How to incorporate global issues into your ELT class

In the sixth episode of ELTtime Jaz Damen chats with Julietta Schoenmann about how best to incorporate the wide topic of global issues into your lessons. How do you talk about the climate crisis without frightening young learners? How can you include the UN sustainable development goals in your lesson plans? Should any topics be avoided?

Let us know if you enjoyed the episode. Get in touch with any suggestions or questions – you can find us at @garneteducation everywhere!

LINKS

UN sustainable development goals

UN student resources

IATEFL Global issues SIG

Article: Helping young learners deal with the climate crisis

21^st century skills in ELT classroom book: coming soon!

CHAPTERS

0:19 – Intro

1:46 – Defining what we mean by ‘global issues’

2:28 – Connecting global issues to ELT

4:18 – Modern student experience

5:26 – Empathy and understanding

6:44 – Taking action

7:56 – Global citizenship, not political

9:13 – UN sustainable development goals

10:55 – UN student resources

11:28 – Should any topics be avoided in the classroom?

13:26 – Being realistic about how serious the topics can be

14:56 – Allowing students to express a preference on topics

15:46 – Teaching the climate crisis

17:02 – Using Greta Thunberg and Malala in the classroom

18:25 – Listening to students

19:28 – Activity of ‘personifying’ climate change

21:51 – Outro