Generating Positive & Lasting Change Through Language Learning: ESD in Second Language

Generating Positive & Lasting Change through Language Learning: ESD in Second Language Education

by

Joel E. Bacha

KandaUniversity of International Studies

Chiba, Japan

Paper presented at

The 10thAPEID International Conference

Learning Together for Tomorrow: Education for Sustainable Development

6-8 December 2006, Bangkok (Thailand)

Abstract

Language is a key for communication, a foundation of culture and a fundamental part of learning. Through language education, students have the potential to learn about different values, see the world from new perspectives and gain the knowledge and skills necessary to lead sustainable lives.As a means of contributing to ESD through second language education, the author describes a university-level content-based English language curriculum that incorporates ESD into second language learning. The curriculum aims to build students’ language skills as they learn about topics related to sustainable development (SD), including culture, religion, international affairs, globalization, and the environment. Through experiential and interactive learning, curriculum methodology also promotes SD by encouraging respect for personal and cultural values, raising awareness of global perspectives, and developing students’ critical and systemic thinking skills, all of which are essential for building and leading a sustainable livelihood.Within the discussion, the author provides suggestions for adapting ESD into second language curricula in primary and secondary education. Specific methodology is also highlighted which transcends subject matter and can be used to promote SD in other academic subjects. In conclusion, the author outlines the challenges and lessons learned in gaining departmental support for an ESD-related curriculum.

We use language all the time to conduct our daily lives, to improve our circumstances, and even to dream. Schools are full of language, from the teacher’s lecturing…to the whispered wisecracks of a friend and the scribbled comments in the notebook. There can surely be no doubt that something so central to all human activity should be the centerpiece of all educational endeavors.

(L. van Lier, 1996, p. 95-96)

Introduction

Achieving global sustainability throughout the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) requires that the knowledge, skills, values and perspectives necessary for pursuing sustainable livelihood be acknowledged and developed in all forms of education and subject areas. In the Asia-Pacific region alone, Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) efforts have been documented in over 60 countries, promoting environmental awareness, peace, health, gender equity, skills in information and communication technologies (ICTs), and values education. Countries have embedded ESD into programs such as Culture of Peace Education in Vietnam, formal and non-formal environmental education in Japan, and ESD training at the tertiary level in Mongolia (UNESCO, 2005).

In the area of second language education, programs and research support ESD in two areas. In the area of basic education,efforts coinciding with ESD work todevelop bilingual programs in achild’s mother tongue to enhance learning. In the process, languages often threatened by extinction are documented in order to teach children how to read and write in their mother tongue. Such programs promote sustainable development (SD) by increasingand maintaining enrollmentrates, especially for girls, and preservinglocal languages and culture (Center for Applied Linguistics, 2004). ESD is also supported byre-orienting language education in foreign language (FL) and second language (SL) programs; both in less economically developed countries (LEDCs) and more economically developed countries (MEDCs). Progress in this area takes place . According to UNESCO (2002), language education programs “provide excellent opportunities to develop a global orientation to studies of sustainability.”Some foreign and second language programs also encourage international exchange,allowing students to establish relationships with people from foreign cultures and societies. Through such experiences, students develop global perspectivesharnessing “social and environmental responsibility” (Hutt, 2006).

Currently, few FL & SL programs explicitly mentionESD in their goals, yet the aims of many programs coincide with ESD in terms of promotingunderstanding and respect for foreign languages, values, and cultures and enhancing ESD-related skills. The English program for the Department of International Communication(IC) at Kanda University of International Studies (KUIS) is one such program. TheIC English Programalsogoes beyond developing awareness of languages and culture and supports ESD through content-based language instruction in a number of ESD-related topic areas such asculture, religion, international affairs, globalization, and the environment. The aim of this paper is to describe the structure of the IC English Program curriculum, its content, and the pedagogy used to promote the knowledge, skills, values and perspectives associated with ESD. This paper provides one possible framework for promoting ESD in foreign and second language education which can be adapted and used to meet the needs of other academic institutions. The paperalso outlines the challenges and lessons learned in gaining departmental support for ESD in tertiary level language education, offers ideas for supporting ESD in second language instruction at the primary and secondary levels of education, andhighlights pedagogyfor promoting SD in other academic subjects.

What is sustainable development?

Prior to discussing ESD and the IC curriculum further, it is necessary to have a clear understanding ofsustainable development and ESDas referred toin this paper. Perspectives of SD fluctuate somewhat based on culture, political structure, socio-economic influences, and a country's geography. This paper refers to SDfrom a holistic perspectivein whichthe environmental, economic, and social components of development are balancedand promote human well-being. One description of SDoffered byMcKeown (2002) explains:

Sustainable development has three components: environment, society, and economy. If you consider the three to be overlapping circles of the same size, the area of overlap in the center is human well-being. As the environment, society, and economy become more aligned, the area of overlap increases, and so does human well-being.(p. 9)

Putting this notion of SDinto context, picture a rural community in an LEDCthat,in the last few years, has been thriving from making traditional clothing and selling it to tourists in cities. The activity bringsboth social and economic benefits to the community, such as a new school and community programs. Business is so prosperous, in fact, that to meet the demand for their products, the community purchases chemical dye to use in place of the natural dye theytraditionally use. The chemical waste from new dye, however,is poured into the local river.

