Assessing the development of second language syntax in Content and Language Integrated Learning

Abstract

This study examined the effect of the Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) approach on the English proficiency and syntax of a group of Andalusian learners. High-school students (n = 22) enrolled in CLIL and non-CLIL classes in the same school (I.E.S. Mariana Pineda) took an English proficiency test adapted from the University Entrance Examination. Students were assessed for syntactic development in English using an Elicited Imitation (EI) task in conjunction with an experimental design based on the syntactic properties of English. Pre-intervention academic achievement, socio-economic status (SES), and gender were included as covariates in the analyses. CLIL students scored significantly higher than non-CLIL students on the syntactic task (p = 0.002) and the proficiency test (p < 0.001). Results revealed a significant positive correlation between the scores obtained in the proficiency test and the EI task for the CLIL group (p < 0.01), but not for the non-CLIL group (p = 0.39). These findings advance a methodology to assess the English syntax of CLIL students.