International Conference: language education for sustainable development

Barrett, A. M., & Bainton, D. (2016). Re-interpreting relevant learning: an evaluative framework for secondary education in a global language. Comparative Education, 52(3), 392–407. https://doi.org/10.1080/03050068.2016.1185271
Blommaert, J. (2010). The sociolinguistics of globalisation. Cambridge University Press.
García, O. (2009). Bilingual education in the 21st century. Wiley Blackwell.
Milligan, L. O., Desai, Z., & Benson, C. (2020). A Critical Exploration of How Language-of-Instruction Choices Affect Educational Equity. In A. Wulff (Ed.), in Grading Goal Four. Tensions, Threats, and Opportunities in the Sustainable Development Goal on Quality Education (Wulff, Antonia (ed.). Brill (pp. 116–134). Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004430365
Quin-Patton, M. (2008) Developmental Evaluation. Applying complexity concepts to enhance innovation and use. The Guildford Press

Monoglossic ideology, or the idea that languages exist as single, separate entities of vocabulary, grammar and orthography, has been robustly challenged by neuro-linguistic and socio-linguistic research in recent decades (Blommaert, 2010). Despite this, monoglossic ideology continues to dominate in schools, where it undermines the participation and achievement of marginalised and multilingual learners and the ambition of Sustainable Development Goal four (SDG4), which calls for high quality and inclusive education for all learners (Milligan et al., 2020). Moreover, dialogue between plural knowledges is key to sustainability, but is undermined in contexts where only a single dominating language is recognised (Barret et al.,2016).
This paper reports on an investigation of how educators may be engaged with and in alternative, transglossic understandings and practices of language in education (García, 2009), and the extent to which this can foster their participation and learning for sustainable futures. The study is situated within the Erasmus + Teacher Development Project ‘Teaching Sustainability’ (TAP-TS), which aims to develop the sustainability competences of student teachers, teachers and teacher educators through the co-design of learning and teaching resources during online, hybrid and face to face events as part of an international community of practice. A key limitation of European teacher education projects is the assumption that English is the sole medium for communication and participation, as this reproduces monoglossic ideology and undermines teacher participation. We report on how we have explicitly addressed and challenged this assumption during teacher education courses and through the materials produced which focus on themes of identity, discrimination, decoloniality and multilingualism in relation to sustainability. We draw on data and analysis from the projects’ developmental evaluation (Quin-Patton, 2008), to consider the relationship between engaging educators to critically consider and reconstruct language practices and their learning for sustainability education.

Dr. Rachel Bowden is a Research Associate at the Centre of Teacher Education and Education Research TU Dresden with a focus on multilingual education and education for sustainability (ESD). She coordinates two ESD teacher education projects, an Erasmus+ Teacher Academy Project ‘Teaching Sustainability’ and a state level ESD initiative.