Multimodal input for subject-specific vocabulary and cognates in CLIL

Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) is a growing methodological approach in Italian secondary schools. However, CLIL remains understudied within this education- al context, particularly regarding subject-specific vocabulary (SSV), which is essential for helping learners understand, create meaning, and engage with content. The study used a mixed-method approach to compare a CLIL group (120 pre-intermediate learners) with a non-CLIL group (25 learners). The CLIL group completed an astronomy module in English with the support of captioned multimodal input, whereas the non-CLIL group covered the same module in Italian during science lessons and encountered the key SSV taught using traditional methods (wordlists, matching exercises) during English as a foreign language (EFL) lessons. A pre- and post-test design was employed to measure SSV. Data were complemented with an analysis of CLIL students’ receptive SSV vocabulary gains in CLIL students’ oral presentations. The results indicated that both groups demonstrated im- provements in vocabulary gains in English.