Adaptation of the CLIL methodology for teaching English to employees of the energy sector with an emphasis on renewable energy sources and environmental aspects

Abstract

The present study is devoted to the adaptation of the methodology of integrated subject-language learning (CLIL) for teaching English to employees of the energy sector, with a focus on the terminology of renewable energy sources and environmental aspects. The relevance of the work is due to global transformations in the energy sector, which require specialists to be fluent in industry English for international cooperation and compliance with environmental standards. Traditional teaching methods often do not provide the required level of subject-language competence. As part of the research, specialized CLIL training modules have been developed and tested, integrating the study of professional content (renewable energy technologies, environmental aspects of energy) with the development of language skills. The methodology included case studies of real enterprises, simulations of professional negotiations, work with technical documentation, as well as the design of environmental initiatives. To assess the effectiveness, comparative analysis of test results (vocabulary, understanding of texts), questionnaires (motivation), observation, interviews and expert assessments in experimental (CLIL) and control (traditional methods) groups were used. The results demonstrate the statistically significant superiority of the CLIL technique. The experimental group showed a significantly higher increase in the terminological vocabulary (38.52±3.17 units versus 19.83±2.94), the level of understanding of specialized texts (86.39±4.21% versus 72.15±5.02%) and motivation (8.77±1.02 points versus 6.94±1.11). The methodology also contributed to the development of communication skills for presentations and negotiations, increased confidence in the protection of project proposals, environmental awareness (84.02±3.56% versus 70.88±4.12%) and responsibility. The long-term effect was revealed in the form of an increase in environmental motivation and the practical application of knowledge both in the workplace and in everyday life. The discussion of the results highlights that CLIL provides a synergy of language and professional training, forming specialists who are ready to meet the challenges of sustainable energy and effective international cooperation. The integrated approach not only accelerates the development of terminology and improves communication, but also acts as an effective tool for the formation of an ecological culture. The study confirms the high practical value and prospects of the adapted CLIL methodology for educational programs in the energy sector, especially in the context of the global transition to renewable energy sources.