A Tale of Two Approaches in Bilingual Education: CLIL And ECA Reinforced EFL Teaching

Abstract Book of the 10th World Conference on Research in Education

Year: 2026

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A Tale of Two Approaches in Bilingual Education: CLIL And ECA Reinforced EFL Teaching

Edward Y.W. Chu

ABSTRACT:

This quasi-experimental study investigated whether bilingual education or extensive English-related extracurricular activities (ECAs) more effectively enhance English proficiency among Hong Kong primary students. Two demographically comparable schools were examined: School 1 implemented a bilingual programme using English as a medium for content subjects, while School 2 followed a traditional curriculum supplemented by rich ECAs. Pupils from P2–P5 completed identical pre- and post-tests in listening, reading/writing, speaking, and vocabulary, adapted from Cambridge YLE and a content-related vocabulary scale. Baseline L2 levels were comparable across schools. Both groups showed significant gains in all skills, but the bilingual group generally achieved larger effect sizes, especially in vocabulary and listening, with stronger advantages in senior forms. Reading and writing gains were more modest and similar across schools. Overall, findings suggest bilingual instruction yields stronger proficiency gains than ECA-enhanced traditional programmes, particularly for oral-aural and content-linked vocabulary development.

Keywords: Bilingual Education, ECA, English Proficiency, Hong Kong