We have been witnessing a growth in interest in the focus on sustainability in English Language Teaching in recent months. This has inevitably been as a result of the lead up to CoP 26.

There has been a ramping up of interest in mainstream curriculum materials as well and it is easy enough to find websites that cater to any phase of education. This post will act as a repository for useful websites connected to teaching English as a second/ foreign/ additional language.

Global Issues Special Interest Group

One of the earliest groups that have focused on producing materials in this area is the Global Issues Special Interest Group of IATEFL (International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language (GISIG). They have been around for some time and their remit in terms of issues is wider than a simple green agenda. There are lots of useful links to other resources on the website.

The Climate Connection

The British Council have also been working to develop a range of materials and resources related to climate and environmentalism with their web pages called The Climate Connection. The resources include information for teachers, as well as learning materials for students. There is an accompanying MOOC which provides background knowledge and also a MOOC wrapped around CoP26.

Adult ESOL
Adult English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) provides English language education in the further and informal education sectors in the UK working mostly with refugees, asylum seekers and migrants. A range of materials is available from different sources.

National Association for Teaching English and other Community Languages to Adults (NATECLA) is a professional organisation for Adult ESOL teachers and have produced a Padlet of useful links to resources and materials connected to sustainability.

The Education and Training Foundation (EFT) have produced a range of materials focusing on English for Sustainability. As well as lesson plans for direct teaching, this includes an audit document, as well as creating a Green Week.

Other interesting websites
A set of English language materials, called Renewable English, created by Harry Waters and other that take an activist approach.

A post from the Global Partnership on Education looking at Climate Change education.

References

Goulah, J. & Katunich, J. (Eds.) (2020) TESOL and sustainability: English language teaching in the Anthropocene era. London: Bloomsbury.