Research Publications
This project aims to publish both scientific and non-scientific articles in order to reach a large audience. Below you will find all our publications.
All-or-nothing CLIL: On institutional selectivity
By Victoria Van Oss, Jill Surmont, Thomas Caira, Margaux D’Hulster & Esli Struys
This study investigates institutional selectivity in Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) provision across secondary schools in the Flemish Community of Belgium (N = 947). By employing a multinomial lens, this paper explores how pupils’ socioeconomic status (SES), schools’ linguistic diversity, and size predict the adoption of exclusive English CLIL, exclusive French CLIL, combined English and French CLIL, or no CLIL trajectory. Findings reveal that SES functions as a silent engine, with schools serving students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds less likely to offer any CLIL. Linguistic diversity significantly influenced CLIL type, as schools with a high proportion of pupils from multilingual backgrounds were more inclined toward dual language tracks (English and French) or opted out of CLIL entirely, demonstrating an all-or-nothing dynamic dependent on SES contexts. Furthermore, institutional capacity emerged as a crucial determinant, with larger schools predominantly adopting exclusive English CLIL tracks. This result reflects resource-related implementation, as Flemish secondary schools are required to offer parallel non-CLIL tracks, a condition that only schools with substantial enrolment can satisfy. Overall, the findings of this study highlight that CLIL provision is profoundly shaped by institutional and socioeconomic factors, emphasising the need for nuanced policy interventions addressing language choice and equitable access.
Impact of technology use on the construction of identity in language learners: A 2020–2024 systematic literature review
By Francisco Javier Palacios-Hidalgo & Cristina A. Huertas-Abril
Language acquisition is not just about linguistic proficiency, but also about negotiating one’s identity within the linguistic community. In this context, technology seems to influence how language learners construct their identities. To deepen this idea, a systematic literature review is developed, analysing 31 studies published between 2020 and 2024. Findings show the dynamic interplay between language learning, identity construction, and digital tools, particularly in the context of plurilingualism, and how technology impacts language learners’ identity. Analysed studies also reveal how language learners often use digital platforms to experiment with hybrid identities, blending their native/home languages, target languages, and cultural affiliations. Moreover, they also show that technology allows learners to draw on their entire linguistic repertoire. Ultimately, this review aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the relationship between language, identity, and technology, offering implications for designing inclusive language learning environments that can be used in today’s complex world.
More than a game: Strengthening subject-literacy through role-play in a content and language integrated classroom
By Marta Segura Hudson
This study presents findings based on the observation of a United Nations role-play task in a plurilingual high school (age of students 16–19) where CLIL pedagogical approaches are practiced. The integration and scaffolding of course content in the subjects of International Relations, History, Social Studies and English is explored via examples of student language use in learners of English. Formal and informal examples of prepared as well as spontaneously produced speech have been collected in a specialized learner corpus and are being analyzed in reference to subject-literacy aims. This “game” provided a rich arena for students to practice skills such as public speaking and debate, negotiation, and the writing of texts such as resolutions, presentations of policy and reflections. Through this integrated approach to learning students further consolidated subject matter knowledge gained during study of the history of conflict in the Middle East, with new understandings of geopolitical interests via the policy precedents set by the nations studied, together with language suitable to express this knowledge. Furthermore, students developed arguments for or against perspectives, which they held regarding the conflict in question. This exercise illustrates integration of language and content learning with the potential for lasting and transformative learning outcomes, beyond assessment. It also provides an authentic example of simultaneous language learning and subject-literacy practices, responding directly to the question of how learning in L2 affects subject knowledge in this academic environment.
Technology, identities and minorities: A systematic literature review
By Cristina A. Huertas-Abril & Francisco Javier Palacios-Hidalgo
Technology plays an increasingly vital role in preserving individual identities within minority language communities in our globalized society. A systematic literature review, following the PRISMA framework, analyzed 13 key studies published between 2020 and 2024. This research aimed to understand how digital technology supports identity construction, linguistic practices, and the use of multilingual skills in online spaces. The findings, synthesized through qualitative analysis, confirm that technology is a powerful tool for language revitalization and cultural expression worldwide. The studies collectively identify four central themes: the use of technology for direct language preservation; the formation of digital identity and community engagement; the specific challenges and innovative solutions for marginalized populations; and important new theoretical and methodological insights for the field. This review ultimately underscores that while digital platforms offer unprecedented opportunities for connection and cultural resilience, issues of access and equity remain critical. It argues for the development of community-centred approaches that empower linguistic minorities to harness technology for self-representation and to sustain their heritage in an interconnected world.