Although the community seems prosperous both economically and socially, the environmental component of SD is out of balance. If pouring dye into the river continues, it could have negative consequences on the well-being of the community as wildlife and downstream populations become affected, illnesses ensue, and hardships develop throughout neighboring communities. To realign the environmental component ofSD, the community requires an opportunity to learn how to dispose of the dye properly or learn aboutmoreenvironmentally-friendly alternatives for their dye that are just as economically prosperous.

UnderstandingESD

As in the example above, ESD aims to align the components ofSD through education and trainingin an effort to promote sustainability at the local and global level.To balance the components, ESD goes beyond teachingabout the knowledge and skills associated with understanding the environment, society, and economics; it also aims to foster respect and understanding for the values and perspectives necessary for nurturing sustainable livelihoods. As Toshio Kojima, Vice Minister for Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in Japan stated, “ESD is an ethical and moral challenge as well as a social, economic, and environmental one” (UNESCO-UNU Asia-Pacific Regional Launch of DESD, June 28, 2005).

ESD strives to promote education in four key areas,described by McKeown (2002) and outlined in several situation analyses presented by UNESCO (2005). These areas include:

1. Promoting and improving basic educationwhich includes, and is not exclusive to, increasing literacy rates and increasing and maintaining enrollment rates, especially for girls.

2. Re-orienting existing education programsto incorporatethe knowledge, issues, skills, values and perspectives necessary for achieving a sustainable future

3. Developing public awareness and understanding of sustainability through the media and other means to educate voting populations.

4. Trainingto disseminate knowledge of sustainable development practices throughout academic institutions, development organizations, businesses and communities

The Kanda University IC English Program curriculum supports ESD in the area of Re-orienting existing education. Expanding on the description of this area, reorienting education entails 'embedding' the ESD vision into current education curricula as opposed to developing new programs (UNESCO, 2005). Re-orienting education should take place at all levels in both formal and non-formal education. As today’s children, teenagers, and young adults will be tomorrow’s store owners, community leaders and policy makers, motivating them to develop sustainable livelihoods todayis necessaryto achieve and maintain global sustainability tomorrow.

The Department of InternationalCommunication atKandaUniversity

The Department of International Communication(IC) is one of six departments at KUIS, a private four-year university with 3100students lying on the outskirts of Tokyo, Japan. The university specializes in language development and education.

TheIC department, established in April 2001, currently enrolls approximately 475 students from Japan and 30 international students from other countries in Asia. Students enroll in the IC to department study, not for the purpose of becoming experts in language, but to gain the knowledge and communication skills necessary to function competently in a global society. The department is still in its infancy and developing its program around the following four goals (K. Tokado, personal communication, June 5, 2005):

1-To graduate students who are socially and linguistically competent in both a Japanese and foreign environment

2-To develop students' foreign language skills to a level where they are capable of understanding others and expressing themselves competently in the international arena

3-To guide students' in using a computer as an effective tool for communication, research, and presentations

4-To graduate students with an awareness of world issues (e.g. refugees, hunger, poverty, environment, economics, etc.) and the values coinciding with a global citizen (e.g. respect the values and beliefs of others, express a willingness to assist those in need, etc.)

The first two IC department goals, through focus on developing students’ language proficiencyin preparationfor interacting in the global society, foster intercultural and social awareness. Both of which are key components in developing respect for the values and perspectivesnecessary for SD. The latter two goals are more explicit in buildingESD knowledge, skills, values and perspectives. Developing ICT skills, promoting awareness of world issues, and harnessing the values of a global citizen all coincide with the Key DESD Themes(UNESCO, 2006). The IC department has not endorsed ESD as part of its curriculum; however, the department goalsdo align with the vision ofthe Decade.

Table 1 provides a holistic picture of the IC department’s graduation requirements. Students entering the department from 2005 are required to take 124 credits for graduation. Forty of these credits consist of English course subjects, 36 of which are guided by the English language curriculum. The remaining 4 credits are English electives taught through the central IC department curriculum. They include courses Business English, English for Current Affairs, and English for Commerce. Additional IC department courses consist of Special Seminar courses related to computers and an introduction to Communication Studies; elective Fundamental Courses in subjects spanning from liberal arts and physical education to management and the sciences; and Research subjects and a Research seminar taken in preparation for students’ Graduation Thesis.

Subject / Credits
English / 40
Special Seminar / 12
Fundamental Courses / 12
Research Subjects / 32
Research Seminar / 4
Graduation Thesis / 4
Free Electives / 20
Total / 124

The department envisions IC students pursuing careers in international business and computing. The first two cohorts of IC students graduating in January 2004 & 2005 found employment in Japanese business, the computer industry, and translation & interpretation work.

