Task-Based CLIL in Engineering Education: Linking Motivation, Engagement, and Language Development

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a Task-Based Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) textbook designed for engineering students at three Japanese universities. The textbook was developed to enhance English language skills, including reading, listening, writing, speaking, vocabulary, and grammar through the integration of engineering content. To assess the textbook’s impact, an 18-item Likert-scale survey based on the CLIL 4Cs framework was administered to 48 engineering students across the three universities at the end of their respective courses. The survey gauged students’ perceptions of improvements in their language skills and their engagement with the content.

Kendall’s tau-b correlation analysis revealed significant relationships between motivation, content engagement, instructional clarity, and language skill development. The majority of students reported that the textbook increased their motivation, which was significantly correlated with perceived improvements in reading, listening, and writing.

Students who found the engineering content engaging were also more likely to perceive improvements in writing, speaking, and listening, emphasizing the role of content engagement in language acquisition. A clear understanding of task instructions was strongly linked to improvements in writing, listening, and speaking. Additionally, students who felt more comfortable using English in an engineering context reported enhanced vocabulary and speaking skills.

These findings highlight the positive impact of the Task-Based CLIL textbook in fostering motivation, engagement, and language proficiency. However, a limitation of the study is that the results are based on students’ self-reported perceptions rather than objective assessments of language proficiency. Future research, therefore, should incorporate performance-based evaluations to validate these perceived improvements.