SDGs in Language Education

Holmes, J., Moraes-Oli R., Rickards, L., Steele, W., Hotker, M., & Richardson, A. (2022). Online learning and teaching for the SDGs – Exploring emerging university strategies. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education 23(3). 503–521. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-07-2020-0278

McEntee-Atalianis, L.J., Tonkin, H. (eds). (2023). Language and Sustainable Development. Language Policy, 32. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-24918-1_3

de la Fuente, M. J. (2021). Problem-based pedagogy for the advanced college language curriculum: becoming a multicompetent language user through sustainability education. In de la Fuente, M. J. (ed). Education for Sustainable Development in Foreign Language Learning: Content-Based Instruction in College-Level Curricula, (pp. 66-84). New-York: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003080183

Fill, A., & Muhlhausler, P.,  (eds.). (2001). The Ecolinguistics Reader: Language, Ecology and Environment. Continuum. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.langsci.2013.08.003

Fill, A. & Penz, H., (eds.). (2017). The Routledge Handbook of Ecolinguistics. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315687391

Kopina, H. (2020). Education for Sustainable Development Goals (ESDG): What Is wrong with ESDGs, and what can we do better. Education Sciences, 10 (261), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci10100261

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. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2023.2167941

Melin, C. (2019). Foreign language teaching and the environment: Theory, curricula, institutional structures. The Modern Language Association of America.

Olsson, D., Gericke, N., & Boeve-de Pauw, J. (2022). The effectiveness of education for sustainable development revisited – a longitudinal study on secondary students’ action competence for sustainability. Environmental Education Research, 28(3), 405–429. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2022.2033170

Oseki, K., & McManus, K. M. (2021). Living as Global Citizens: An Introduction to the Sustainable Development Goals. Nan’un-do.

Römhild, R. The sound of curricular silence: a critical review of Germany’s foreign language curriculum. Policy & Practice: A Development Education Review, 39, 101-117.

Singleton, J. (2024). Relationship with place: a transformative and sustainable pedagogy for the planet. Academia Environmental Sciences and Sustainability, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.20935/AcadEnvSci7269

Stibbe, A. (2020). Ecolinguistics: Language, Ecology and the Stories We Live by. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780367855512

Stibbe, A. (ed.). (2009). The Handbook of Sustainability Literacy: Skills for a Changing World. Green Books. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0814062600000483

Stein-Smith, K. (2016). The role of multilingualism in effectively addressing global issues: the sustainable development goals and beyond. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 6(12), 2254-2259. http://dx.doi.org/10.17507/tpls.0612.03 

Stein-Smith, K. (2016). The U.S. Foreign Language Deficit. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-34159-0_4 

Tzoumis, K., Douvlou, E. (2025). Intercultural Competence Through Virtual Exchange: Achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-76418-9 

Vasiljevic, Z. (2025). Promoting Sustainability Through Foreign Language Education: A Framework for Integration. Conference proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Teaching and Education. Vol. 2. 1

Chinese

Ferry, M. M. (2021). Project-based language learning: Addressing cultural and linguistic diversity issues in climate action. In de la Fuente, M. J. (ed). Education for Sustainable Development in Foreign Language Learning: Content-Based Instruction in College-Level Curricula, (pp. 50-64). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003080183

ESL/EFL

Calle Díaz, L. (2017). Citizenship education and the efl standards: a critical reflection. PROFILE: Issues in Teachers’ Professional Development, 19(1), 155-168. http://dx.doi.org/10.15446/profile.v19n1.55676

Cordova M (2024) Integrating sustainable development goals in English language and literature teaching. Frontiers in Education. 9:1330034. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1330034 

Jodoin, J and Singer, J (2019) A framework for integrating education for sustainable development in the English as a foreign language classroom in Japan: An appeal to the language teaching community, Osaka JALT Journal , 6, 51-66.

Mambu, J. E. (2022). Embedding sustainable development goals into critical English language teaching and learning. Critical Inquiry in Language Studies, 20(1), 46–76. https://doi.org/10.1080/15427587.2022.2099863

Rafiee Moghadam, N., Haddad Narafshan, M., & 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. https://doi.org/10.1080/00958964.2022.2107605

Sasajima, S., Kojima, S., Abe, N., Sato, M., Kudo, T., & Kavanagh, B. (2021). CLIL SDGs: Sustainable Development Goals. Sanshusha.

Sheridan, R., & Tanaka, K. (2024), Global issues in local contexts: Japanese university EFL learners' reactions to the development of relevant and engaging SDGS materials, TESL-EJ, 8, 1, https://doi.org/10.55593/ej.28109a4

Woźniak, M. (2022). Cultural literacy and sustainable development through English: a look from CLIL in pharmacy. Language Learning in Higher Education, 12(2), 587-604. https://doi.org/10.1515/cercles-2022-2065 

Yoshihara, R., Hayashi, C., Itoi, E., Iwamoto, N., & Morrell, A. (2022). SDGs x Discussion. Kinseido.

