Abstract:
The European Union supports multilingualism and promotes the
learning of foreign languages since their knowledge enhances understanding
among peoples and increases employability. To increase the efficiency and
effectiveness of foreign language education in schools, Content and Language
Integrated Learning (CLIL) has been promoted in Europe; this has influenced
ways in which Latvia nowadays approaches bilingual education. A qualitative
case study was undertaken to explore the implementation of CLIL at schools
in Latvia, CLIL being seen as an element of bilingual education. This article
outlines the development of CLIL in Latvia, which is largely embedded in
national level policies which have a substantial effect on the development of
bilingual education and CLIL. It also clarifies the aims of this educational
approach in the context of the present education challenges and assesses its
potential in Latvia. It can be observed that education policies in Latvia not
only aim at strengthening the ethnic minority learners’ knowledge of Latvian,
but also at changing from the focus on second and foreign language learning
outcomes to the emphasis on an integrated view on the development of
language and non-linguistic subject content.
