Sustainable Life: Combining Project-Based Learning and Problem Solving in ELT

How can we integrate sustainability into the English language classroom while supporting our students’ language development? In this session, we will discuss how to use language and project-based learning to help students engage with real sustainability challenges and solutions while enhancing their critical thinking, problem-solving and communication skills. Using the ‘Sustainable Life’ lessons from Life, Third Edition as our guide, we will show that developing students’ language skills and tackling sustainability issues can go hand-in-hand in the English language classroom. You will leave the session with practical ideas to help your English language learners create positive change in their local and global communities. 

Harry Waters wears many hats, both literally and figuratively. One of them is as a multi-award-winning teacher trainer; others include teacher, writer, climate activist, podcast host, TEDx speaker and hat wearer. His journey into sustainability-driven education culminated in the inception of Renewable English, a platform merging language learning with environmental consciousness. Harry is also the sustainability consultant for the National Geographic Learning program Life, Third Edition.

Kayleigh Buller is a Managing Editor at National Geographic Learning, based in the UK. She has worked in educational publishing for 17 years, and in ELT publishing for 11 of those. During her time at NGL, she has developed and commissioned a number of Secondary and Adult courses, including Life, Third Edition, Close-up, Second Edition and Voices.