Sustainability in English language teaching

Glossary

Teaching resources

Sustainability in ELT

Home

Our sustainability toolkit for ELT is designed to help you integrate sustainability into your lessons.

If you want to learn more about sustainability in English language teaching or explore our range of practical teaching resources, this toolkit is packed with tips and inspiration to support you.

To help you develop your understanding of sustainability and to support your learners to develop their sustainability skills, we have developed the Sustainability Framework for ELT.

Sustainability in English language teaching

Learn more

Find teaching resources

Discover a range of ready-to-use English language materials designed to help you integrate sustainability skills into your lessons.

Practical teaching resources

Sustainability in English language teaching

Glossary

Teaching resources

Sustainability in ELT

Home

Glossary

Teaching resources

Sustainability in ELT

Home

In the latest Cambridge Paper for English, ELT author and Teacher Educator Katherine Bilsborough writes about the latest research in Sustainability Education, and shares insights into the implications for classroom practice in English Language Teaching. To read some highlights of the key points from the paper, read the blog here. To explore the research in more detail, download the full paper.

Explore the research

Cambridge Papers for English: Sustainability in ELT

Download the white paper

Bringing sustainability into your classroom

What is

sustainability?

Why teach

training session

Watch a

Research

Read our

Sustainability Framework

Explore the

Understanding sustainability

Recognising the environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainability

Example Can Do Statements

Engaging with information and data relating to sustainability and regeneration

Identifying and understanding obstacles to sustainability

Broadening discussion and including underrepresented voices

Pre-Primary: Identifies positive behaviour in the local community

Higher Education: Writes about or explains a complex sustainability challenge and the ways in which it is being addressed.

COMPONENTS

Thinking in systems

Example Can Do Statements

Identifying components and their roles within a system

Primary: Considers the 'life story' of an object (where and how was it made, what will happen to it later', etc)

Secondary: Identifies how a change in part of a system might lead to more sustainable outcomes

Finding connections within and between systems

Identifying the potential for alternative outcomes

Understanding observable and hidden consequences

COMPONENTS

Appreciating interdependence

Example Can Do Statements

Recognising relationships with each other and the wider natural world

Secondary: Describes how sustainable actions in the present can positively impact future generations

Higher Education: Describes ways in which humans, animals, and the environment depend on each other for survival and growth

Exploring how living beings in an ecosystem depend on each other for survival and growth

Considering the welfare of present and future generations

Understanding social and environmental responsibilities

COMPONENTS

Understanding beliefs and values

Example Can Do Statements

Exploring sustainability beliefs and values

Higher Education: Questions own beliefs in sustainability issues in light of new information or evidence

At Work: Researches how sustainability beliefs and values may have changed over time within own workplace or sector

Understanding how beliefs and values contribute to sustainable and unsustainable behaviours

Sharing one’s own sustainability beliefs and values

Examining one’s own sustainability behaviours

COMPONENTS

Valuing people and the wider natural world

Example Can Do Statements

Showing empathy and compassion for all forms of life

Pre-Primary: Answers simple questions about whether a situation is fair for everyone

Higher Education: Describes how different organisations take positive action in relation to issues of human rights and social justice

Understanding human rights and social justice

Promoting sustainable development

Engaging in environmental regeneration

COMPONENTS

Caring for oneself and others

Example Can Do Statements

Recognising and exploring emotions

Primary: Describes what makes them feel happy or sad about human behaviours that affect the world around them

Secondary: Recognises that they can have more than one emotion when faced with complex sustainability issues

Holding and reconciling tensions

Generating hope in self and others

Demonstrating resilience and adapting to change

COMPONENTS

Exploring perspectives

Example Can Do Statements

Critically evaluating sustainability claims

Higher Education: Synthesises a range of perspectives to gain a fuller understanding of a sustainability issue

At Work: Identifies the basis of claims about sustainability (e.g. stakeholder’s opinion, scientific research, etc)

