In chapter 1, Heine outlines the CLIL paradox where learners have to acquire the subject content while lacking linguistic competence. Since few studies have focused on the role that second language (L2) plays in mental processes for content learning in CLIL settings, the research presented here seeks to explore that gap. The chapters that follow shed light on the interrelationship between the subject and language side of CLIL learning for better implementation in curriculum, materials, and teaching methods.
Chapter 2 provides an overview of theoretical frameworks, models of linguistic knowledge, and the relationship between language and thought in general and more specifically in problem solving situations. This brief historical look at semantic knowledge, conceptual knowledge, cognitive psychology, and social experiences situates the study in the literature and foreshadows the approach used in analyzing the empirical data presented later in chapter 9. The author concludes that although the coding of thought is not bound to language, there is a role for language in building abstract knowledge categories.