Home Intensity of CLIL exposure and L2 motivation in primary school: evidence from Spanish EFL learners in non-CLIL, low-CLIL and high-CLIL programmes
Article
Licensed
Unlicensed Requires Authentication

Intensity of CLIL exposure and L2 motivation in primary school: evidence from Spanish EFL learners in non-CLIL, low-CLIL and high-CLIL programmes

  • Raúl Azpilicueta-Martínez ORCID logo EMAIL logo and Amparo Lázaro-Ibarrola
Published/Copyright: November 24, 2023
International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching
From the journal International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching Volume 63 Issue 2

Abstract

Preliminary studies suggest a positive effect of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) on young learners’ (YLs) L2 motivation. However, much more research with larger samples is necessary to gain a more detailed understanding of the interaction between CLIL exposure and L2 motivation. This study specifically explores the effect of different levels of CLIL exposure on YLs’ L2 motivation. To do so, five measures of motivation were analysed in 895 L1-Spanish YLs of English (mean age = 10.61) comprising a non-CLIL group (n = 289) who had received five EFL weekly lessons; a low-CLIL group (n = 152) who had received five EFL and two CLIL weekly lessons, and a high-CLIL group (n = 454) who had received five EFL and seven CLIL weekly lessons. Normality, Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn-Bonferroni post-hoc tests were conducted. The results revealed significantly higher motivation levels for the high-CLIL learners over the low-CLIL group in all five measures, and higher motivational levels of the high-CLIL group over the non-CLIL group in four of the measures. The study provides evidence of the motivational benefits of high-CLIL exposure and underscores the need for further research on the motivational implications of low-CLIL programmes.

Keywords: CLIL; motivation; exposure; young learners
Corresponding author: Raúl Azpilicueta-Martínez, Human Sciences and Education Department, i-Communitas Research Institute, Public University of Navarra, Pamplona/Iruñea, Spain, E-mail:

Funding source: Spanish Ministry for Science and Innovation

Award Identifier / Grant number: PID2020-113990GB-I00

Funding source: Public University of Navarra

Award Identifier / Grant number: PJUPNA2023-11401

Award Identifier / Grant number: PJUPNA05-2022

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the participants and their families and the school staff for their extraordinary support and collaboration. We would also like to extend our sincere gratitude to Professor Carmen Muñoz for her invaluable feedback in the conceptual interpretation of the results.

  1. Research funding: This work was supported by Spanish Ministry for Science and Innovation (grant no. PID2020-113990GB-100) and Public University of Navarra (grant nos. PJUPNA05-2022; PJUPNA2023-11401).

  2. Competing interests: No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Appendix: Normality tests

  1. L2 learning experience

Statistics p
Kolmogorov-Smirnov 0.14 <0.001
Kolmogorov-Smirnov (Lilliefors Corr.) 0.14 <0.001
Shapiro-Wilk 0.9 <0.001
Anderson-Darling 22.93 <0.001

  1. Integrativeness

Statistics p
Kolmogorov-Smirnov 0.23 <0.001
Kolmogorov-Smirnov (Lilliefors Corr.) 0.23 <0.001
Shapiro-Wilk 0.8 <0.001
Anderson-Darling 58.84 <0.001

  1. Instrumentality-promotion

Statistics p
Kolmogorov-Smirnov 0.3 <0.001
Kolmogorov-Smirnov (Lilliefors Corr.) 0.3 <0.001
Shapiro-Wilk 0.75 <0.001
Anderson-Darling 83.4 <0.001

  1. Degree of difficulty of learning languages

Statistics p
Kolmogorov-Smirnov 0.13 <0.001
Kolmogorov-Smirnov (Lilliefors Corr.) 0.13 <0.001
Shapiro-Wilk 0.96 <0.001
Anderson-Darling 12.72 <0.001

  1. L2 self appraisal

Statistics p
Kolmogorov-Smirnov 0.2 <0.001
Kolmogorov-Smirnov (Lilliefors Corr.) 0.2 <0.001
Shapiro-Wilk 0.92 <0.001
Anderson-Darling 26.18 <0.001

References

Ames, Carole. 1992. Classrooms, goals, structures and student motivation. Journal of Educational Psychology 84. 267–271. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.84.3.261.Search in Google Scholar

Arnándiz, Otilia Martí, Lidon Moliner & Francisco Alegre. 2022. When CLIL is for all: Improving learner motivation through peer-tutoring in Mathematics. System 106. 102773. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2022.102773.Search in Google Scholar

Boo, Zann, Zoltán Dörnyei & Stephen Ryan. 2015. L2 motivation research 2005–2014: Understanding a publication surge and a changing landscape. System 55. 145–157. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2015.10.006.Search in Google Scholar

