Vertical integration in language education: a CLIL-based framework for bridging secondary and tertiary professional foreign language development
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31812/ed.1052Keywords:
vertical integration, CLIL, ESP, foreign language, competence, Bloom’s taxonomy, professional communication, secondary-tertiary transition, integrative approachAbstract
This paper proposes a framework for vertical integration in language education, addressing the discontinuity between secondary foreign language instruction and tertiary professional language development. Drawing on Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) methodology and English for Specific Purposes (ESP) theory, the framework conceptualizes the secondary-tertiary transition as progression along a continuum rather than movement between disconnected educational stages. The paper adapts the CLIL 4Cs framework (Content, Communication, Cognition, Culture) for university ESP contexts, demonstrating how integrative principles validated in secondary education can inform tertiary professional language instruction. Central to the framework is a subsystem of exercises organized according to three-stage text engagement (pre-text, text, post-text) and mapped to Bloom’s taxonomy levels, ensuring systematic cognitive progression from lower-order to higher-order thinking skills. Empirical grounding derives from pedagogical research on the integrative elective course “History of Ukraine in English”, which demonstrated significant gains in foreign language competence among secondary students using the proposed methodology. The paper presents design principles for ESP courses that maintain methodological coherence with secondary approaches while addressing the distinct demands of professional language education, discusses implementation considerations including curriculum alignment, instructor preparation, and assessment approaches, and identifies directions for future research. The framework contributes to scholarship on educational transitions by offering specific mechanisms through which vertical integration in language education can be achieved.
Downloads
References
Aguilar, M., 2018. Integrating Intercultural Competence in ESP and EMI: From Theory to Practice. ESP Today, 6(1), pp.25–43. Available from: https://doi.org/10.18485/esptoday.2018.6.1.2. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18485/esptoday.2018.6.1.2
Anderson, L.W., Krathwohl, D.R., Airasian, P.W., Cruikshank, K.A., Mayer, R.E., Pintrich, P.R., Raths, J. and Wittrock, M.C., eds, 2001. A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing: A Revision of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. Abridged ed. New York: Longman. Available from: https://eclass.uoa.gr/modules/document/file.php/PPP242/Lorin%20W.%20Anderson%2C%20David%20R.%20Krathwohl%20-%20A%20taxonomy%20for%20learning%20teaching%20and%20assessing_%20a%20revision%20of%20Bloom%60s%20taxonomy%20of%20educational%20objetives-Longman%20%282001%29.pdf.
Ardinal, B.T. and Anwar, D., 2023. An analysis of ESP materials at SMK Nusatama Padang. AIP Conference Proceedings, 2805(1), p.090031. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0148468. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0148468
Basturkmen, H., 2025. ESP Teacher Development. In: S. Starfield and C.A. Hafner, eds. The Handbook of English for Specific Purposes. 2nd ed. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, chap. 12, pp.225–241. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119985068.ch12. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119985068.ch12
Bayrambayram, İ. and Canaran, Ö., 2020. Identifying the perceived professional development needs of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) teachers. Ilkogretim Online - Elementary Education Online, 19(3), pp.1647–1659. https://acikarsiv.thk.edu.tr/server/api/core/bitstreams/afcd91e1-01b8-4233-849c-c7b1596a3c1f/content, Available from: https://doi.org/10.17051/ilkonline.2020.734559. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17051/ilkonline.2020.734559
Bazhutina, M.M. and Tsepilova, A.V., 2024. The Development of CEFR-Based Descriptors for Assessing Engineering Students’ Integrative ESP Competence. P, 12(1), p.93–117. Available from: https://doi.org/10.18485/esptoday.2024.12.1.5. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18485/esptoday.2024.12.1.5
Belcher, D.D., 2006. English for Specific Purposes: Teaching to Perceived Needs and Imagined Futures in Worlds of Work, Study, and Everyday Life. TESOL Quarterly, 40(1), pp.133–156. Available from: https://doi.org/10.2307/40264514. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/40264514
Bloom, B.S., Engelhart, M.D., Furst, E.J., Hill, W.H. and Krathwohl, D.R., 1956. Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: The Classification of Educational Goals. Handbook I: Cognitive Domain. New York: Longmans. Available from: https://eclass.uoa.gr/modules/document/file.php/PPP242/Benjamin%20S.%20Bloom%20-%20Taxonomy%20of%20Educational%20Objectives%2C%20Handbook%201_%20Cognitive%20Domain-Addison%20Wesley%20Publishing%20Company%20%281956%29.pdf.
