Can Thai students thrive in CLIL classrooms?

Abstract This study examines how 25 Thai lower secondary students with limited English proficiency engaged with their first experience of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) in a logistics-focused lesson. Using video-recorded lessons and classroom observations, the study explores students’ comprehension, participation, and communication across eight sessions. The findings show that students successfully completed visually supported and procedural tasks but struggled with language-intensive activities requiring explanation, classification, or justification. Students frequently relied on Thai and translation tools to manage these challenges, indicating a clear gap between their understanding of the content and the academic English needed for disciplinary communication. The study highlights the importance of gradual task sequencing, explicit language scaffolding, and purposeful L1 integration to support early-stage CLIL implementation. Implications are offered for designing realistic, language-aware CLIL instruction that aligns with the needs of low-proficiency students in the Thai context.