CLIL research over the past three decades: A bibliometric analysis.

Content and language integrated learning (CLIL) is a pedagogical approach that merges language and content learning. It originated in Europe and increasingly influences bilingual and multilingual education worldwide. This article reviews the international research literature on CLIL, focusing on publications from 1994 to 2022, to discern patterns, evaluate the progress of the field, and anticipate future directions. The analysis reveals a marked growth in CLIL research, with a notable spike since 2007, and Europe's dominant role, especially contributions from Spain, the UK and Germany, reflecting the influence of EU language policies and the concentrated academic efforts in this region. CLIL research primarily revolves around bilingual/multilingual education and language teaching, involving five key areas: impact on language learners; teaching effectiveness evaluation; influencing factors on implementation; professional development of teachers; and CLIL practice in higher education. Future CLIL research will focus on the deeper integration of language and subject learning, combining CLIL with English as a medium of instruction (EMI), embracing learner diversity, and aligning with pluriliteracies. These findings guide language education transformation and further CLIL research development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]