The IC English Program Curriculum

The IC English Program curriculum has evolved substantially since the IC department was established in 2001. The IC English curriculum originated from that of the university’s English department. Since it inception, the curriculum has undergone a series of modifications in order to reflect the goals of the IC department and respond to the needs of students.The IC English curriculum continues to emerge as thefirst several cohorts of students steer their way through the program and new needs surface. This section attempts to describe the fundamental structure of the IC English Program curriculum, while introducing some of its basic connections with ESD.

Curriculum Objectives

Objectives of the curriculum expanded upon in the following chartrelate toboth content and skills development as noted byStruc & Jennings (2004):

Objective / Focus / Topics
Content / International awareness / Cultural beliefs and values, cultural conflict, religion, indigenous peoples, globalization, global politics, international trade, geography, environment, travel, government, non-governmental organizations, historical and political influences of language
Linguistics / Vocabulary (lexis), pronunciation, pragmatics, grammar, language pedagogy
Skills / Language / Reading, writing, listening, speaking
Academic / Life / Critical thinking; research, writing and learning strategies; communicative strategies (discussions, debates); presentations; ICTs; cooperation; systemic thinking.

Content objectives aim to provide students with knowledge relevant to curriculumtopics, including topic-related issues, concepts, and relevant vocabulary. For example, the topiconGlobalizationintroduces students to multinational companies, different perspectives oncompanyactivities from people living in MEDCs and LEDCs, in addition to vocabulary such as competition,local business, and fair trade.Skill objectivesthen provide students with the means to learn about these topics independently, think critically about related issues, and communicate their thoughts and ideas about the issues competently through a number of mediums such as group discussions, online journals, essays and presentations.

In support of university objectives to encourage independent learning (Fraser, 2004), first year courses in the IC English Program aim to raiselanguage awareness and foster basic learning skills in order to promote learner autonomy, or as Benson (2001) loosely defines, “the capacity to take control of one’s own learning” (p. 47). Thisapproachattempts to assist students in becoming more independent learners in preparation for the more demanding content-based language courses in their 2nd, 3rd, and 4thyears (Struc & Jennings, 2004). Content-based instruction is a central component of the curriculum and provides a key platform for incorporatingtheknowledge, skills, values and perspectives related to SD. See Appendix A for a detailed layout of the IC English program.

Language Awareness & Skills Development (1st Year)

A number of 1st year students at KUIS have few chances to communicate in English prior to attending university. High school English courses in Japanoften concentrate on enhancing students receptive (reading and writing) skills as opposed to their productive (speaking and listening) skills. Consequently, as Struc & Jennings (2004) note, many students “have a poor level of functional English ability, and the teaching and learning styles they are used to are very different to those which they experience in the IC department at KUIS” (p. 237). Thus, first year IC English coursesaim to bridge the gap between the learning skills used in high school English classes and those required for independent, autonomous learning in the IC English program. To develop this bridge, the English curriculum aims to promote Language Awareness and,in the process,assist students in identifying independent learning strategies; both of whichencourage the development of a number of ESD-relatedskills.

The description of language awareness that guides the 1st year IC English curriculum is a definition provided by Donmall (as cited in James & Garret, 1992), "Language Awareness is a person’s sensitivity to and conscious awareness of the nature of language and its role in human life" (p. 4). The IC English program aims to raise students’ language awareness both about Englishform (vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation) and how English is used and perceived by different cultures around the world.

The 1st year English curriculum consists of three courses:

• English for International Communication I (EIC1),
• IC Reading, and
• IC Writing.

By raising language awareness, EIC1 aims to introduce students to basic language skills, learning strategies, and content about language and learning (Struc & Jennings, 2004). Students learn about the intricacies of how language works and the associated metalanguage (i.e. collocation, stress, intonation, etc.) needed to discuss linguistic concepts, introduced through “Linguistics” content in Table 2. To compliment new knowledge‘about’ language, students also experience and discuss a variety of teaching and learning strategies such as communicative teaching, collaborative learning and experiential learning. Throughout the course, students reflect constantly to identify and improvepersonal learning strategies related acquisition of vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation, and learning in general. In short, EIC1offers a foundation for students to discusslearning openly in English and identify their own learning needs and strategies. In terms of ESD, EIC1 exposes students to issues pertainingto quality education and enhancesskills in effective communication, critical thinking, cooperating with others, and independent learning.

Reading and Writing courses compliment EIC1 by continuing to raise language awareness and develop students’ skills. Both courses require students to revisit language terms and concepts from EIC1 as they develop and analyzetheir own language skills and learningstrategiesforreading and writing. Content introduced inReading and Writing classes also supports ESD. In Reading, half of the course is centered on the textbookIn the English Speaking World by Goodwright & Olearski (1998), introducing students to the spread of English throughout history. In the process, students enhance their geography skills and learn aboutthe cultures and political developments related to language in countries where English is spoken (Struc & Jennings, 2004). In Writing class, students recycle this content and use it as a basis forlearning to write essays and conduct research, skills also related to ESD.