From translation exercises to genuinely integrated, communicative classrooms. Catherine Stevenson, founder of Transform English, breaks down what combining language learning with subjects like history, science, and geography looks like in everyday practice. From overcoming confidence hurdles as a subject teacher to keeping planning light, Catherine shares pragmatic strategies to bring CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) into the classroom.
TALKING POINTS
1. Moving past the myths: Why CLIL is active communication, not translation
2. How subject teachers can build confidence (and why speaking less is key)
3. Preventing timetable overload by starting small and leveraging AI
4. Evaluating impact through clear goals and student check-ins
ABOUT
Catherine Stevenson is an English language teacher, trainer and founder of Transform English, based in Verona, Italy. With years of classroom experience, she specialises in CLIL and creative practice for primary and lower secondary, drawing on her background in museum education to design meaningful, cross-curricular learning experiences. She supports teachers in strengthening their own English, building confidence and clarity for the classroom. Having learned Italian as an adult, she understands the realities of language learning and brings empathy, practicality and honesty to her work.
RESOURCES
🔗 Transform English Website: https://www.transformenglish.com/
🔗 Courses, workshops and support: https://www.transformenglish.com/schoolteamtraining
FURTHER READING
European Commission (2024) Improving the effectiveness of language learning: CLIL and computer assisted language learning https://ec.europa.eu/assets/eac/languages/library/studies/clil-call_en.pdf
Soto-Corominas, A., Roquet, H., and Segura, M. (2024) The Effects of CLIL and Sources of
Individual Differences on Receptive and Productive EFL Skills at the Onset of Primary School, Applied Linguistics, Volume 45, Issue 2, April 2024, Pages 364–382 https://academic.oup.com/applij/article/45/2/364/7197286?login=false
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THE PRODUCER'S EDIT
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CREDITS
Producer: Laura Wilkes
Editor: Haven Tsang
Special thanks to our guest, Catherine Stevenson
Production by Communicating for Impact
TIME STAMPS
00:00 Introduction
01:02 What integrated teaching looks like
03:18 Integrating subjects across age groups
05:06 Challenge 1: How subject teachers can build confidence
06:15 Using AI and ready-made resources to support lesson planning
07:22 Challenge 2: Fitting language into a packed timetable
09:03 Challenge 3: Measuring success across content, language, and skills
10:14 Assessing the emotional experience
12:17 The "reflection box" technique on lesson plans
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