In this short paper, I will outline what the CLIL approach to foreign language instruction is and what benefits can be obtained by adopting this approach to English teaching in Japan. To clarify how CLIL can be applied in English-language classrooms, I will use a lesson taken from a MEXT-authorized high school English textbook and illustrate how to adapt the lesson by incorporating the idea of "soft CLIL", where the aim is not so much on specialized subject learning, but on language learning with a substantial focus on meaning and skill development. Students will engage in multiple rounds of activities centered on the reading materials, first focusing on rough ideas about the reading content, and gradually shifting attention to details and forms, and finally going beyond the reading to relate it to topics of wider scope and greater relevance to the students' own lives. It is expected that students will become active participants in class and develop greater autonomy and sense of responsibility in their own learning.
