Call for papers

Sustainable development in language teaching and learning

This year, the APLIUT annual conference will examine the current theme of sustainable development in the field of education and language teaching and learning.

According to Gro Harlem Brundtland (1987)[1], sustainable development is defined as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” In 1992, at the Earth Summit in Rio, the concept was formalised and supplemented by its three pillars: “economically efficient, socially equitable, and environmentally sustainable development.”[2] 

Today, in the face of the climate emergency, sustainable development requires a transition towards energy efficiency and the decarbonization of our lifestyles. In this Anthropocene era (a period marked by the massive impact of human activity on the planet), it is crucial to respect planetary boundaries by adopting eco-design practices and embracing a circular economy approach. This eco-responsible approach also helps to preserve biodiversity, which is becoming a priority for the preservation of our planet and our own survival.

As part of the Bachelor's Degree in Technology (BUT) awarded by IUTs, the introductory section of the national programs for the 24 specializations addresses the necessary approach to raising student awareness of environmental issues and sustainable development in each of the learning and assessment resources and situations (SAÉ). The 2027 programs will further develop this aspect in connection with training in ecological transition for sustainable development (TEDS).

As part of the Bachelor's Degree in Technology (BUT) awarded by IUTs, the introductory section of the national programs for the 24 specialisations addresses the necessary approach to raising student awareness of environmental issues and sustainable development in each of the learning and assessment resources and situations (SAÉ). The 2027 curricula will further develop this aspect in connection with training in ecological transition for sustainable development (TEDS).

That is why the 46^th APLIUT conference, to be held at the IUT in Saint-Etienne, an innovative eco-responsible campus in accordance with Jean Monnet University's SD & SR master plan, has set itself the task of highlighting and addressing these concepts in all their dimensions within the sphere of language teaching and learning.

Communications can fall within (but not be limited to) the following four main themes:

Theme 1: Ecological transition and sustainable development

While natural disasters are nothing new, the intensification of climate change is linked to human activity (Kempf, 2001). However, despite the proliferation of scientific reports and studies on the urgent need for action, political and institutional responses remain insufficient, pointing to critical scenarios. In the field of higher education, environmental issues directly challenge language teaching practices. (Delahousse, 2011)[3]. Travel (daily or related to scientific events), energy and material consumption, and intensive use of digital technology (Nowakowski, 2024) are all sources of environmental impact.

This theme proposes to examine the forms that ecological transition can take in language teaching and learning, both at the institutional level and in everyday practices.

Suggested topics:

• How can we reduce the carbon footprint of student and teacher mobility by encouraging distance learning (internationalisation at home, eTandem)?
• What is the environmental cost of digital technology and generative artificial intelligence applied to language teaching?
• How can we rethink the purchase and use of teaching materials, and how can we pool resources in a sustainable way?
• How can the concept of sustainable development inspire new, simple, and effective teaching practices?

Theme 2: Education and training on environmental issues

The ecological transition also calls for a transformation of educational content and objectives (Giannini, 2024). In France, education for sustainable development is part of the guidelines of the Ministry of National Education. The linguistic dimension is essential in the implementation of these programs, as it provides access to knowledge, enables cultural discourse to be compared, and promotes critical and multilingual awareness of climate issues (Batista and Martins, 2024).

This theme invites reflection on ways of integrating sustainability into the training of language students and teachers.

Suggested topics:

• How can sustainable development be explicitly incorporated into national IUT programs and language department teaching models?
• How can we break down barriers between different areas of knowledge in order to develop cross-disciplinary resources and thus prepare students for the world of work?
• What didactic transposition of knowledge and what innovative teaching practices can be used to combine language learning and ecological awareness (e.g., multilingual climate frescoes, foreign language foresight workshops, CLIL-type co-teaching, etc.)?
• How can language teachers be trained to integrate environmental issues into their lessons (see TEDS)? What teaching approaches should be adopted to teach this new content?

Theme 3: Discourse on sustainable development in language teaching and learning

The ambivalence in the terms used (emergency, crisis, disaster, transition, resilience) shapes collective representations and actions (Pereira, 2022; Bonhomme, 2024). Discourse analysis, particularly through a lexicometric approach, reveals controversies related to the argumentative nature of different visions of sustainable development (Chandelier, 2023). These ecological discourses constitute educational resources and enable work on comprehension, production, and critical analysis (Delahousse, 2011).

This theme will explore discourse around sustainable development in both linguistic and pedagogical dimensions.

