Testing the Water: Implementing a Soft CLIL Approach for Future Global Engineers at a Japanese University

In this chapter three language practitioners from the faculty of engineering at Yamaguchi University outline the characteristics of their Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL)-based classes and underline the effectiveness of the approach in teaching technical English. They also discuss other courses from their Technical Communication series: a set of Ministry of Education, Culture, Science, Sports and Technology (MEXT) approved in-house materials developed specifically for engineering students, which were initially developed without using a CLIL framework. These courses were examined closely to identify areas in which elements of Coyle’s 4 Cs framework were present. They also looked to find aspects of English for Academic Purposes (EAP)/English for Specific Purposes (ESP) pedagogy that are compatible with a CLIL approach and suggest ways in which these courses can be adapted by incorporating a CLIL framework in the future. They discuss current efforts to foster CLIL collaboration with content specialists from the faculty of engineering and highlight past and current cooperation between content teachers from the civil engineering and mechanical engineering departments. An overview of a three-hour-CLIL workshop held at the faculty of engineering at Yamaguchi University is also provided. Finally, they consider ways in which a CLIL approach can be further developed to enhance the effectiveness of both the Technical Communication series and future collaborative projects.