaires were administered tosix teachers involved in a bilingual degree at Universidadde Valladolid. Data were also gatheredfrom informal interviews. The references to linguisticissues present in their responses are classifiedaccording to the three elements of the LanguageTriptych (language of /for/ through learning) or theBICS/CALP distinction. Teachers show some basiclanguage awareness which can be perceivedin their reflections. The paper concludes with aproposal of linguistic contents which, accordingto the data analysed, seem to be appropriate forlanguage upskilling of those who are consideringcommencing CLIL