Empowering language learners as global citizens via the sustainable development goals

Abstract

In order to promote active global citizenship and critical thinking, this paper offers practical suggestions for language teachers to include the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into their lessons. Language teachers can motivate students to act and develop social responsibility by addressing global issues and organizing lessons around the SDGs. The SDGs can be included into language instruction to help students develop skills like critical thinking, problem-solving, and effective communication while exploring underrepresented issues in the classroom. This paper offers language teachers useful tasks and activities that advance students’ comprehension of the SDGs and encourage inclusive and creative solutions. Through the tasks that focus on how to create a fairer, healthier, and more sustainable world, students can also improve their speaking, writing and presentation skills. As agents of societal change, language teachers are crucial in developing these abilities and encouraging positive attitudes like tolerance and respect for different viewpoints. Including the SDGs ultimately helps language teachers create a more sustainable world by enabling students to have a positive impact on the world via their language and social abilities.

Keywords

• Global citizens
• language teaching
• sustainable development goals
• education for sustainable development
• sustainability.

Sürdürülebilir kalkınma hedefleri aracılığıyla dil öğrenenlerin küresel vatandaşlar olarak güçlendirilmesi

Öz

Bu çalışma, küresel vatandaşlığı ve eleştirel düşünmeyi teşvik etmek amacıyla dil öğretmenlerine Sürdürülebilir Kalkınma Hedefleri’ni (SKH) derslerine dahil etmeleri için uygulanabilir öneriler sunmaktadır. Dil öğretmenleri, küresel sorunları ele alarak ve SKH’ler etrafında dersler düzenleyerek öğrencileri harekete geçmeye ve sosyal sorumluluk geliştirmeye motive edebilir. SKH, öğrencilerin derslerde yeterince yer almayan küresel konuları keşfederken eleştirel düşünme, problem çözme ve etkili iletişim gibi becerileri geliştirmelerine yardımcı olmak için dil öğretimine dahil edilebilir. Bu çalışma, dil öğretmenlerine, öğrencilerin SKH’ni anlamalarını geliştiren ve kapsayıcı, yaratıcı çözümleri teşvik eden yararlı görevler ve etkinlikler sunmaktadır. Daha adil, daha sağlıklı ve daha sürdürülebilir bir dünyanın nasıl yaratılabileceğine odaklanan görevler sayesinde öğrenciler konuşma, yazma ve sunum becerilerini de geliştirebilir. Toplumsal değişimin temsilcileri olarak dil öğretmenleri, bu yetenekleri geliştirmede, hoşgörü ve farklı bakış açılarına saygı gibi olumlu tutumları teşvik etmede çok önemlidir. SKH’ni dahil etmek, sonuçta, öğrencilerin dil ve sosyal yetenekleri aracılığıyla dünya üzerinde olumlu bir etki yaratmalarını sağlayarak dil öğretmenlerinin de daha sürdürülebilir bir dünya yaratılmasına katkı sağlamasına yardımcı olur.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Küresel vatandaşlar
• dil öğretimi
• sürdürülebilir kalkınma hedefleri
• sürdürülebilir kalkınma için eğitim
• sürdürülebilirlik.

References

1. Allen, R. & Bacha, J. (2007). Global issues in language education and the United Nations Decade of ESD. Newsletter, 63, 12—14.
2. Anyolo, E. O., Kärkkäinen, S., & Keinonen, T. (2018). Implementing education for sustainable development in Namibia: School teachers’ perceptions and teaching practices. Journal of Teacher Education for Sustainability, 20(1), 64—81.
3. Bekteshi, E., & Xhaferi, B. (2020). Learning about sustainable development goals through English language teaching. Research in Social Sciences and Technology, 5 (3), 78—94.
4. Borg, C., Gericke, N., Höglund, H. O. & Bergman, E. (2012). The barriers encountered by teachers implementing education for sustainable development: discipline bound differences and teaching traditions. Research in Science & Technological Education, 30(2), 185—207.
5. Broook, I. (2013). Education for sustainable development. Environmental Values, 22(6), 685—688.
6. De Pauw, J. B., Gericke, N., Olsson, D., & Berglund, T. (2015). The Effectiveness of Education for Sustainable Development. Sustainability, 7(11), 15693—15717.
7. Ferguson, T., Roofe, C., & Cook, L. D. (2021). Teachers’ perspectives on sustainable development: the implications for education for sustainable development. Environmental Education Research, 27(9), 1343—1359.
8. Gayatri, P., Sit, H., Chen, S., Li, H. (2023). Sustainable EFL Blended Education in Indonesia: Practical Recommendations. Sustainability, 15(3), 2254.

