Towards an understanding of CLIL assessment practices in a european context: main assessment tools and the role of language in content subjects

Abstract

Bilingual Education implies curricular integration along with new teaching procedures. However, a closer look at CLIL contexts shows that, very frequently, these new methodologies have not been integrated in assessment. This article provides a comprehensive overview of CLIL assessment practices in the context of the CAM Bilingual Program in Spain. More specifically, by using responses from two focus groups and comparing them with prior teachers’ questionnaires, the study examines the main assessment tools content teachers use in such settings, and the role that language plays in the learning of content subjects. The research findings provide relevant insights in relation with teacher training in bilingual schools and the absence of formative assessment in the context of the study. Therefore, written exams stand out as the most common assessment tool and, furthermore, the students’ language level is taken into account in grading the subject. On the basis on these results, a set of recommendations for the teachers in Bilingual Sections of Madrid are proposed.