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Aligning ELT with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals: An Ecolinguistic Analysis of Coursebooks and Teacher Practices.

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Title: Aligning ELT with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals: An Ecolinguistic Analysis of Coursebooks and Teacher Practices.
Authors: Javahery, Pourya1, Abadi, Faezeh2, Bavandi, Zahra3, Solhi, Mehdi4,5 mandarab@medipol.edu.tr
Source: Language Teaching Research Quarterly. 2025, Vol. 53, p138-158. 21p.
Subject Terms: *Textbooks, *Curriculum planning, *Environmental education, *English language education, *Teaching methods, Sustainable development, Linguistics, Climate change mitigation
Reviews & Products: Sustainable Development Goals (United Nations)
Abstract: The present study explored the representation of themes related to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 13 (SDG 13: Climate Action) in a series of global English language teaching (ELT) textbooks. To this end, sustainability narratives in these coursebook series were analyzed, along with how language teachers interpret and adapt them. Data were collected through content analysis of the coursebooks, semi-structured interviews with ten Iranian English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers, and narrative inquiry forms. The findings reveal an uneven and fragmented treatment of environmental sustainability across the coursebooks. While World English and, to a lesser extent, Ready For B2 include episodic counter-narratives of care and resilience, American English File predominantly foregrounds consumerist discourses, and Evolve largely overlooks ecological themes despite offering strong pedagogical affordances. Teachers frequently attempted to mediate these gaps by re-storying tasks and introducing sustainability-related discussions. However, their efforts were constrained by curricular demands, exam-oriented instruction, and institutional expectations. The study demonstrates that sustainability in ELT remains peripheral rather than systematically integrated. The findings highlight the need for coursebook developers, policymakers, and teacher education programs to embed sustainability structurally within ELT materials and practices, thereby supporting the development of climate literacy beyond individual teacher practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Database: Education Research Complete
Description
Abstract:The present study explored the representation of themes related to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 13 (SDG 13: Climate Action) in a series of global English language teaching (ELT) textbooks. To this end, sustainability narratives in these coursebook series were analyzed, along with how language teachers interpret and adapt them. Data were collected through content analysis of the coursebooks, semi-structured interviews with ten Iranian English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers, and narrative inquiry forms. The findings reveal an uneven and fragmented treatment of environmental sustainability across the coursebooks. While World English and, to a lesser extent, Ready For B2 include episodic counter-narratives of care and resilience, American English File predominantly foregrounds consumerist discourses, and Evolve largely overlooks ecological themes despite offering strong pedagogical affordances. Teachers frequently attempted to mediate these gaps by re-storying tasks and introducing sustainability-related discussions. However, their efforts were constrained by curricular demands, exam-oriented instruction, and institutional expectations. The study demonstrates that sustainability in ELT remains peripheral rather than systematically integrated. The findings highlight the need for coursebook developers, policymakers, and teacher education programs to embed sustainability structurally within ELT materials and practices, thereby supporting the development of climate literacy beyond individual teacher practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:26676753
DOI:10.32038/ltrq.2025.53.07