Investigating former pupils’ experiences and perceptions of CLIL in Finland : a retrospective analysis

The educational approach known as Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), in which content is taught partly through a foreign language, has gained great popularity in Europe in the past few decades. In Finland, CLIL has been in use since 1991 and, despite some fluctuations in its popularity, has gained a relatively stable place in the Finnish education system. CLIL has been extensively studied, but previous CLIL research has mostly focused on pupils currently enrolled in CLIL. This study takes a novel perspective by investigating CLIL retrospectively, through the eyes of former pupils. The data used are in-depth interviews with 24 former pupils who attended a CLIL class in Finland in the 1990s. The interviews were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The findings reveal that the participants had overwhelmingly positive memories of their CLIL programme. They felt strongly that CLIL had positively affected their English language proficiency, particularly their vocabulary and speaking skills. Most believed that CLIL had not adversely affected their content learning. Despite the overall satisfaction, a few participants suggested ways to develop CLIL, which are also discussed. The results of this case study broaden our understanding of CLIL and have implications for language education policy.