Language learning in content-based instruction

Content-based language instruction is a relative newcomer in the European educational context. This paper presents some more or less established forms of content-based instruction focussing on Finnish implementations of content and language integrated learning (CLIL). The paper also provides a discussion of models and theories of language learning that are compatible with language learning in content-based instruction, and suggests a model for the theoretical framework of the study presented in chapter 4. In the study, the syntactic development of relativization of 7 to 11 year-old Finnish CLIL students was tracked as measured by elicited imitations and grammaticality judgments. The paper concludes with a discussion of the results of the study, their implications as well as some problems and questions related to the study and content-based instruction in general.