German

Ge, N., Wang, E. Li, Y. (2023). Foreign language education for sustainable development in China: A case study of German language education. Sustainability, 15(8) https://doi.org/10.3390/su15086340

Kautz, E. (2016). Exploring environmental and sustainability issues in the intermediate-level foreign language curriculum. In Laurent Cammarata (ed.), Content-based foreign language teaching: Curriculum and pedagogy for developing advanced thinking and literacy skills, (pp. 234–249). New York: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203850497

Melin, C. (2013). Climate change: A “green” approach to teaching contemporary Germany. Die Unterrichtspraxis/Teaching German 46(2). 185–199. https://doi.org/10.1111/tger.10140

Otto Brunold, A., Esteban Fonollosa, M. (2022). La Educación para el Desarrollo Sostenible aplicada a la enseñanza-aprendizaje del alemán como lengua extranjera. Tabanque: Revista pedagógica, 34, 26-44. https://doi.org/10.24197/trp.1.2022.26-44

Spanish

Barbas-Rhoden, L. (2021). Sustainability and the pluriverse: from environmental humanities theory to content-based instruction in Spanish curricula. In de la Fuente, M. J. (ed). Education for Sustainable Development in Foreign Language Learning: Content-Based Instruction in College-Level Curricula, (pp. 17-34). New-York: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003080183

de la Fuente, M. J. (2025). Desarrollo Sostenible en América Latina. Cognella.

González, A. (2020). Los objetivos del desarrollo sostenible en la enseñanza de ELE en Japón: Un método de aprendizaje integrado de contenidos y lenguas extranjeras. Perspectivas Latinoamericanas, 17, 80-100. https://rci.nanzan-u.ac.jp/latinamerica/ja/publication/item/pl17_04_alejandra_maria_GONZALEZ.pdf 

Prádanos, L. (2015). La enseñanza del español en la era del antropoceno: Hacia la integración de la sostenibilidad en las clases de español como lengua extranjera. Hispania 98(2). 333–345. https://doi.org/10.1353/hpn.2015.0056

Turpin, K. (2021). Multiliteracies pedagogy: theory to practice for scaffolding sustainability literacies. In de la Fuente, M. J. (ed). Education for Sustainable Development in Foreign Language Learning: Content-Based Instruction in College-Level Curricula, (pp. 35-49). New-York: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003080183

Chinese

Reisinger, D., Valnes, S., Liu, Y., & Virgüez, E. (2021). Sustainability across the curriculum: a multilingual and intercultural approach. In de la Fuente, M. J. (ed). Education for Sustainable Development in Foreign Language Learning: Content-Based Instruction in College-Level Curricula, (pp. 198-214). New-York: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003080183

ESL/EFL

Arslan, S., & Curle, S. (2021). Sustainable development goals in the English language high school curriculum in Turkey. European Journal of Education, 56(4), 681-695. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.12473 

Fox, A., & Wogowitsch, C. (2021). Green pedagogy: Using confrontation and provocation to promote sustainability skills. IntechOpen. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.96432

Goulah, J. & Katunich, J. (eds.) (2020). TESOL and sustainability: English Language teaching in the anthropocene era. Bloomsbury Publishing. https://doi.org/10.5040/9781350115118

Hämäläinen, M. (2022). Ethics, dialogue and English as a lingua franca for ESD in Higher Education. Language Learning in Higher Education, 12(2), 547-565. https://doi.org/10.1515/cercles-2022-2062

Kaur, K. (2022). Embed sustainability in the curriculum: transform the world. Language Learning in Higher Education, 12(2), 605-616. https://doi.org/10.1515/cercles-2022-2061

Maley, A. (2022). Language teachers as eco-activists: from talking the talk to walking the walk. Journal of World Languages, 8(2), 346-370. https://doi.org/10.1515/jwl-2022-0005

Maley, A. & Peachey, N. (2017). Integrating global issues in the creative English language classroom: With reference to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. British Council.

