This presentation is based on TESOL International Association’s workshop "Exemplary Teaching of English Learners Through Environmental Sustainability," facilitated in India in July 2024. In this session, the presenters will frame the 4 Cs (Critical Thinking, Communication, Collaboration, and Creativity) as competencies for environmental sustainability as Global Citizenship in the English language classroom. We will demonstrate entry points into the theme of environmental responsibility with activities for secondary school learners. Then we will examine an adaptation and reflection of these ideas from a literature-based lesson in India. In conclusion, we will present some ideas for younger and lower level English students.

Wendy Coulson is an ELT consultant passionate about the environment. She developed a 2-day environmental program for TESOL International Association and cofacilitated it in India. She has master’s degrees in applied linguistics/TESOL and K-12 education. She earned a certificate in education for sustainable development from the Earth Charter Institute. Seema Dhillon is an environmentalist and language teacher in Chandigarh, India. She holds master’s degrees in English and geography and TESOL International Association certificates in TESOL Core Certificate Program and Training of Trainers. She incorporates sustainable development goals into language teaching and believes sustainability is possible by sensitizing young minds.

This presentation examines the role of ecological literacy and the concept of eco-anxiety in ELT, highlighting the symbiotic relationship between language learning and environmental awareness. We will explore how integrating environmental themes into ELT can enhance students’ cognitive skills, emotional well-being, and address feelings of eco-anxiety. The session includes three parts: first, an exploration of ecological literacy and its significance in education. Second, an overview of theoretical frameworks and teaching strategies that support the integration of environmental topics and address eco-anxiety in language instruction. Third, I will share practical examples and activities of how to integrate ecological literacy in ELT.

Luis Javier Pentón Herrera, PhD, is the 2024 TESOL Teacher of the Year. He is a Professor at Akademia Ekonomiczno-Humanistyczna w Warszawie, and a Fulbright and English language specialist. Previously, he served as the 38th president of Maryland TESOL, and earned the rank of sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC).

The increase in climate-caused migration is leading to a growing number of multilingual learners in English-dominant classrooms all around the world. This presents a challenge for educators, who must effectively support students with diverse backgrounds often coping with trauma. This session focuses on using a project-based approach to integrate environmental education into TESOL curriculum with a focus on meaningful, student-driven content and learner agency to enact positive, tangible social change. Attendees will learn about exemplary eco-focused curricula designed to cultivate critical thinking, global citizenship, and intercultural competence, that also aligns with best practices for supporting multilingual learners of English.

Iliana Chen, with degrees in elementary education and environmental studies, has taught English in Indonesia, Costa Rica, and Taiwan. Currently, she develops curriculum for learning centers in Bali with the NGO The Suwandi Foundation. In March 2025, Chen will commence a Fulbright English teaching assistantship fellowship in Uruguay.

English language teachers often have two competing roles: to provide students with academic language and to sustain home language and identity. Benegas and Benjamin's new book, Language of Identity and Language of Access (LILA): Liberatory Learning for Multilingual Classrooms, provides a guide for how to do both. Rejecting the socially constructed hierarchy of languages and language varieties, LILA is centered on the concept of linguistically sustaining and expanding instruction. This presentation will include theory-informed practical strategies to support the language of identity and the language of access (LILA) in your classroom.

Michelle Benegas, PhD, is an associate professor of TESOL at Hamline University in Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA. She is coauthor of Teacher Leadership for School-Wide English Learning (SWEL), and cocreator of the SWEL Professional Development Series for TESOL Education. Benegas has prepared more than 600 English language teacher leaders across the country.

Natalia Benjamin taught high school Ethnic Studies and multilingual learners in Rochester, Minnesota, USA for 7 years and now works as the director of Multilingual Learning. She was named the 2021 Minnesota Teacher of the Year. Her work focus areas include advocacy for multilingual/multicultural education, identity work, heritage speakers, ethnic studies, language justice, and student-centered humanizing pedagogies.