Covington, Martin V. 1992. Making the grade: A self-worth perspective on motivation and school reform. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.10.1017/CBO9781139173582Search in Google Scholar

Dörnyei, Zoltán. 1994. Motivation and motivating in the foreign language classroom. The Modern Language Journal 78. 273–284. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.1994.tb02042.x.Search in Google Scholar

Dörnyei, Zoltán. 2005. The psychology of the language learner: Individual differences in second language acquisition. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.Search in Google Scholar

Dörnyei, Zoltán. 2009. The L2 motivational self system. In Zoltán Dörnyei & Ema Ushioda (eds.), Motivation, language identity and the L2 self, 9–42. Bristol: Multilingual Matters.10.21832/9781847691293-003Search in Google Scholar

Dornyei, Zoltán. 2019. Towards a better understanding of the L2 learning experience, the Cinderella of the L2 motivational self system. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching 9(1). 19–30. https://doi.org/10.14746/ssllt.2019.9.1.2.Search in Google Scholar

Dörnyei, Zoltán, Kata Csizér & Nóra Németh. 2006. Motivation, language attitudes and globalisation: A Hungarian perspective. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.10.21832/9781853598876Search in Google Scholar

Dornyei, Zoltán & Istvan Otto. 1998. Motivation in action: A process model of L2 motivation. Working Papers in Applied Linguistics, 4, 43–69. London: Thames Valley University.Search in Google Scholar

Dörnyei, Zoltán & Ema Ushioda. 2009. Motivation, language identity and the L2 self, 36. Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters.10.21832/9781847691293Search in Google Scholar

Dörnyei, Zoltán & Ema Ushioda. 2011. Teaching and researching motivation, 2nd edn. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited.Search in Google Scholar

Edelenbos, Peter, Richard Johnstone & Angelika Kubanek. 2006. The main pedagogical principles underlying the teaching of languages to very young learners. Brussels, Belgium: European Commission, Education and Culture, Culture and Communication Multilingualism Policy.Search in Google Scholar

Fernández Fontecha, Almudena & Andrés Canga Alonso. 2014. A preliminary study on motivation and gender in CLIL and non-CLIL types of instruction. International Journal of English Studies 14. 21–36. https://doi.org/10.6018/ijes/14/1/156681.Search in Google Scholar

Gallardo-del-Puerto, Francisco & Zeltia Blanco-Suárez. 2021. Foreign language motivation in primary education students: The effects of additional CLIL and gender. Journal of Immersion and Content-Based Language Education 9(1). 58–84. https://doi.org/10.1075/jicb.19023.gal.Search in Google Scholar

Gardner, Robert C. 1985. Social psychology and second language learning: The role of attitudes and motivation. London: Edward Arnold.Search in Google Scholar

Gardner, Robert C. & Wallace E. Lambert. 1959. Motivational variables in second language acquisition. Canadian Journal of Psychology 13. 266–272. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0083787.Search in Google Scholar

Gardner, Robert C. & Paul F. Tremblay. 1994a. On motivation, research agendas, and theoretical frameworks. The Modern Language Journal 78. 359–368. https://doi.org/10.2307/330113.Search in Google Scholar

Gardner, Robert C. & Paul F. Tremblay. 1994b. On motivation: Measurement and conceptual considerations. The Modern Language Journal 78. 524–527. https://doi.org/10.16910/jemr.10.1.3.Search in Google Scholar

Heras, Arantxa & David Lasagabaster. 2015. The impact of CLIL on affective factors and vocabulary learning. Language Teaching Research 19(1). 70–88. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168814541736.Search in Google Scholar

Higgins, Edward T. 1987. Self-discrepancy: A theory relating self and affect. Psychological Review 94. 319–340. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295x.94.3.319.Search in Google Scholar

Higgins, Edward T. 1998. Promotion and prevention: Regulatory focus as a motivational principle. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology 30. 1–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0065-2601(08)60381-0.Search in Google Scholar

Horwitz, Elaine K. 1988. The beliefs about language learning of beginning university foreign language students. The Modern Language Journal 72. 283–294. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.1988.tb04190.x.Search in Google Scholar

Lasagabaster, David & Raquel López Beloqui. 2015. The impact of type of approach (CLIL versus EFL) and methodology (Book-Based versus project work) on motivation. Porta Linguarum 23. 41–57. https://doi.org/10.30827/Digibug.53737.Search in Google Scholar

Lázaro-Ibarrola, Amparo & Raúl Azpilicueta-Martínez. 2021. Motivation towards the foreign language (English) and regional language (Basque) in immersion schools: Does CLIL in the foreign language make a difference? Language Teaching Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/13621688211031737.Search in Google Scholar