Seeking out personal, local and global perspectives

Understanding the bigger picture

Framing and reframing issues

COMPONENTS

Generating ideas

Example Can Do Statements

Imagining alternative futures

Primary: Generates ideas for how a waste product could be reused (e.g. a bottle could become a musical instrument)

Secondary: Experiments with using different ideas and resources to introduce more sustainable practices into the school or wider community

Recognising opportunity for positive transformation

Innovating for sustainable development

Identifying sustainable alternatives

COMPONENTS

Exploring solutions

Example Can Do Statements

Tackling sustainability issues and challenges

Primary: Describes the successful sustainable solutions of others (e.g. in a story, at home or in the local community)

At Work: Uses convincing arguments to persuade colleagues of the value of a sustainability project

Promoting equality, non-discrimination, and equity in sustainability solutions

Evaluating the effectiveness of sustainable solutions

Justifying decisions and solutions in relation to their sustainability impact

COMPONENTS

Understanding agency

Example Can Do Statements

Understanding one’s personal agency

Primary: Describes ways in which they would like to contribute to sustainability tasks and projects at school

Higher Education: Evaluates how own actions have contributed to the overall outcome of a sustainability related task or project

Understanding the relationship between agency and outcome

Inspiring agency in others

Recognising the potential for collective action to enact and amplify change

COMPONENTS

Working together

Example Can Do Statements

Appreciating cultural diversity

Primary: Helps others to feel included in group tasks

At Work: Identifies ways in which they can promote social inclusion in their sector (e.g inviting input from people from with differing needs)

Encouraging fair, respectful and equitable interaction

Encouraging collaborative approaches

Promoting social inclusion

COMPONENTS

Making positive change

Example Can Do Statements

Acting as a global citizen

Pre-Primary: Makes an effort to use resources sensibly in the classroom so as to avoid waste

Secondary: Acknowledges own and others' efforts to behave more sustainably (e.g. monitoring own water usage)

Holding self and others to account

Taking action towards a sustainable future for all

Promoting a culture of peace and non-violence

COMPONENTS

Glossary

Framework Booklet

The Sustainability Framework for ELT has been developed by Cambridge University Press & Assessment in collaboration with Jade Blue.

Download the booklet and explore the dimensions to see what this might look like at different stages of learning.

Click each of the outermost segments to see what this might look like at different stages of learning.

Explore the dimensions

When acting for transformation, learners develop their understanding of agency, work together, and make positive change.

Transformation

In innovating for sustainability, learners explore perspectives, generate ideas, and explore solutions.

Innovation

When your learners develop sustainability values, they will understand beliefs and values, value people and the wider natural world, and care for themselves and others.

Values

By understanding sustainability concepts, learners develop their ability to understand sustainability itself, to think in systems, and to appreciate interdependence.

Knowledge

The Sustainability Framework for ELT has been developed to make it easier for you to integrate sustainability skills development into your lessons. Based on extensive research, it is a way of making sense of the different skills learners need to become informed, compassionate, and innovative agents for positive environmental, social, and economic transformation. The framework maps sustainability into four Dimensions: Knowledge, Values, Innovation, and Transformation. Each of these Dimensions is divided into Core Areas. These are the broad skills and behaviours that make up each dimension. These Core Areas are then divided into Component skills and example Can Do Statements. These give more detail about what is meant by each Core Area and how these might look in learners from pre-primary to adults at work.

Explore the Sustainability Framework for ELT

We can all agree that education plays a huge role in tackling the global issues of today and those of the future. But what is this role, and how can we equip learners with the skills required to make a difference? In this session, Delia Kidd looks at practical ways you can support your learners in developing the skills they will need to live more sustainably, become responsible citizens, and have the ability to make positive change. She explores what these skills are, and ways in which learners can effectively demonstrate them.

