Article published in:
Issues and Perspectives on Student Diversity and Content-Based Language Education
Edited by Fred Genesee and Diane J. Tedick
[Journal of Immersion and Content-Based Language Education 9:2] 2021
► pp. 310–335

CLIL as a balance for female–male differences?

The effect of CLIL on student writing outcomes

| National Taiwan Normal University
| Texas A&M University
| Texas A&M University
| Texas A&M University
This study examines female–male differences in English writing outcomes for Taiwanese primary school learners enrolled in a Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) program. Narrative and expository writing samples of 212 primary school students (Male = 103, Female = 109) in Taiwan were collected and scored using several measures including spelling accuracy, correct word sequences, lexical diversity, total t-units, and a holistic rubric for ideas. Students’ topic interest was also measured through a Likert-scale survey. The findings revealed differences between females and males and the two genres of writing. While there were statistical differences attributed to gender and topic interest variables for some writing measures, further analysis revealed that these effects were minimal in terms of practical significance. The paper raises questions about the relationship between female–male writing differences and CLIL and provides suggestions for future research to broaden our understanding and support diversity in the CLIL classroom.
Keywords: Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), gender differences, writing, elementary education, English as a foreign language
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
    • 1.1Defining gender and sex
    • 1.2Second language writing outcomes of females and males
    • 1.3Content and language integrated learning and female–male differences
    • 1.4Investigating writing as a multidimensional product
    • 1.5The present study
  • 2.Methods
    • 2.1Setting and participants
    • 2.2Data Collection
    • 2.3Writing task scoring
    • 2.4Data analysis
  • 3.Results
    • 3.1Narrative writing
      • 3.1.1Narrative spelling accuracy
      • 3.1.2Narrative correct word sequences
      • 3.1.3Narrative lexical diversity
      • 3.1.4Narrative total t-units
      • 3.1.5Narrative ideas rubric
    • 3.2Expository writing
      • 3.2.1Expository spelling accuracy
      • 3.2.2Expository correct word sequences
      • 3.2.3Expository lexical diversity
      • 3.2.4Expository total t-units
      • 3.2.5Expository ideas rubric
  • 4.Discussion
  • 5.Conclusion
  • References
Published online: 14 January 2021
https://doi.org/10.1075/jicb.20007.gra
References
Acar, T.
(2016) Measurement of attitudes regarding foreign language skills and its relation with success. International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education, 5(4), 310–322. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Ainley, M., Hillman, K., & Hidi, S.
(2002, 2002/08/01/). Gender and interest processes in response to literary texts: situational and individual interest. Learning and Instruction, 12(4), 411–428. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Babayiğit, S.
(2015) The dimensions of written expression: Language group and gender differences. Learning and Instruction, 351, 33–41. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Berninger, V. W., & Graham, S.
(1998) Language by hand: A synthesis of a decade of research on handwriting. Handwriting Review, 121, 11–25.Google Scholar
Berninger, V. W., & Swanson, H. L.
(1994) Modifying Hayes and Flower’s model of skilled writing to explain beginning and developing writing. Advances in cognition and educational practice, 21, 57–81.Google Scholar
Bijami, M., Kashef, S. H., & Khaksari, M.
(2013) Gender differences and writing performance: A brief review. International Journal of Education and Literacy Studies, 1(2), 8–11. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Camacho, A., & Alves, R. A.
(2017) Fostering parental involvement in writing: Development and testing of the program Cultivating Writing. Reading and Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 30(2), 253–277. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Carroll, J. B.
(1964) Language and thought. Prentice Hall.Google Scholar
Cohen, J., Cohen, P., West, S. G., & Aiken, L. S.
(2003) Applied multiple regression/correlation analysis for the behavioral sciences (3rd ed.). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.Google Scholar
Cortes, V.
(2019) Considering the importance of L2 learners’ writing needs. Journal of Second Language Writing, 461, 100679. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Coyle, D.
(2007) Content and language integrated learning: Towards a connected research agenda for CLIL pedagogies. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 10(5), 543–562. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Cumming, A.
(2016) Theoretical orientations to L2 writing. In R. M. Machón & P. K. Matsuda (Eds.), Handbook of second and foreign language writing (pp. 65–88). De Gruyter. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Fontecha, A. F., & Alonso, A. C.
(2014) A preliminary study on motivation and gender in CLIL and non-CLIL types of instruction. International Journal of English Studies, 14(1), 21–36. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Genesee, F., & Lindholm-Leary, K.
(2013) Two case studies of content-based language education. Journal of Immersion and Content-Based Language Education, 1(1), 3–33. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Graham, K. M., Choi, Y., Davoodi, A., Razmeh, S., & Dixon, L. Q.
(2018) Language and content outcomes of CLIL and EMI: A systematic review. Latin American Journal of Content & Language Integrated Learning, 11(1), 19–37. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Graham, S.
(2008) Effective writing instruction for all students. http://​doc​.renlearn​.com​/KMNet​/R004250923GJCF33​.pdf
Graham, S., Gillespie, A., & McKeown, D.
(2013) Writing: Importance, development, and instruction. Reading and Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 26(1), 1–15. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Heras, A., & Lasagabaster, D.
