The place of CLIL in (bilingual) education

This article considers an alternative way of conceptualizing integrated learning through an ecological lens. Against rapidly changing global landscapes, the complexities of contextual variables have led to different interpretations of CLIL, which raise constant questions about the nature of its pedagogic and linguistic demands and the quality of learning outcomes. CLIL holds a pivotal position for reframing its potential as a pedagogic, rather than a linguistic, phenomenon within the (plurilingual) education agenda. Focussing on 3 fundamental strands—i.e., language, literacies and learning—an emerging pluriliteracies approach to teaching for deeper learning is presented. This approach not only maps out how content and language are interrelated, but also recognizes conditions supporting learner self-efficacy and teacher mentoring of student learning that prioritize pedagogic principles to guide classroom practice. The potential for CLIL as a contributor to sustaining deeper learning, suggests it may have a significant role in moving pedagogic thinking forward—beyond bilingual classrooms.