Building a brighter future: activities to equip your learners with sustainability skills

Watch a training session

'Sustainability encompasses the knowledge, skills and attitudes we need to ensure a fairer, brighter future for people and the natural world'

As teachers and educators, we play an important role in helping our learners develop the skills they will need to flourish. Sustainability can bring conversations of local and global interest into the classroom, helping learners to use English to discuss real-world issues. It can provide opportunities for learners to develop the skills to live more sustainably, become responsible citizens, and play an active part in shaping their worlds. To help you as educators to develop your understanding of sustainability, and to support your learners to develop the skills they need to help build a more sustainable future for all, we have developed the Sustainability Framework for ELT.

We are currently seeing the impact of three interconnected crises – environmental, economic, and social. Environmentally, we are experiencing a climate and ecological emergency. Economically, we are experiencing high global inflation and financial stress. And socially, many are facing increasing inequalities and injustice. Addressing this triple crisis means acting now to secure a sustainable future for all.

Why teach sustainability?

Cambridge University Press. (n.d.). Sustainability. In Cambridge Dictionary. Retrieved 23rd January 2023 from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/sustainability

Sustainability is not just about the environment. Research consistently shows that it’s important to recognise the interconnected nature of the environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainability. • Environmental sustainability is about supporting the health and wellbeing of all forms of life by protecting global ecosystems and conserving natural resources. • Social sustainability is about ensuring healthy and equitable communities for present and future generations. • Economic sustainability is about ensuring that economic activity impacts positively on the social, environmental, and cultural aspects of local and global communities.

Try our quiz

Before you read on… take our interactive quiz to explore your ideas about sustainability

What is sustainability?

Bringing sustainability into your classroom

Glossary

Teaching resources

Sustainability in ELT

Home

Explore Knowledge

Explore Values

Explore Innovation

Explore Transformation

Glossary

Teaching resources

Sustainability in ELT

Home

Adult Learners

To help you integrate the development of sustainability skills into your teaching, we’ve created a set of activity cards for different stages of learning. These provide a range of activities for each Core Area of the Sustainability Framework for ELT. So, if you have to plan a lesson with little or no time to prepare, or need some ideas for activities to help your learners develop their sustainability skills, you’ll find plenty of inspiration in these cards for young learners, teenagers and adults. Download the activity cards most suitable for you below:

Activity cards for your classroom

Young Learners

Teenage Learners

To support your learners in thinking about sustainability, why not try adding in a few sustainability focused questions to prompt discussion or as starting points for learners to research and find out more. Here are some examples for each stage of learning to help get you started, which you can adapt to suit the coursebook topic you’re working on.

Sustainability questions

Adult learners

• How important is sustainable development in relation to this topic? • What social and/or human rights issues do you know of that relate to this topic? • What environmental issues do you know of that relate to this topic? • What are the local, regional, national and global impacts of sustainability issues relating to this topic? • What positive sustainable actions are people taking in relation to this topic? • How does this topic connect to the environment?

• How does this topic connect to the environment? • How does this topic connect to different living things? • How might this be different for different groups of people around the world? • How could this be better for different groups of people around the world? • How could this be better for the environment and other living things?

Young Learners

• What examples of sustainable and unsustainable behaviours and practices can you think of that relate to this topic? • What do different people believe about this issue? • How does this issue or problem impact on you personally? • How does it impact on different groups of people around the world? • How does it impact on the environment and other living things?

Teenage learners

Teaching resources

Teaching rescources

Glossary

Teaching resources

Sustainability in ELT

Home

Knowledge

Explore our blogs to get tips on integrating sustainability and developing skills across the four dimensions of the Sustainability Framework for ELT.

Classroom tips

Values

Innovation

Transformation

Lower/upper secondary; Intermediate (B1/B2) This project can be used as a stand-alone lesson(s) or as an extension to lessons on the topic of shopping. Learners identify a product, research and compare alternatives from a sustainability perspective and present their findings in a poster presentation.