(2015) The impact of CLIL on affective factors and vocabulary learning. Language Teaching Research, 19(1), 70–88. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Juel, C., Griffith, P. L., & Gough, P. B.
(1986) Acquisition of literacy: A longitudinal study of children in first and second grade. Journal of Educational Psychology, 78(4), 243–255. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Kalali, N. N., & Pishkar, K.
(2015) Genre analysis and writing skill: Improving Iranian EFL learners writing performance through the tenets of genre analysis. Advances in Language and Literary Studies, 6(6), 119–130. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Kamari, E., Gorjian, B., & Pazhakh, A.
(2012) Examining the effects of gender on second language writing proficiency of Iranian EFL students: Descriptive vs. opinion one-paragraph essay. Advances in Asian Social Science (AASS), 3(4), 759–763.Google Scholar
Kim, T. Y.
(2010) Socio-political influences on EFL motivation and attitudes: Comparative surveys of Korean high school students. Asia Pacific Education Review, 11(2), 211–222. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Kobayashi, Y.
(2002) The role of gender in foreign language learning attitudes: Japanese female students’ attitudes towards English learning. Gender and Education, 14(2), 181–197. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Lahuerta, A.
(2017) Analysis of accuracy in the writing of EFL students enrolled on CLIL and non-CLIL programmes: The impact of grade and gender. The Language Learning Journal, 48(2), 121–132. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Lasagabaster, D.
(2008) Foreign language competence in content and language integrated courses. The Open Applied Linguistics Journal, 11, 30–41. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Lips, H. M.
(2019) Gender: The basics (2nd ed.). Routledge.Google Scholar
Mady, C., & Seiling, A.
(2017) The coupling of second language learning motivation and achievement according to gender [Article]. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 7(12), 1149–1159. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
McMaster, K. L., Shin, J., Espin, C. A., Jung, P., Wayman, M. M., & Deno, S. L.
(2017) Monitoring elementary students’ writing progress using curriculum-based measures: Grade and gender differences. Reading and Writing, 30(9), 2069–2091. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Merisuo-Storm, T.
(2007) Pupils’ attitudes towards foreign-language learning and the development of literacy skills in bilingual education. Teaching and Teacher Education, 23(2), 226–235. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Mori, S., & Gobel, P.
(2006) Motivation and gender in the Japanese EFL classroom. System, 34(2), 194–210. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Nair, S. M., & Hui, L. L.
(2018) An analysis of common errors in ESL descriptive writing among chinese private school students in Malaysia. International Journal of Education and Practice, 6(1), 28–42. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Nation, I. S. P.
(2009) Teaching ESL/EFL reading and writing. Routledge.Google Scholar
Ningrum, A. S. B., Latief, M. A., & Sulistyo, G. H.
(2016) The effect of mind mapping on EFL students’ idea development in argumentative writing across gender differences and learning styles. Dinamika Ilmu, 16(1), 149–166. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Pae, H. K.
(2014) Forced choice or free choice?: the role of question formats in predicting speaking and writing skills of nonnative speakers of English. Educational Assessment, 19(2), 97–115. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Plonsky, L., & Oswald, F. L.
(2014) How big is “big”? Interpreting effect sizes in L2 research. Language Learning, 64(4), 878–912. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Polio, C.
(2019) Keeping the language in second language writing classes. Journal of Second Language Writing, 461, 100675. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Roquet, H., Llopis, J., & Pérez-Vidal, C.
(2016) Does gender have an impact on the potential benefits learners may achieve in two contexts compared: Formal instruction and formal instruction + content and language integrated learning? International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 19(4), 370–386. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Royston, P.
(2004) Multiple imputation of missing values. The Stata Journal, 4(3), 227–241. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Slattery, P.
(2012) Curriculum development in the postmodern era: Teaching and learning in an age of accountability (3rd ed.). Routledge. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
StataCorp
(2019) Stata statistical software (Release 16) [Computer software]. StataCorp LLC. https://​www​.stata​.com
Steinlen, A. K.
(2018) The development of German and English writing skills in a bilingual primary school in Germany. Journal of Second Language Writing, 391, 42–52. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Sunderland, J.
(2000) Issues of language and gender in second and foreign language education. Language Teaching, 33(4), 203–223. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Tedick, D. J., & Cammarata, L.
(2012) Content and language integration in K–12 contexts: Student outcomes, teacher practices, and stakeholder perspectives. Foreign Language Annals, 45(s1), s28–s53. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Whittaker, R., & Llinares, A.
(2009) CLIL in social science classrooms: Analysis of spoken and written productions. In Y. Ruiz de Zarobe & R. M. Jiménez Catalán (Eds.), Content and language integrated learning: Evidence from research in Europe (pp. 215–234). Multilingual Matters. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Xu, W., & Case, R. E.
(2015) Age-related differences in motivation in learning English among Mainland Chinese students. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 25(1), 67–82. CrossrefGoogle Scholar