Bridging history and language: developing CLIL lesson plans to teach World War II to year 9 learners

Abstract

This MA thesis explores the implementation of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) to teach Estonian history, specifically the period of 1939-1941, to Year 9 students in a basic school in central Estonia. The study was conducted as a qualitative case study and aimed to investigate (1) students’ perceptions of learning history in English, (2) how to compile an effective CLIL lesson plan, and (3) teachers’ perspectives on implementing CLIL. The lessons were designed by the author and delivered by an English teacher. Data were collected through classroom observations, student questionnaires, and teacher reflections. The results suggest that CLIL can enhance student motivation and support both language and content learning, particularly through interactive tasks such as quizzes and role-play. However, the study also revealed challenges, including students’ varied language proficiency levels, time constraints, and increased teacher planning demands. The thesis includes a literature review, a description of the lesson planning and implementation process, data analysis, and a conclusion. Lesson materials are teacher notes included in the appendices.