Use the ready-made plan to try out a sustainability project in your classroom, or adapt it to suit your teaching context.

Ready-made lessons

Buying Better

Download the sustainability project

agency –

the ability to take action or to choose what action to take

Glossary

Teaching resources

Sustainability in ELT

Home

alternative outcomes –

different results

our ability to empathise (to take the perspective of and feel the emotions of another person) coupled with a desire to help

compassion –

voices which are not heard as much as they should be, for example because people discriminate against them or forget about them

underrepresented voices –

all the living things in an area and the way they affect each other and the environment

ecosystem –

defining and redefining the scope of a question or issue to incorporate new information or perspectives

framing and reframing –

ensuring everyone has the same rights and opportunities

equality, non-discrimination, and equity –

understanding that things sometimes contradict each other and working with this or trying to resolve this

holding and reconciling tensions –

the effects you can see, and those you can’t

observable and hidden consequences –

when things are connected to each other and depend on one another

interdependence –

building something back so it is stronger and healthier than before

regeneration –

* World Bank, 2022. Social Inclusion. Online. Available at: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/social-inclusion#:~:text=Social%20inclusion%20is%20the%20process,Context [accessed 07.07.2022] ** Magnus Ramage and Karen Shipp. 2009. Systems Thinkers. Springer

welfare –

recognising and including a person, group or community as part of a wider group, community or society; ‘improving the ability, opportunity, and dignity of those disadvantaged on the basis of their identity’*

social inclusion –

‘a way of making sense of the complexity of the world by looking at it in terms of wholes and relationships rather than by splitting it down into its parts’**

thinking in systems –

the ability to withstand and recover from, for example, a big change, a setback

resilience –

physical and mental health and happiness; wellbeing

Glossary

agency the ability to take action or to choose what action to take alternative outcomes different results compassion our ability to empathise (to take the perspective of and feel the emotions of another person) coupled with a desire to help components different parts (of a system) ecosystem all the living things in an area and the way they affect each other and the environment equality, non-discrimination, and equity ensuring everyone has the same rights and opportunities framing and reframing defining and redefining the scope of a question or issue to incorporate new information or perspectives holding and reconciling tensions understanding that things sometimes contradict each other and working with this or trying to resolve this interdependence when things are connected to each other and depend on one another observable and hidden consequences the effects you can see, and those you can’t regeneration building something back so it is stronger and healthier than before resilience the ability to withstand and recover from, for example, a big change, a setback social inclusion ‘improving the ability, opportunity, and dignity of those disadvantaged on the basis of their identity’* thinking in systems ‘a way of making sense of the complexity of the world by looking at it in terms of wholes and relationships rather than by splitting it down into its parts’** underrepresented voices voices which are not heard as much as they should be, for example because people discriminate against them or forget about them welfare physical and mental health and happiness; wellbeing

Glossary

Teaching resources

Sustainability in ELT

Home

a member of the community that is made up of all the people on the planet, with rights and responsibilities to the other members of that community and the planet and systems that sustain them; a global citizen recognises their position within the wider world

global citizen –

where an effect produced by an action, process or system has a later effect on the action process or system that produced it; feedback loops can be positive or negative; for example: if students talk about how much they benefit from your lesson on sustainable behaviours, they and other students will be interested in your classes and you may develop more lessons on sustainability… and so on

feedback loops –

the variety of backgrounds, cultures or identities within a community or society – this might include sex, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, physical ability, neurodiversity etc.; an environment that recognises and celebrates different backgrounds, cultures and identities

cultural diversity –

the act of being responsible for someone or something; control, authority or a duty to take care of something or someone

accountability –

different parts (of a system)

components –

a condition in which someone feels frightened or very worried about climate change

eco-anxiety, climate anxiety –

We can't wait to see you there

FAQs

Line-up

Programme

Home

Complete this form to register for the event. You’ll receive instructions on how to join the live stream via email.