Borisova, E.N. and Letkina, N.V., 2019. English for Professional Communication: A Project-Based Approach to Teaching University Students (a Case Study of Music Students). Integration of Education, 23(4), p.607–627. Available from: https://doi.org/10.15507/1991-9468.097.023.201904.607-627. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15507/1991-9468.097.023.201904.607-627
Čepon, S., 2012. Higher Education Institutions without Foreign Language Continuity. English Language Teaching, 5(8), pp.31–41. Available from: https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v5n8p31. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v5n8p31
Council of Europe, 2001. Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Available from: https://rm.coe.int/common-european-framework-of-reference-for-languages-learning-teaching/16802fc1bf.
Council of Europe, 2020. Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, teaching, assessment – Companion volume. Strasbourg: Council of Europe Publishing. Available from: https://rm.coe.int/common-european-framework-of-reference-for-languages-learning-teaching/16809ea0d4.
Coyle, D., Hood, P. and Marsh, D., 2021. CLIL: Content and Language Integrated Learning. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009024549. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009024549
Dalton-Puffer, C., 2011. Content-and-Language Integrated Learning: From Practice to Principles? Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 31, p.182–204. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0267190511000092. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0267190511000092
De Prada Creo, E., 2023. Intensive Experiential ESP Programmes for Continuing Education: Analysis and Effectiveness. The Journal of Continuing Higher Education, 71(2), pp.224–236. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/07377363.2021.2002605. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/07377363.2021.2002605
Drašler, A. and Podgoršek, S., 2022. Student Perceptions of the Use of Authentic Materials and Tasks in LSP Teaching. Journal for Foreign Languages, 14(1), pp.325–341. Available from: https://doi.org/10.4312/vestnik.14.325-341. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4312/vestnik.14.325-341
Dudley-Evans, T. and St John, M.J., 1998. Developments in English for Specific Purposes: A multi-disciplinary Approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Fernández-Costales, A., 2023. Cognitive development in CLIL. In: D.L. Banegas and S. Zappa-Hollman, eds. The Routledge Handbook of Content and Language Integrated Learning. London: Routledge, pp.127–140. Available from: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003173151-12. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003173151-12
Herreño-Contreras, Y.A., 2023. Mapping Higher Order Thinking Skills in English for Specific Purposes Classes. Lengua y Sociedad, 22(2), pp.417–454. Available from: https://doi.org/10.15381/lengsoc.v22i2.25312. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15381/lengsoc.v22i2.25312
Hutchinson, T. and Waters, A., 1987. English for Specific Purposes: A learning-centred Approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511733031
Jaekel, N., van Ackern, I., Schurig, M. and Markus, R., 2022. Investigating the transition from elementary to secondary school: student perspectives of the continuum and receptive language proficiency. The Language Learning Journal, 50(6), pp.747–762. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2021.1879906. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2021.1879906
Karami, A., 2020. The Use of Schema Theory, Information-Processing Theory, and Sociocultural Theory in Teaching Culturally Unfamiliar Texts in Second/Foreign Language Classrooms. Educational Practice and Theory, 42(2), pp.23–38. Available from: https://doi.org/10.7459/ept/42.2.03. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7459/ept/42.2.03
Karami, A., 2021. The Schematic Information-Processing (SIP) model of reading comprehension: Theoretical support for the utilization of text-relevant video segments to teach culturally unfamiliar texts in second/foreign language classrooms. Cogent Education, 8(1), p.1891613. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2021.1891613. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2021.1891613
Kling, J. and Dimova, S., 2023. CLIL and English-medium Instruction. In: D.L. Banegas and S. Zappa-Hollman, eds. The Routledge Handbook of Content and Language Integrated Learning. London: Routledge. Available from: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003173151. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003173151-7
Kremen, V.G., Hrynevych, L.M., Lugovyi, V.I. and Talanova, Z.V., 2022. Quality of Education and Innovation-Driven Development: the New Ukrainian School Reform in the Context of Global Trends. Science and Innovation, 18(1), p.29–43. Available from: https://doi.org/10.15407/scine18.01.029. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15407/scine18.01.029
