Abstract:

There has been an ongoing discussion on the dichotomies of religion e.g. between ritual and conceptual aspects in rituals studies (Durkheim, Turner). Catherine Bell, however, argues to homologize the mentioned dichotomies in ritual studies. Based on rituals studies we would like to develop an interdisciplinary didactic approach joining together Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) and Performative Religious Pedagogy. On the basis of the CLIL competence model developed by Bonnet, Breidbach and Hallet and the competence model for religious education published by the Comenius Institute. The mentioned CLIL competences focus on four dimensions: conceptual, discursive, methodological and reflexive. With CLIL learners there can also a dichotomy between their mother tongue identity and the identity in the L2 (language two) be observed. L2 fosters a kind of alienation that supports the process of gaining a reflected identity according to the reflexive dimension of the CLIL competence model. Didier Maillat coined the term “mask effect”. Thus the L2 is a mask that protects students with their utterances. However, there is still the moment of alienation in this CLIL environment. Binding together CLIL in Religious Education, where conceptual aspects such as beliefs, symbols, and myths can be located with Performative Pedagogy with its corporeal focus, we would like to show a method for the classroom how to overcome the mentioned dichotomies in ritual studies as well as in the learner´s identity. To implement this performative approach in the CLIL classroom we refer to methods used in Augusto Boal´s “The Theatre of the Oppressed”.

Keywords:

CLIL, performance studies, religious education, interdisciplinary.