Relevance of polylingual environment creation and CLIL methods was discussed at Elabuga Institute of KFU

Teachers of Elabuga Institute and representatives of the Department of Education of Elabuga Municipal District met with Gulmira Hamitova, Professor of Innovation Eurasian University, Honored Teacher of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Within interactive lectures and master classes, the participants of the meeting discussed topical issues of polylinguial education in Russia and Kazakhstan, and shared work experience and trends in the development of educational know-how in kindergartens and schools.

"In order to achieve an effect, we need to adhere to two of the most important conditions: to rid subject teachers of fear of the English language and remind them that they can already teach their discipline perfectly in their native language”, - said Gulmira Hamitova, stressing that the key principles in the subject-language integrated learning are based on two main concepts – "language" and "integration." CLIL is conditionally divided into two kinds: hard CLIL and soft CLIL. The former shows that any school subject can be taught in English. Students explore geography, literature, biology, physics, or even sport games through a foreign language at such lessons. The latter is commonly used by the English language teachers. Here, the task is to the contrary: to study a foreign language using topics and materials of other subjects. The lecturer noted:"At the lesson where CLIL technologies are used, language is no longer the target, but a means of learning another subject, that is, pupils see that with the help of English it is possible to get new interesting information. Learning the language immediately becomes more meaningful, because it is used to solve specific problems here and now. "

Issues related to the methodology of introducing polylinguism into the educational process and ways to attract foreign teachers to schools were also considered and discussed. Participants discovered similar and different sides of poly- and multi-linguistic education. The participants paid special attention to the experience of implementing integrated training in Kazakhstan, about which Gulmira Hamitova also told.