International Conference: language education for sustainable development

Erling, E.J. and Foltz, A. (2024) English language learning in Austria: The role of teachers’ beliefs about their students’ social backgrounds. In Schurz, A., Keplinger, G. and Kreutner, E. (eds) New Pathways in Teaching English. Trauner Verlag, 79-106. https://kidoks.bsz-bw.de/frontdoor/deliver/index/docId/5206/file/Pathways_phschr-04.pdf
Erling, E.J. and Weidl, M. (forthcoming). English Language Teaching in Linguistically Diverse, Urban Middle Schools in Austria: Seeking Possibility amongst Constraints. System.
Gay, G. (2018). Culturally Responsive Teaching: Theory, Research, and Practice. Teachers College Press.
Lucas, T., & Villegas, A. M. (2011). A framework for preparing linguistically responsive teachers. In Tamara Lucas (Ed.), Teacher preparation for linguistically diverse classrooms: A resource for teacher educators (pp. 55–72). Routledge.

Elizabeth J. Erling, PhD is the PI of the Udele project, Elise-Richter Senior Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Vienna and Professor of ELT at the University of Education Upper Austria. Her research investigates the potential contribution of (English) language education to social justice and seeks solutions that improve students’ experience of learning languages.

In Austria, students in linguistically diverse, socially disadvantaged urban middle schools face disparities in English learning, largely overlooked by educational research and teacher education (Erling & Foltz, 2025). This paper presents the Udele project, which aims to address these disparities by gaining insights into students’ languages and cultures and implementing linguistically and culturally responsive pedagogies (LCRP) (Gay, 2018; Lucas & Villegas, 2011). LCRP empowers students by validating their linguistic and cultural identities, fostering belonging, self-worth and agency, which is foundational to promoting education for sustainable development. The Udele project uses transformative, ethnography-informed design-based research to explore students’ multilingual identities and develop materials that leverage their linguistic and cultural resources for (English) language learning (Erling & Weidl, forthcoming). The presentation showcases examples of students’ multilingualism achieved through our methods, using multilingual interviews to collect personal narratives about their backgrounds, educational journeys and linguistic and cultural identities. It will then introduce a classroom activity developed to enhance ELT: The Multilingual Food Pyramid. This activity allows students to reflect on and present their dietary habits and favorite foods in English and their other languages. Additionally, students discuss seasonal foods in different geographic contexts and the environmental impact of various food choices. The presentation closes by showing how LCRP and education for sustainable development intersect in this activity, linking students’ languages to global issues like responsible consumption and environmental awareness. This approach fosters academic success, meaningful global engagement and an educational experience that values linguistic diversity and environmental responsibility.