Since the opening of the first CLIL department in the Netherlands in 1989, tweetalig onderwijs (‘bilingual education’) has expanded into a national network of over 130 secondary schools, serving a... Show moreSince the opening of the first CLIL department in the Netherlands in 1989, tweetalig onderwijs (‘bilingual education’) has expanded into a national network of over 130 secondary schools, serving a population of around 37,000 learners. While academic interest in the field has also seen growth and diversification, the pace of practical developments and the lack of a structured research agenda have led to research becoming fragmented and lagging behind practice. This chapter provides an overview of the Dutch CLIL context followed by a critical review of research into organisation, implementation, outcomes and experiences in Dutch bilingual education. The chapter concludes with a reflection on the ways in which future research could support further developments in practice. Show less
Studies of motivation in bilingual education settings often address questions of differences between learners in bilingual programmes and those in mainstream education. Problematic in this respect... Show moreStudies of motivation in bilingual education settings often address questions of differences between learners in bilingual programmes and those in mainstream education. Problematic in this respect is our increasing awareness of the inherent differences between these two learner groups, as learners in bilingual programmes have often chosen or been selected for a bilingual route (Mearns et al., 2017). The study presented here therefore does not seek to compare learners in bilingual and non-bilingual programmes, but rather to explore the nature of language learning motivation within the context of bilingual secondary education (BSE) in the Netherlands. Using a purpose-designed tool reflecting the L2 Motivational Self System (Dörnyei, 2009), this study investigated trends in motivation across genders, academic tracks and year-groups of nearly 2000 learners. Findings suggest that, although these learners all have bilingual education in common, differences between the motivations of these groups should not be overlooked. Show less
Research has suggested that motivation plays a significant role in language learning but that females tend to be more motivated language learners than males. Content and language integrated... Show moreResearch has suggested that motivation plays a significant role in language learning but that females tend to be more motivated language learners than males. Content and language integrated learning (CLIL) has been suggested as a means of narrowing this motivational gender gap, although there is as yet little empirical evidence to support this claim. In the current study, data regarding the motivation of 581 learners in bilingual and mainstream tracks of Dutch secondary education were analysed for interaction effects in terms of Gender, Education Type, and Year of CLIL study. In this context, it seemed that boys who had chosen bilingual education were the most positive and motivated regarding the learning of English, although girls had more positive attitudes regarding languages in general. No interactions were observed between Gender, Education Type, and Year, suggesting that existing differences may have influenced boys’ decision to follow bilingual education rather than the reverse. Show less
The Netherlands is often held up an example of a ‘success story’ in terms of practices and research regarding the teaching and learning of subject content in a second language (de Graaff & van...Show moreThe Netherlands is often held up an example of a ‘success story’ in terms of practices and research regarding the teaching and learning of subject content in a second language (de Graaff & van Wilgenburg, 2015; Pérez-Cañado, 2012). Nearly 30 years after its initial beginnings, bilingual secondary education in the Netherlands continues to thrive and to evolve in fitting with educational demands, as does the research associated with it. This Special Issue includes contributions addressing Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) as a pedagogical approach in the context of bilingual education as a curricular paradigm, both specifically within the Dutch context. The issue contains six research articles from different perspectives, supported by discussions both from an international research standpoint and from the educational field. It is hoped that the publication of this issue will not only indicate a next stage for bilingual education policy and practice, but also give impetus to new areas for research. Show less
