Conceptualizing and developing teacher language awareness for content and language integration (TLA for CLI) across educational contexts.

Teacher language awareness for content and language integration (TLA for CLI) is the special type of knowledge and perception of language required by teachers who teach content through a second or foreign language or combine language and content instruction. This Special Issue examines how TLA for CLIL is conceptualized and developed in diverse settings, from primary to tertiary education, around the world (North and South America, Asia, and Europe). Building on Edge's framework of three domains of language teachers' knowledge (user, analyst, teacher) and Andrews' work on teacher language awareness, the six studies use various theoretical lenses and methodological options to explore TLA for CLI in their respective settings. Key emerging themes include the theory-practice relationship in TLA, the role of collaboration in developing TLA for CLI, the impact of teachers' epistemological beliefs, the importance of critical language awareness, and the need for a plurilingual perspective. After examining the cross-cutting themes in the six studies, the editorial proposes expanding the construct of TLA for CLI to incorporate critical sociolinguistic perspectives, plurilingual competence, and disciplinary literacy. PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY: This editorial introduces a collection of six articles about teacher language awareness for content and language integration (TLA for CLI), which is how teachers understand and use language when teaching subjects in a language that is not the students' (or often their own) first language. This happens in many schools and universities worldwide, where subjects like science or history are taught in a second language, or content such as science or history is used in language lessons. The articles look at different types of schools and programmes, from elementary to university level, in various countries in North and South America, Asia and Europe. They explore the kinds of knowledge and awareness teachers need to balance teaching both the subject content and the language. Some key ideas emerge: teachers need both theoretical knowledge about language and the skills to put it into practice; collaboration with other teachers and researchers helps teachers improve their language awareness; teachers' beliefs about language affect how and what they teach; it is important for teachers to think critically about how language is used in its social contexts; teachers need to be aware that learners know and use other languages apart from the language of instruction and use this in their teaching. After analysing the key ideas in the six papers, the editorial suggests that teacher training for teachers who combine content and language teaching should include more focus on critical thinking about language, using multiple languages, and understanding disciplinary literacy – that is, how language works in different subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]