Locke, Edwin A. & Gary P. Latham. 1990. A theory of goal setting and task performance. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.Search in Google Scholar

Mearns, Tessa, Rick de Graaff & Do Coyle. 2020. Motivation for or from bilingual education? A comparative study of learner views in The Netherlands. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism 23(6). 724–737. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2017.1405906.Search in Google Scholar

Mihaljević Djigunović, Jelena. 2012. Attitudes and motivation in early foreign language learning. CEPS Journal 2. 55–74. https://doi.org/10.26529/cepsj.347.Search in Google Scholar

Muñoz, Carmen. 2017. Tracing trajectories of young learners: Ten years of school English learning. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics 37. 168–184. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0267190517000095.Search in Google Scholar

Murphy, Victoria A. 2014. Second language learning in the early school years: Trends and contexts. Oxford, USA: Oxford University Press.Search in Google Scholar

Navarro Pablo, Macarena & Eduardo García Jiménez. 2018. Are CLIL students more motivated? An analysis of affective factors and language attainment. Porta Linguarum 29. 71–90. https://doi.org/10.30827/digibug.54023.Search in Google Scholar

Nikolov, Marianne. 1999. ‘Why do you learn English?’ ‘Because the teacher is short’. A study of Hungarian children’s foreign language learning motivation. Language Teaching Research 3(1). 33–56. https://doi.org/10.1191/136216899670790538.Search in Google Scholar

Nikolov, Marianne & Jelena Mihaljević Djigunović. 2011. All shades of every color: An overview of early teaching and learning of foreign languages. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics 31. 95–119. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0267190511000183.Search in Google Scholar

Pladevall-Ballester, Elisabet. 2019. A longitudinal study of primary school EFL learning motivation in CLIL and non-CLIL settings. Language Teaching Research 23. 765–786. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168818765877.Search in Google Scholar

Sardabi, Narges & Parisa Ojagh. 2022. The impact of creative literacy activities on the reading motivation and reading comprehension of young learners: Evidence from CLIL and EFL settings. Journal of Foreign Language Teaching and Translation Studies 7(4). 1–16.Search in Google Scholar

Seikkula-Leino, Jaana. 2007. CLIL learning: Achievement levels and affective factors. Language and Education 21. 328–341. https://doi.org/10.2167/le635.0.Search in Google Scholar

Ushioda, Ema. 1998. Effective motivational thinking: A cognitive theoretical approach to the study of language learning motivation. In Eva Alcón Soler & Victoria Codina Espurz (eds.), Current issues in English language methodology, 77–89. Castelló de la Plana: Universitat Jaume I.Search in Google Scholar

Ushioda, Ema. 2009. A person-in-context relational view of emergent motivation, self and identity. In Zoltán Dörnyei & Ema Ushioda (eds.), Motivation, language identity and the L2 self, 215–228. Bristol, UK: Multilingual Matters.10.21832/9781847691293-012Search in Google Scholar

Villarreal, Izaskun & Amparo Lázaro-Ibarrola. 2022. Models in collaborative writing among CLIL learners of English in primary school: Linguistic outcomes and motivation matters. System 110. 102922. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2022.102922.Search in Google Scholar

Williams, Marion & Robert L. Burden. 1997. Psychology for language teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Search in Google Scholar
Received: 2022-12-16
Accepted: 2023-11-05
Published Online: 2023-11-24
Published in Print: 2025-06-26

