CLIL in teaching economics at university

Abstract

Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) has become increasingly relevant in higher education, especially in disciplines requiring global communication skills such as Economics. This study examines the effectiveness of CLIL – based instruction in an undergraduate Economics program at a European university. Using a quasi-experimental design, we compared language development, conceptual understanding, and student engagement across two intact groups: one following a CLIL approach and one taught through traditional lectures. Results indicate that CLIL significantly improved students’ disciplinary vocabulary, reading comprehension of economics texts, and engagement, without reducing conceptual mastery, implications for curriculum design and teacher training are discussed.