Suggested topics:

• How can we analyse discourse on sustainable development in language classes, whether it be activist, scientific, or corporate (greenwashing)?
• What corpus should be used to analyse discourse on sustainable development (specialised discourse, popular discourse)?
• How can the specialised language of ecological transition be introduced to develop learners' language skills?
• How can critical analysis of different cultural representations of nature and the environment be integrated into language classes?

Theme 4: Ecological methods and methodologies in language teaching and learning

Eco-didactic approaches cover a variety of dimensions, ranging from teaching eco-linguistic expressions in language classes (Mohammadpour and Gashmardi, 2025; Ori, 2022) to taking personal learning environments into account in informal learning contexts (Sockett, 2023). It also involves addressing learning in natural contexts or “forest schools” (Nicolas, 2023) and methodological research approaches that prioritise data collected in real environments (Bolger and Laurenceau, 2013).

This area aims to explore these methodologies and their practical application in language teaching.

Suggested topics:

• How can the principles of ecolinguistics and ecodidactics be adapted to language classroom practices?
• What forms of learning in natural environments can be integrated into language curricula? What interdisciplinary approaches?
• How can we prioritise field research that respects real learning environments?
• How can we rethink personal learning environments from a sustainability perspective?

Theme 5: Pedagogical workshops

This theme, which is firmly focused on practical application, invites the presentation of experiences, teaching tools, and concrete projects that link language teaching and learning with sustainable development, engage learners, and raise their awareness of the challenges of environmental transition.

Suggested topics:

• What specific tools can be used to integrate sustainable development into language courses (games, murals, infographics, collaborative projects)?
• How can interdisciplinary projects combining specialised language and sustainable development be designed and implemented, particularly in the context of SAÉ (specialised language courses) in IUT (university technology institutes)?
• How can debates, simulations, or role-playing games in foreign languages be organised around climate controversies?
• What creative approaches (theatre, literature, multimedia) can raise awareness of climate issues?
• How can students be involved and become actors in the ecological transition?

References

Batista, B. & Martins, F. (2024). Formation des enseignants au développement durable – Éducation et diversité linguistique et bioculturelle dans le cadre du projet TEDS. Recherches en didactique des langues et des cultures. Les cahiers de l’Acedle, 22(2). https://doi.org/10.4000/11qa9

Bolger, N. & Laurenceau, J.-P. (2013). Intensive longitudinal methods: An introduction to diary and experience sampling research. Guilford Press.

Bonhomme, M. (2024). L’argumentation environnementale dans le discours publicitaire. Analyse lexicale, rhétorique et pragmatique. Éla. Études de linguistique appliquée, 216(4), 393-416. https://doi.org/10.3917/ela.216.0010

Chandelier, M. (2023). Interdiscours, fréquences et cooccurrences dans le rapport Brundtland : Enjeux argumentatifs de la définition de développement durable. Éla. Études de linguistique appliquée, 209(1), 81-97. https://doi.org/10.3917/ela.209.0085

Delahousse, B. (2011). L’environnement par et pour les langues. APLV - Les Langues Modernes, 4. https://www.aplv-languesmodernes.org/spip.php?article4223

Giannini, S. (2024). Faire le lien entre les transitions numérique et écologique par l’éducation. UNESCO. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000391873

Kempf, H. (Ed.). (2001). Coup de chaud sur la planète : Les dérèglements climatiques. Le Monde: Librio.

Mohammadpour, T. & Gashmardi, M. R. (2025). Enseignement des expressions écolinguistiques aux apprenants iraniens du FLE à l’aide de l’IA. Didactique du FLES. Recherches et pratiques, 4(1), 69-80. https://doi.org/10.57086/dfles.1599

Nicolas, L. (2023). L’écoformation comme paradigme-clé pour penser les pratiques d’école dehors. Éducation relative à l’environnement. Regards - Recherches - Réflexions, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.4000/ere.9589

Nowakowski, S. (2024). L’essentiel de l’intelligence artificielle. STUDYRAMA.

Ori, J. (2022). Une vraie transversalité de l’enseignement de l’écologie en classe de FLE. Anales de Filología Francesa, 30. https://doi.org/10.6018/analesff.518761

Pereira, I. (2022). Écologie et Multiplicité des oppressions : Une Perspective problématisatrice en pédagogie critique. Spirale - Revue de recherches en éducation, 70(2), 13-22. https://doi.org/10.3917/spir.070.0013

Sockett, G. (2013). Understanding the Online Informal Learning of English as a Complex Dynamic System: An Emic Approach. ReCALL: The Journal of EUROCALL, 25(1), 48-62. MLA International Bibliography. https://doi.org/10.1017/S095834401200033X