International Conference: language education for sustainable development

Braun V. & Clarke V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2022). Thematic Analysis: a practical guide. SAGE.
Cannizzo, Hayley Anne (2021). Implementing Feminist Language Pedagogy: Development of Students’ Critical Consciousness and L2 Writing. Education Sciences 11(8): 393. https://doi.org/10.3390/ educsci11080393.
Cates, K. A. (2000). Global Education. In Michael Byram (Eds.), Routledge Encyclopedia of Language Teaching and Learning, pp. 353-356. London: Routledge.
Kultusministerkonferenz der Länder (KMK) (2024, Juni 26.). Bildungspläne / Lehrpläne der Länder im Internet. https://www.kmk.org/dokumentation-statistik/rechtsvorschriften-lehrplaene/uebersicht-lehrplaene.html.
United Nations (2024, 02 july). 5 Gender Equality. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/gender-equality/.
Watts, Roderick J. / Diemer, Matthew A. / Voight, Adam M. (2011). Critical consciousness: Current status and future directions. In Youth Civic Development: Work at the Cutting Edge, 134, pp. 43–57.

Svenja Dehler (M.Ed. / M.A.) is a doctoral candidate and lecturer in the Department of Didactics of Spanish at the Georg-August-University Göttingen, Germany. Her doctoral thesis investigates global education and critical consciousness within CLIL classrooms (German-Spanish) in schools in Germany.

Global education (Cates, 2000) and critical consciousness (CC) (Watts et al., 2011) are essential for understanding social processes and power dynamics, yet they are rarely integrated into language classes or school curricula (KMK, 2024). This gap is particularly noticeable in discussions on gender and feminism, despite their highlighted importance under Sustainable Development Goal 5 on Gender Equality (United Nations, 2024). This research addresses this gap by examining how CC can be fostered in Spanish language classrooms.
The study was conducted in a German high school's Spanish language classroom, where a CLIL teaching unit on 'Feminism, violence against women, and femicides in Spanish-speaking countries' aimed to engage students critically with cultural and linguistic content through the production of a podcast.
Thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006, 2022) of the students’ podcast productions revealed that producing a podcast on a globally and locally relevant topic promotes critical consciousness and emotional engagement among students. Students' reflections and statements indicated heightened awareness and understanding of feminist issues and power dynamics. Some students demonstrated a deepened ability to critically engage with cultural content, showcasing the potential of integrating CC into language education.
This study implies that integrating controversial and critical topics, using authentic content, and promoting active self-participation in (Spanish) language education effectively fosters students' critical engagement and consciousness. Through the podcast production, students are encouraged to reflect on power structures and injustices, empowering them to form independent opinions and draw personal conclusions. By engaging with relevant content and employing appropriate teaching methods, students can apply their knowledge to their actions, enhancing their critical stance and readiness to contribute meaningfully to societal discourse.