9. Goller, A., & Rieckmann, M. (2022). What do we know about teacher educators’ perceptions of education for sustainable development? A systematic literature review. Journal of Teacher Education for Sustainability, 24(1), 19—34.
10. Gough, A. (2013). The emergence of environmental education research: A ‘‘history’’ of the field. In R. B. Stevenson, M. Brody, J. Dillon, & A. E. J. Wals (Eds.), International handbook of research on environmental education (pp. 13—22). New York and London: Routledge.
11. Hays, J., & Reinders, H. (2020). Sustainable learning and education. A curriculum for the future. International Review of Education, 66(1), 29—52.
12. Howell, R. A. (2021). Engaging students in education for sustainable development: The benefits of active learning, reflective practices and flipped classroom pedagogies. Journal of Cleaner Production, 325(129318), 1—12.
13. Ingram, D.E. (2007). Language learning and cross cultural attitudes. Global issues in language education. Newsletter, 63, 12—14.
14. Jones, T. E., Mack, L., & Gomez, O. A. (2023). Students’ perspectives of sustainable development goals in a Japanese higher education institute. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education. 25(1), 182—201.
15. Jordão, C., & Fogaça, F. C. (2008). EFL teaching, critical literacy and citizenship: a happy love triangle? In T. Gimenez, & S. Sheehan (Eds.), Global citizenship in the English language classroom (pp. 20—28). UK: British Council.
16. Korhonen-Kurki, K., Koivuranta, R., Kuitto, V., Pietikäinen, J., Schönach, P., & Soini, K. (2020). Towards Realising SDGs in the University of Helsinki. In G. Nhamo, & V. Mjimba (eds.), Sustainable Development Goals and Institutions of Higher Education (pp. 25—29), Sustainable Development Goals Series, Cham: Springer.
17. Kwee, C. T. T. (2021). I Want to Teach Sustainable Development in My English Classroom: A Case Study of Incorporating Sustainable Development Goals in English Teaching. Sustainability, 13(8), 4195.
18. Maijala, M., Gericke, N., Kuusalu, S. R., Heikkola, L. M., Mutta, M., Mäntylä, K., & Rose, J. (2023). Conceptualising transformative language teaching for sustainability and why it is needed. Environmental Education Research. 30(3), 377—396.
19. Maley, A. & Peachey, N. (2017). Introduction. In A. Maley, & N. Peachey (Eds.), Integrating global issues in the creative English language classroom: With reference to the United Nation's sustainable development goals (pp. 7—9). UK: British Council.
20. Moghadam, N. R., Narafshan, M. H., & Anjomshoa, L. (2022). Education for sustainable development: Effects of sustainability education on English language learners’ empathy and reading comprehension. The Journal of Environmental Education, 53(5), 280—289.
21. Nguyen, T. P. (2019). Searching for education for sustainable development in Vietnam. Environmental Education Research, 25(7), 991—1003.
22. Özdemir, O. (2021). Bir sürdürülebilirlik eğitimi modeli: Schumacher Koleji. Muğla Sıtkı Koçman Üniversitesi Eğitim fakültesi Dergisi, 8(2), 725—732.
23. Plant, M. (1995). The riddle of sustainable development and the role of environmental education. Environmental Education Research, 1(3), 253–266.
24. Read, C. (2017). Developing children's understanding of the global goals. In A. Maley, & N. Peachey (Eds.), Integrating global issues in the creative English language classroom: With reference to the United Nation's sustainable development goals (pp. 11—21). UK: British Council.
25. Sinakou, E., Donche, V. & Van Petegem, P. (2022). Action-orientation in education for sustainable development: Teachers’ interests and instructional practices. Journal of Cleaner Production, 370, 133469.
26. UNESCO (2017). Education for Sustainable Development Goals: learning objectives. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000247444
27. UNESCO. Global citizenship education. https://en.unesco.org/themes/gced
28. United Nations. Sustainable Development Goals. https://sdgs.un.org/goals
29. Zhou, L., Rudhumbu, N., Shumba, J., & Olumide, A. (2020). Role of higher Education institutions in the implementation of sustainable development goals. In G. Nhamo, V. Mjimba (Eds.), Sustainable Development Goals and Institutions of Higher Education (pp. 87—96), Sustainable Development Goals Series, Springer.
30. Zygmunt, T. (2016). Language education for sustainable development. Discourse and Communication for Sustainable Education, 7(1), 112—124.