Marcella, V. & Samofalova, Y. (2022). Data-driven and research-based learning approaches to environmental education in university contexts: two case studies in Italy and Germany. Language Learning in Higher Education, 12(2), 567-586. https://doi.org/10.1515/cercles-2022-2064

Micalay-Hurtado, M. & Poole, R. (2022). Eco-critical language awareness for English language teaching (ELT): promoting justice, wellbeing, and sustainability in the classroom. Journal of World Languages, 8(2),, 371-390. https://doi.org/10.1515/jwl-2022-0023

French

Gabaudan, O. (2022). On a journey towards education for sustainable development in the foreign language curriculum. Language Learning in Higher Education, 12(2), 525-546. https://doi.org/10.1515/cercles-2022-2060 

Kern, R., & Rodic, V. (2021). Toward the greening of the intermediate French language curriculum. In de la Fuente, M. J. (ed). Education for Sustainable Development in Foreign Language Learning: Content-Based Instruction in College-Level Curricula, (pp. 124-140). New-York: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003080183

Reisinger, D., Valnes, S., Liu, Y., & Virgüez, E. (2021). Sustainability across the curriculum: a multilingual and intercultural approach. In de la Fuente, M. J. (ed). Education for Sustainable Development in Foreign Language Learning: Content-Based Instruction in College-Level Curricula, (pp. 198-214). New-York: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003080183

Ruyffelaert, A. (2022). Raising concepts and awareness of sustainability and the environment in higher education through French foreign language teaching: a multidisciplinary didactic proposal. Language Learning in Higher Education, 12(2), 617-626. https://doi.org/10.1515/cercles-2022-2063

Sacco, S. J., Jones, Altina M.; & Sacco, R. L. (2014). Incorporating Global Sustainability in the Business Language Curriculum, Global Business Languages, 19(3.) Available at: http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/gbl/vol19/iss1/3

German

Becker, A., Glenn DeMaris, S., & Moller-Tank, B. (2013). Greening the German classroom: starting points for a cultural lesson. Die Unterrichtspraxis 46(2). 149–162. https://doi.org/10.1111/tger.10138

Cattell, A., & Kleinhans, B. (2021). Toward sustainability in German curricula. In de la Fuente, M. J. (ed). Education for Sustainable Development in Foreign Language Learning: Content-Based Instruction in College-Level Curricula, (pp. 142-158). New-York: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003080183

Gonglewski, M., & Helm, A. (2021). Sustainability pedagogies for the business language classroom. Global Business Languages 19, 3–21.

Horst, E., & Pearce. J. (2010). Foreign languages and sustainability: addressing the connections, communities, and comparisons standards in higher education. Foreign Language Annals 43(3). 365–383. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1944-9720.2010.01088.x

Italian

Trebiochi, C. (2022). Re-thinking the Italian curriculum: Sustainability issues in the Italian classroom and beyond. NECTFL Review, 89, 85-94. https://www.nectfl.org/nectfl-review/ 

Spanish

Méndez Seijas, J & Parra, M. L. (2021). Engaging students with social, cultural, and environmental sustainability topics in the Spanish-speaking world: a reimagined beginner Spanish curriculum. In de la Fuente, M. J. (ed). Education for Sustainable Development in Foreign Language Learning: Content-Based Instruction in College-Level Curricula, (pp. 87-104). New-York: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003080183

Reisinger, D., Valnes, S., Liu, Y., & Virgüez, E. (2021). Sustainability across the curriculum: a multilingual and intercultural approach. In de la Fuente, M. J. (ed). Education for Sustainable Development in Foreign Language Learning: Content-Based Instruction in College-Level Curricula, (pp. 198-214). New-York: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003080183

Vasseur, R., & Sepúlveda, Y. (2021). Beyond the language requirement: implementing sustainability-based FL education in the Spanish foundations program. In de la Fuente, M. J. (ed). Education for Sustainable Development in Foreign Language Learning: Content-Based Instruction in College-Level Curricula, (pp. 105-123). New-York: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003080183

Arslan, S., & Curle, S. (2024). Institutionalising English as a foreign language for global sustainability: Teacher perceptions of education for sustainable development in Turkey. International Journal of Educational Research, 125, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2024.102353

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. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su13084195 

Lenkaitis, C. (2022). Integrating the United Nations’ sustainable development goals into a teacher preparation program: developing content for virtual exchanges. In S. Hilliker (Ed.), Second Language Teaching and Learning through Virtual Exchange (pp. 209-224). Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter Mouton. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110727364-011

Molosiwa, A.A., Boikhutso, K. (2020). Learning and Teaching Practices Promoting Education for Sustainable Development: Case Studies from Social Studies and Language Education, University of Botswana. In Nhamo, G., & Mjimba, V. (Eds) Sustainable Development Goals and Institutions of Higher Education. Sustainable Development Goals Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-26157-3_12 

Sinakou, E., Donche, V., & Van Petegem, P. (2023). Teachers’ profiles in education for sustainable development: interests, instructional beliefs, and instructional practices. Environmental Education Research, 30(3), 397–418. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2023.2168622

Smith, B., Neoh, J.Y., McDowall, A. et al. Preparing teachers for critical global and democratic practice: shifting inquiries into the teaching of democracy and global citizenship in teacher education. Curric Perspect (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41297-024-00235-0

Sund, P., & Gericke, N. (2020). Teaching contributions from secondary school subject areas to education for sustainable development – a comparative study of science, social science and language teachers. Environmental Education Research, 26(6), 772–794. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2020.1754341