Using the medium of English to teach a subject such as geography to learners whose first language is not English is known as what?

• A. CLIL
• B. Bilingual Education
• C. Immersion
• D. Content-based Instruction

Answer: (A)

This question is about teaching a subject through a language that isn’t the learners’ first language, with language development happening alongside the subject content. That approach is CLIL—Content and Language Integrated Learning. In CLIL, you study geography while using English as the medium, so students build subject knowledge and language skills at the same time. The language objective is embedded in the lesson, with appropriate scaffolding to help students understand and express ideas in English as they learn the geography content. This differs from immersion, which focuses on using the target language with less explicit attention to language goals; it also differs from bilingual education, which often involves switching between languages and supporting learners in their L1 as well. It’s closely related to Content-based Instruction, but CLIL specifically emphasizes the integrated, dual focus on both content and language throughout the learning process.