Fostering CLIL Connections in Brazil
Building Communities to Support EMI Programs across São Paulo State
1 December 2024 I The Queensland Institute
Module 1 participants celebrate at graduation!
This year, The Queensland Institute (QI) was proud to partner again with Universidade Estadual Paulisa (UNESP), to deliver a professional development program designed to enhance teaching practices through Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) and Active Learning. Delivered online, the program brought together 37 educators from across UNESP’s extensive network of 24 campuses in São Paulo state, fostering collaboration and skills development for English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) delivery.
A Dynamic Program Tailored to UNESP’s Goals
The program, conducted in two modules, supported UNESP’s educators in adopting innovative teaching strategies aligned with their internationalisation goals:
Module 1 introduced foundational CLIL principles and Active Learning approaches, with participants designing and delivering micro-lectures.
Module 2 focused on refining lecture materials and adapting written texts to support diverse learners, applying CLIL course design principles.
By the end of the program, participants gained confidence in their ability to deliver English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) courses effectively, integrating active learning techniques to engage students, while also building digital capacity to support courses delivered online or Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) at UNESP.
Empowering University Educators: Feedback from Participants
The program’s impact was reflected in the positive feedback received from participants:
"The course really contributed to my professional development. It was amazing that every class was an example of CLIL methodology that encouraged us to notice that the strategies were possible to be developed in our classes." – Participant, Module 1
"My main apprenticeship with the CLIL course is how I really reflected about HOW I was passing my content, in any language. How to improve my lectures. How to really teach my students." – Participant, Module 1
"It made me feel more confident about delivering lectures in English within my field of expertise and has made me more effective in communicating complex concepts to students in general, helping me engage with them more clearly and confidently." – Participant, Module 2
Participants also recognised the versatility of the techniques, noting that they could apply them not only to English-medium lectures but also to those conducted in Portuguese.
Celebrating success with our UNESP colleagues!
Building a Community of Practice
A key achievement of the program was fostering a Community of Practice among educators from UNESP’s multiple campuses. Participants valued the opportunity to exchange ideas and learn collaboratively, strengthening professional networks that will continue to benefit their teaching.
"The CLIL course was amazing! It challenged and motivated me to combine language and content in my teaching. I’m excited to apply new ideas and clear goals for both language and subject matter. Learned so much from my colleagues about using visuals and real-world tasks to engage students. Big thanks to QI and UNESP for this great experience!" – Participant, Module 1
Looking Ahead
The Queensland Institute is proud to support UNESP in academic development again in 2024. We extend our sincere thanks to our UNESP colleagues in the Department of Modern Languages and International Office for their extraordinary leadership and collaboration in course design. It is always a pleasure to work with you!
We are always delighted to support our colleagues to advance their internationalisation goals and empower educators to inspire the next generation.
Connect with Us
Are you ready to enhance teaching practices and build collaboration at your institution?
Connect with Philippa and Fiona via email to learn more. We’d love to hear from you!