© 2023 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Research Articles
  3. Unpacking the positioning of being “disengaged” and “disrespectful” in class through nexus analysis: an international student’s navigation of institutional and interactional university norms
  4. Assessing English language learners’ collocation knowledge: a systematic review of receptive and productive measurements
  5. The role of awareness in implicit and explicit knowledge
  6. Intensity of CLIL exposure and L2 motivation in primary school: evidence from Spanish EFL learners in non-CLIL, low-CLIL and high-CLIL programmes
  7. Promoting young EFL learners’ oral production through storytelling: coursebook adaptation in the Vietnamese classroom
  8. Applying embodied meaning of spatial prepositions and the Principled Polysemy model to teaching English as a second language: the case of to and on
  9. The impact of guessing and retrieval strategies for learning phrasal verbs
  10. Unraveling the differential effects of task rehearsal and task repetition on L2 task performance: the mediating role of task modality
  11. Examining L2 studentsʼ development of global cohesion and its relationship with their argumentative essay quality
  12. The construct of integrated group discussion (IGD) among undergraduate students: to what extent does group discussion performance reflect performance on IGD tasks?
  13. Discipline-specific attitudinal differences of EMI students towards translanguaging
  14. Relationship between second language vocabulary knowledge and vocabulary learning strategy use: a meta-analysis of correlational studies
  15. Evaluative language in undergraduate academic writing: expressions of attitude as sources of text effectiveness in English as a Foreign Language
  16. Investigating optimal spacing schedules for incidental acquisition of L2 collocations
  17. The association between socioeconomic status and Chinese secondary students’ English achievement: mediation of self-efficacy and moderation of gender
  18. Integrated instruction of Appraisal Theory and rhetorical moves in literature reviews: an exploratory study
  19. Scaffolding in genre-based L2 writing classes: Vietnamese EFL teachers’ beliefs and practices
  20. Exploring the professional role identities of English for academic purposes practitioners: a qualitative study
  21. The combined effects of task repetition and post-task teacher-corrected transcribing on complexity, accuracy and fluency of L2 oral performance
  22. Teacher behaviour and student engagement with L2 writing feedback: a case study
  23. The effect of an intervention focused on academic language on CAF measures in the multilingual writing of secondary students
  24. Which approach best promoted low-proficiency learners’ listening performance: metacognitive, bottom-up or a combination of both?
  25. Enhancing young EFL learners’ written skills: the role of repeated pre-task planning
  26. The mediating roles of resilience and motivation in the relationship between students’ English learning burnout and engagement: a conservation-of-resources perspective
  27. Student and teacher beliefs about oral corrective feedback in junior secondary English classrooms
  28. The effects of context, story-type, and language proficiency on EFL word learning and retention from reading
https://doi.org/10.1515/iral-2022-0239
Keywords for this article
CLIL; motivation; exposure; young learners

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Research Articles
  3. Unpacking the positioning of being “disengaged” and “disrespectful” in class through nexus analysis: an international student’s navigation of institutional and interactional university norms
  4. Assessing English language learners’ collocation knowledge: a systematic review of receptive and productive measurements
  5. The role of awareness in implicit and explicit knowledge
  6. Intensity of CLIL exposure and L2 motivation in primary school: evidence from Spanish EFL learners in non-CLIL, low-CLIL and high-CLIL programmes
  7. Promoting young EFL learners’ oral production through storytelling: coursebook adaptation in the Vietnamese classroom
  8. Applying embodied meaning of spatial prepositions and the Principled Polysemy model to teaching English as a second language: the case of to and on
  9. The impact of guessing and retrieval strategies for learning phrasal verbs
  10. Unraveling the differential effects of task rehearsal and task repetition on L2 task performance: the mediating role of task modality
  11. Examining L2 studentsʼ development of global cohesion and its relationship with their argumentative essay quality
  12. The construct of integrated group discussion (IGD) among undergraduate students: to what extent does group discussion performance reflect performance on IGD tasks?
  13. Discipline-specific attitudinal differences of EMI students towards translanguaging
  14. Relationship between second language vocabulary knowledge and vocabulary learning strategy use: a meta-analysis of correlational studies
  15. Evaluative language in undergraduate academic writing: expressions of attitude as sources of text effectiveness in English as a Foreign Language
  16. Investigating optimal spacing schedules for incidental acquisition of L2 collocations
  17. The association between socioeconomic status and Chinese secondary students’ English achievement: mediation of self-efficacy and moderation of gender
  18. Integrated instruction of Appraisal Theory and rhetorical moves in literature reviews: an exploratory study
  19. Scaffolding in genre-based L2 writing classes: Vietnamese EFL teachers’ beliefs and practices
  20. Exploring the professional role identities of English for academic purposes practitioners: a qualitative study
  21. The combined effects of task repetition and post-task teacher-corrected transcribing on complexity, accuracy and fluency of L2 oral performance
  22. Teacher behaviour and student engagement with L2 writing feedback: a case study
  23. The effect of an intervention focused on academic language on CAF measures in the multilingual writing of secondary students
  24. Which approach best promoted low-proficiency learners’ listening performance: metacognitive, bottom-up or a combination of both?
  25. Enhancing young EFL learners’ written skills: the role of repeated pre-task planning
  26. The mediating roles of resilience and motivation in the relationship between students’ English learning burnout and engagement: a conservation-of-resources perspective
  27. Student and teacher beliefs about oral corrective feedback in junior secondary English classrooms
  28. The effects of context, story-type, and language proficiency on EFL word learning and retention from reading
Sign up now to receive a 20% welcome discount
Institutional Access
How does access work?
Have an idea on how to improve our website?
Please write us.
© 2025 De Gruyter Brill
Downloaded on 20.11.2025 from https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/iral-2022-0239/html
Scroll to top button