CLIL workshop for elementary and junior high school teachers (Online | March 2026)

ELLI conducted the Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) Workshop on March 1, 2026. This is a three-hour online professional development program participated in by elementary and junior high school English teachers who are seeking practical strategies to integrate content and language learning in their classrooms.

The learning facilitator, Ellie Fujimoto, MA, Head of English at Hinode Gakuen Elementary School and Executive Director of ELLI, focused on providing participants skills to design meaningful English lessons that help students understand subjects and communicate in English. He presented:

• • The core principles and 4Cs framework of CLIL

  • The benefits of integrating content objectives with language outcomes

  • Step-by-step procedures for planning a CLIL lesson

  • Practical examples for elementary and junior high school classrooms

  • Strategies for fitting CLIL into current textbooks and school programs
    
    

Backed with theory, participants reflected on how they can redesign tasks so students actively use English to explore science, culture, global topics, and everyday issues.

What Is CLIL?

CLIL is an approach to English education where students learn subject content and language at the same time. Teachers do not just do vocabulary drills or dwell on grammar rules, they develop lessons where learners are encouraged to use English as a tool for thinking, inquiry, and communication.

CLIL offers a structured yet flexible framework that jibes well with curriculum reforms - emphasis on critical thinking, active learning, and greater learner involvement.

Why does CLIL matter for English Teachers in Japan?

Many English classrooms are already integrating what could be referred to as "soft-CLIL" in their curriculum. Full-scale CLIL programs are still developing where teachers often use thematic units, cross-curricular topics, and inquiry-based tasks that require students to use English to explore content — from science and global issues to culture and everyday life. English education in Japan is shifting toward communication, inquiry, and student-centered learning. However, many teachers struggle with how to make lessons both academically rich and linguistically meaningful. Using CLIL could address this gap. 

The workshop built on existing practices and learning and explored how to intentionally align content and language goals to make lessons more purposeful and interesting for students. The participants worked together to develop ways on how to: 

• • Increase student motivation and participation

  • Promote higher-order thinking skills

  • Connect language learning with real-world content

  • Build up academic language step by step

  • Encourage students to use English in real conversations
    
    

By the end of the session, teachers left with practical planning tools, clearer content-language alignment strategies, and renewed sense of confidence to try out CLIL in their own classrooms. 

Professional Development with Certificate

This workshop was offered as a certificate-bearing online professional development course for elementary and junior high school teachers. Participants received a certificate of completion from ELLI, reflecting their continued commitment to professional growth and innovative English teaching practices. ELLI continues to provide high-quality workshops for teachers seeking practical, research-informed training in:

• CLIL

• Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT)

• Technology for thoughtful teaching

• Bilingual scaffolding

• Presentation skills instruction
  
  

About ELLI

ELLI s committed to empowering English language teachers in Japan and across Asia through relevant, classroom-ready professional development programs. Our workshops bridge theory and practice to help educators design lessons that are meaningful, inquiry-based, and learner-centered.