Benefits of Applying the CLIL Conceptual Framework in Business English Classes

Abstract

The present paper aims at providing an insight into the benefits that content and language integrated learning (CLIL) can bring to the teaching of business English in higher education, given the place of the English language in the European Union and the competitive advantages it offers on the international labor market. The first part of the paper puts emphasis on some historical facts related to CLIL, presents the EU position with respect to this teaching approach, and introduces its characteristics. The second part shows how, in the absence of the dual-focus CLIL, this methodology can be adapted and successfully integrated into business English classes, by applying the four elements of the CLIL conceptual framework: content, communication, culture, and cognition.