Language Education Policy and Ideology: CLIL in Flanders

To embrace the new challenges and opportunities of increasing globalization and cross-cultural communication at all levels, the European Commission has been advocating CLIL education across EU member states since the late 20th century. In Belgium, despite Wallonia adopting this approach as early as 1998, Flanders officially approved the implementation of CLIL education in its secondary education system only in 2014, followed by continuous monitoring and adjustment. This study analyzes the process of formulating the updated CLIL language education policy (LEP) in Flanders, the rationale behind the policy, and the language education management in different layers. Combining the backgrounds of language practices and the operational system of CLIL LEP in Flanders, we found that although the CLIL LEP conflicts with the early language legislation, it is a strategy to prepare the new generation to embrace new challenges and opportunities driven by globalization and cross-cultural communication at all levels. However, the approved policy aims to promote a select multilingualism, which focus lies with the promotion of English. Furthermore, CLIL education is operated as a parallel mode in schools, accompanied by compulsory Flemish programs to ensure the dominance of the Flemish language. This is also a top-down approach carefully monitored by the government while supplemented resources are yet far from sufficient.