Kruawong, T. and Imsa-ard, P., 2024. Investigating STEM Secondary School Teachers’ CLIL Assessment Practices in EFL Contexts: the Repertory Grid Technique. RELC Journal. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1177/00336882241304123. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/00336882241304123
Liu, J.E., Lo, Y.Y. and Xin, J.J., 2023. CLIL teacher assessment literacy: A scoping review. Teaching and Teacher Education, 129, p.104150. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2023.104150. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2023.104150
Lo, Y.Y. and Fung, D., 2020. Assessments in CLIL: the interplay between cognitive and linguistic demands and their progression in secondary education. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 23(10), pp.1192–1210. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2018.1436519. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2018.1436519
Long, M.H., 2005. Methodological issues in learner needs analysis. In: M.H. Long, ed. Second Language Needs Analysis. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, chap. 1, pp.19–76. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511667299.002. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511667299.002
Marsh, D., 2002. CLIL/EMILE: The European Dimension: Actions, Trends and Foresight Potential. Jyväskylä: UniCOM, Continuing Education Centre. Available from: https://www.ecml.at/Portals/1/resources/Articles%20and%20publications%20on%20the%20ECML/CLIL_EMILE.pdf.
Martínez Agudo, J.d.D., 2019. Which instructional programme (EFL or CLIL) results in better oral communicative competence? Updated empirical evidence from a monolingual context. Linguistics and Education, 51, pp.69–78. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.linged.2019.04.008. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.linged.2019.04.008
Meyer, O., Coyle, D., Halbach, A., Schuck, K. and Ting, T., 2015. A pluriliteracies approach to content and language integrated learning – mapping learner progressions in knowledge construction and meaning-making. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 28(1), pp.41–57. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/07908318.2014.1000924. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/07908318.2014.1000924
Nurmatova, S. and Altun, M., 2023. A Comprehensive Review of Bloom’s Taxonomy Integration to Enhancing Novice EFL Educators’ Pedagogical Impact. Arab World English Journal, 14(3), pp.380–388. Available from: https://doi.org/10.24093/awej/vol14no3.24. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24093/awej/vol14no3.24
Nurmetov, D., Bakić-Mirić, N. and Chaklikova, A., 2025. What makes an ESP class authentic? Journal of Teaching English for Specific and Academic Purposes, 13(1), pp.233–244. Available from: https://doi.org/10.22190/JTESAP250210019N. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22190/JTESAP250210019N
Olsson, E., 2025. A comparative study of CLIL implementation in upper secondary school in Sweden and students’ development of L2 English academic vocabulary. Language Teaching Research, 29(1), pp.7–32. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1177/13621688211045000. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/13621688211045000
Pérez Cañado, M.L., 2018. The effects of CLIL on L1 and content learning: Updated empirical evidence from monolingual contexts. Learning and Instruction, 57, pp.18–33. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2017.12.002. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2017.12.002
Pérez Cañado, M.L. and Lancaster, N.K., 2017. The effects of CLIL on oral comprehension and production: a longitudinal case study. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 30(3), pp.300–316. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/07908318.2017.1338717. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/07908318.2017.1338717
Polyakova, O. and O’Callaghan, S., 2023. Post-Graduate Training in the Competence Development of CLIL Teachers. Education and Self Development, 18(1), pp.43–59. Available from: https://doi.org/10.26907/esd.18.1.04. DOI: https://doi.org/10.26907/esd.18.1.04
Poveda-Garcia-Noblejas, B. and Antropova, S., 2024. Analysis of CLIL-Related Research in School Settings: A Systematic Review. Journal of Language and Education, 10(1), pp.146–159. Available from: https://doi.org/10.17323/jle.2024.18150. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17323/jle.2024.18150
Rezvani, R. and Farsimadan, D., 2025. The Alignment of Intended, Enacted, and Assessed Curricula: The Case of Shiraz University TEFL B.A. Curriculum. Applied Research on English Language, 14(1), pp.1–28. Available from: https://doi.org/10.22108/are.2024.142877.2373.
