What is CLIL?
CLIL stands for Content and Language Integrated Learning. In CLIL, teachers and learners of content subjects (e.g. geography, history, art and design) use a foreign or second language as the medium of communication and instruction. CLIL is widely seen as an excellent means of learning a language, and of introducing international aspects into the teaching of content subjects.
In the Netherlands CLIL is also known as TTO: Twee Talig Onderwijs. At present there are over 25 TTO secondary schools in the Netherlands and the number is growing steadily. More and more parents want their children to learn secondary school subjects in another language. In the Dutch setting this is normally English.
CLIL is also used in higher education, especially in business studies programmes with a strong international element. The University of Utrecht (IVLOS) has recently started an English-medium one-year postgraduate teacher-training programme in English (grade one), using CLIL. The Amsterdam Faculty of Education is now introducing English-medium elements in its four-year teacher training programmes (grade two).
The European Union aims has as an aim that its citizens know three of the community languages and supports CLIL as one of the ways of reaching this goal. In the Netherlands, the European Platform (www.europeesplatform.nl) has a coordinating role for CLIL and TTO.

What is TL2L
In 1999, Lärarhögskolan i Stockholm (LHS), Aalborg Seminarium (AS) and the Amsterdam Faculty of Education (EFA) decided to co-operate intensively in the project TL2L (Teaching and Learning in a Second Language). The overall aim of our project has been to increase student and staff mobility, and to confront all students at the participating institutes with the international and intercultural elements in their subjects and in teaching. After having cooperated in this project for a year, LHS, AS and EFA submitted a proposal for a Comenius 2.1 grant and obtained a grant for a three year period. At the start of the second phase, in January 2003, St Kliment Ohridski University in Sofia (SU) joined as a fourth partner. Znanie Association in the same city is an associated partner.
A core element in the project has been the joint development of English-medium modules in all subjects (so not just languages), which also have had an element of joint delivery. With these modules, LHS, AS and EFA integrated visiting and home students so that there was a visible international/intercultural element in the curricula of students who stayed in their own country for their studies. These modules also formed an excellent preparation for students who are planned to study abroad at a later date, and (if taken in large enough doses) for students who planned to use English as the medium of instruction for their subject teaching. TL2L thus tied in with the growth of bilingual education worldwide. Finally, TL2L made students more aware of the role of language in the teaching and learning process and helped them to teach more effectively in their native language, especially to pupils who have a different first language.
At the moment the medium of instruction at LHS, AS, EFA and SU is almost exclusively the majority of the students’ native language (Swedish, Danish, Dutch and Bulgarian respectively). This stands in the way of in-depth international projects between students and staff of these institutes. As a consequence, student mobility becomes too incidental, and those students who do not study abroad for a period of time (the majority of students) are hardly or not at all confronted with international aspects of their subjects and future profession (teaching).
At the same time, a trend is visible in primary and especially secondary education towards plurilingual schools. A structural approach to the training of future teachers at these schools is needed.
Finally, the increasingly multicultural population of the primary and secondary schools requires teachers who have acquired linguistic awareness.
The main aim of TL2L has been to act on these developments my introducing the students at the participating institutes with CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning). By providing students with skills to study and work in a multilingual setting TL2L opened up doors for staff and student mobility (study as well as placement) and prepared students for a career in international and multilingual education.

About the Terminology Database
The first version of the CLIL Terminology Database was designed in 2001 as part of the CLIL training programme for teaching staff at the Amsterdam Faculty of Education, EFA. While making new content modules in English, teaching staff (who are content specialists but not linguists) add terminology in English to the database that they find useful for themselves and for students who will follow the module. The database thus has two objectives: the teaching staff will expand their knowledge of English terminology and the students will be able to consult the database while taking English-medium modules.
Although designed first of all for EFA staff and students, tutors and students from other schools and institutes of higher education are welcome to use the database too. This will be beneficial in two ways. First of all, the larger the number of tutors that add terminology, the more useful the database will become. Institutes that offer CLIL can thus pool their resources and do not need each separately to re-invent the wheel.
Secondly, as it is now, the CLIL Terminology Database is a pilot version. Learning from experiences of users from EFA as well as outside EFA, we will be able to redesign the database. For comments or queries: see contact.

About the Amsterdam Faculty of Education, EFA
The Amsterdam Faculty of Education, EFA, is a major centre for teacher education and in-service training at primary, secondary and vocational levels. EFA is located in the 'Kohnstammhuis' in the centre of Amsterdam. With 4,000 students and 300 members of teaching staff, it is one of the largest institutes for teacher education in the Netherlands. In addition to its teacher education programmes, EFA offers pedagogical studies as a separate subject.
All EFA programmes seek to link theoretical knowledge and understanding with practical application. The four-year programme for secondary education combines undergraduate studies in the student's chosen subject with methodology, pedagogical skills and education studies. Students for primary education are offered the latter three fields of study together with the full range of primary school subjects. Students go on teaching practice in all four years of their programme and spend half their final year as starting professionals at a placement school.
EFA was formed in 1996 through the merging of the Hogeschool of Amsterdam and Hogeschool INHOLLAND faculties of education. At its inception, EFA was granted experimental status by the Dutch Minister of Education, enabling the faculty to develop innovative approaches to teaching and learning.
For more information on the Amsterdam Faculty of Education visit the EFA website at www.efa.nl