A longitudinal test of the impact of CLIL on language emotions and learning motivation

This study relies on a longitudinal design to test the added value of a Content and Language Integrated Learning approach (CLIL) for socio-affective outcomes. 756 French-speaking pupils at primary or secondary school, learning either English or Dutch (as a ‘language other than English’), in a CLIL track or in non-CLIL mainstream foreign language classes, participated in the study. The participants twice completed a questionnaire and several tests over an 18-month interval. The questionnaire included items measuring their emotions in the classroom (anxiety and enjoyment) and motivation for language learning (perceived task value, expectancy for success, and perceived cost). A range of individual background characteristics, including initial vocabulary knowledge in the target language, were included in the analyses. The findings of the group comparison between CLIL and non-CLIL (between-subject) showed that the CLIL group reported more favorable emotions and motivation for language learning, in line with previous cross-sectional research on socio-affective outcomes. However, the longitudinal results (within-subject) indicated that the effects of CLIL were limited, particularly when initial vocabulary knowledge was factored in. Our findings thus contradict or moderate the (largely theoretical) claim that CLIL de facto would generate advantages in terms of socio-affective factors such as language emotions and learning motivation. •Integrating language and content (CLIL) is believed to increase learning motivation.•Controlling for contextual/individual factors is crucial to identify CLIL effects.•A longitudinal perspective shows limited effect of CLIL on emotions and motivation.•Language learning emotions and motivation depend rather on (prior) Lx knowledge.•Dynamicity of classroom emotions is rather linked to Lx (knowledge) than to CLIL.