Sato, T., 2023. Assessment in CLIL. In: D.L. Banegas and S. Zappa-Hollman, eds. The Routledge Handbook of Content and Language Integrated Learning. London: Routledge, pp.355–370. Available from: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003173151-29. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003173151-29
Schmidt-Unterberger, B., 2018. The English-medium paradigm: a conceptualisation of English-medium teaching in higher education. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 21(5), pp.527–539. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2018.1491949. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2018.1491949
Shanavas, S.P., Singh, S. and Vargheese, K.J., 2024. Teaching English for Specific Purposes in Tertiary Contexts: Navigating Education and Assessment Challenges. Changing English: Studies in Culture and Education, 31(2), pp.188–199. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/1358684X.2024.2309992. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/1358684X.2024.2309992
Shawer, S.F., 2010. Classroom-level curriculum development: EFL teachers as curriculum-developers, curriculum-makers and curriculum-transmitters. Teaching and Teacher Education, 26(2), pp.173–184. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2009.03.015. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2009.03.015
Smagulova, B.G., Tussupbekova, M., Zagatova, S.B., Kazhikenova, N.K. and Zhamankozova, A.T., 2019. CLIL Approach to Overcome Language Acquisition Barrier of Non-Linguistic Specialty Students. International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change, 8(6), pp.1–12. Available from: https://www.ijicc.net/images/vol8iss6/8601_Smagulova_2019_E_R.pdf.
Soloviova, N., Salata, I. and Sorochan, L., 2024. Formation of Discourse Competence Through Literary Discourse Interpretation in Foreign Language Teaching. Philological Studies: Scientific Bulletin of Kryvyi Rih State Pedagogical University, 25, p.112–134. Available from: https://doi.org/10.31812/filstd.v25i.8151. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31812/filstd.v25i.8151
Sorochan, L.F., 2025. Methodology of improving the level of high school students’ foreign language competence with the help of the integrative elective course “History of Ukraine in English”. Qualifying scientific work on manuscript rights. Dissertation for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in the specialty 014 Secondary Education. Kryvyi Rih State Pedagogical University, Kryvyi Rih. Available from: https://elibrary.kdpu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/11661.
Srilakshmi, M., 2019. Effective Reading Strategies to Teach Prose: An Empirical Study. The IUP Journal of English Studies, 14(2), pp.116–121. Available from: https://iupindia.in/ViewArticleDetails.asp?ArticleID=2380.
Stoller, F.L. and Robinson, M.S., 2018. Innovative ESP Teaching Practices and Materials Development. In: K. Hyland and P. Shaw, eds. Key Issues in English for Specific Purposes in Higher Education. Cham: Springer, English Language Education, vol. 11, pp.29–49. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-70214-8_3. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-70214-8_3
Swales, J.M., 1990. Genre Analysis: English in Academic and Research Settings. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Tavella, G. and Loutayf, M.S., 2023. CLIL and English for Specific Purposes. In: D.L. Banegas and S. Zappa-Hollman, eds. The Routledge Handbook of Content and Language Integrated Learning. London: Routledge, pp.559–573. Available from: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003173151-6. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003173151-6
Varghese, R., 2012. An Integrated Teaching Model to Develop English Proficiency of ESL Management Students. 3L: The Southeast Asian Journal of English Language Studies, 18(4), pp.105–117. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/267379620.
Xin, J.J., Fung, D. and Tavares, N.J., 2025. The 4Cs in action: evaluating language-driven CLIL materials for holistic learning experiences. The Language Learning Journal. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2025.2494017. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2025.2494017
Zeng, S. and Della, C., 2024. A Systematic Review of Professional Communication Skills in English for Specific Purposes in Vocational Education within the New Media Era. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research, 2024(114), pp.226–249. Available from: https://doi.org/10.14689/ejer.2024.114.013.
Zhao, L. and Li, Y., 2025. English Language Teachers Transitioning from English for General Purposes to English for Specific/Academic Purposes: Challenges and Professional Development. ESP Today, 13(2), pp.268–295. Available from: https://doi.org/10.18485/esptoday.2025.13.2.2. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18485/esptoday.2025.13.2.2
Downloads
Submitted
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Vita A. Hamaniuk, Liliia F. Sorochan, Valeriia S. Poliarenko
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
Accepted 2025-11-01
Published 2026-01-01
