Introduction
In recent years, there has been increased interest in teaching and learning other subjects than languages through the medium of a foreign language. In Europe, the use of CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) programmes to make Europe multilingual has become more widespread. The principles behind CLIL include the wide range of advantages of cross-curricular teaching and the learning of content in an additional language, mainly English.
The integration of content and language does not hold a prominent place in the literature on Physical Education (PE) but a number of papers do provide a background for creating and incorporating second language development through PE. The cultural and linguistic diversity of schools across the US is increasing, and Bell and Lorenzi (2004) provide practical examples and ideas to help physical educators incorporate language learning in PE lessons; that is, to provide opportunities to use the language with ESOL students. In the same context, Clancy and Hruska (2005) argue that PE settings can be particularly conducive to second language learning because they offer conditions similar to those underlying children’s first language acquisition process, and these authors provide examples of planning language objectives within the context of PE lessons.