Leonzini Luisella (2012) The unbearable heaviness of philosophy made lighter: the unbearable effectiveness of a CLIL approach. in Taylor, C. e Muscarà, M (eds.), Identità e dignità: AICLU per le lingue del mondo, pp. 197-222, Eunco Edizioni: Lenforte (EN), ISBN 978-88-97085-68-3

This paper deals with the analysis of a study on how the CLIL 1 approach, experienced throughout a three-year project with students attending a Liceo linguistico in Trieste, has led them to improve both their written and oral general linguistic competence and production, and their specific language terminology. By promoting a methodology, which practices the principle of «learning by doing» (Marsh, Langé, 2000), students are intrinsically motivated to activate a task-based process, and work on constructing their newly enriched declarative knowledge and existential competence. My first aim was to provide students with an innovative and dynamic learning environment in order to expose them naturally to language integrated with some stimulating and authentic contents. Secondly, as a result of being faced with an interactive context and meaningful activities, students were offered more opportunities to better their learning conditions and achieve a better competence in the foreign language. The final step was to promote collaboration. In a learner- centred context students are asked to manipulate the given information, to reflect, share ideas and knowledge with the others, to discuss and examine possible solutions, and solve problems. Being equipped with the necessary instruments, both linguistic and extra-linguistic, learners are actively engaged in the learning process, and act as reflective builders of their acquisition. Indeed, my students were made responsible of using thinking skills like analysing, synthesising and evaluating their outs (Bloom 1956).