Shaping CLIL Teacher Education in Pre-Service Training: A Comparative Study of Secondary Schools in Germany and the Czech Republic

Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) has been widely recognised in Europe as a key approach to promoting multilingualism and intercultural competence. In multilingual societies such as Germany and the Czech Republic, CLIL provides valuable opportunities to innovate classroom practice and to support inclusive and engaging learning. Nevertheless, research shows that pre-service teachers often feel insufficiently prepared to address the methodological and linguistic challenges associated with CLIL. Difficulties arise with respect to mastering subject-specific academic language, integrating content and language goals, designing materials suited to learners’ needs, and engaging in systematic reflection on practice.

The project seeks to respond to these challenges by investigating how a targeted CLIL training programme influences the development of student teachers. It explores to what extent participation enhances their professional competencies, how it shapes their perceptions of CLIL and their beliefs about future teaching, and how contextual factors in Germany and the Czech Republic mediate the effectiveness of training.

To this end, a one-year seminar will be designed and implemented with sixty student teachers, thirty in each country. The programme combines theoretical instruction with practical experience and places particular emphasis on reflective practice. Participants will design and conduct their own CLIL lessons in secondary schools, supported by university mentors and cooperating schoolteachers. Alongside the teaching of CLIL theory, the programme will include collaborative learning through project work, peer teaching, and joint lesson planning. Reflective activities, such as video self-analysis and systematic lesson review, will be integrated to encourage critical engagement with practice.

The project addresses a gap in current research by linking university-based teacher education with real-world classroom implementation. It contributes to the establishment of evidence-based practices for CLIL teacher training and strengthens cross-national cooperation between institutions in Germany and the Czech Republic. In the longer term, the findings are expected to inform curriculum development, shape the design of supplementary qualifications, and enrich teacher education programmes more broadly, thereby advancing the professional preparation of future CLIL teachers in Europe.