Prof. Fred Genesee

Keynote address

The Suitability of CLIL Education for Students with Learning Challenges

Extensive research on CLIL/immersion/bilingual programs in North America and around the world has demonstrated that these forms of dual language education can be, and often are, effective at promoting advanced levels of second language proficiency without jeopardizing students’ first language or academic development. The vast majority of this research has been carried out with typically-developing students from majority language and cultural groups. This limitation in current research raises important ethical, professional and practical issues. This presentation will discuss findings from research on students with learning challenges, including language and reading disabilities and special education needs, in CLIL-TYPE programs. I will also discuss features of CLIL/immersion programs that are critical to ensure the success of students with diverse learning needs.

Prof. Genesee is professor of psychology at McGill University, Montreal. His primary research interests focus on bilingualism and bilingual first language acquisition in normal and impaired populations. He is also interested in second language acquisition in school and the modalities for effective acquisition in school contexts.