Incorporating Environmentally-Responsive EFL Pedagogy in English-as-a-Foreign Language Classrooms: Paving the Way for Global Impact

Abstract

The current rate of unprecedented global environmental degradation demonstrates that there is an urgent need to more strongly integrate Environmental Education in educational institutions around the world. For almost 40 years, Environmental Education has been implemented in various forms and depths in classrooms worldwide. English-as-a-Foreign Language classrooms in particular are becoming increasingly used as the medium for teaching environmental and sustainable education. However, the increase in global environmental degradation over the decades is evidence that current approaches in teaching environmental science and sustainability concepts is heavily insufficient. Part of the reason seems to be that many language teachers struggle to find the most effective ways to integrate Environmental Education concepts with improving students’ language proficiency skills. Thus, there is a need for a practical framework to guide teachers for effective implementation of environmental and sustainability concepts in the English-as-a-Foreign Language classroom. In this paper, the historical background and current issues associated with Environmental Education are presented, the benefits of combining Environmental Education with English-as-a-Foreign Language are explained, and a global need for English-as-a-Foreign Language classrooms to adopt an environmentally-responsive pedagogy for practice are discussed.