IATEFL 2024: Bridging Language Education and Sustainable Development

The International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language (IATEFL) Conference is known for its innovative approaches to language education, and this year, two common themes that arose were around how both students and teachers can use generative AI, as well as the importance of promoting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in our teaching contexts.

As we were presenting on our DRGC Erasmus Project, which is built around these goals, we were pleased to be both on trend and be providing a solid path for teachers to interweave these goals into their curriculums.

Highlights of the conference included:

Global Citizenship Education: several sessions, including ours, highlighted the importance of nurturing global citizens through language education. By integrating SDGs into teaching, educators empower students to engage with pressing global issues, fostering a sense of responsibility and positive engagement with our communities.

Interdisciplinary Collaboration: At IATEFL, educators from various backgrounds come together to share ideas and practices, creating a rich tapestry of interdisciplinary collaboration. The SDGs often acted as a common ground between diverse fields of English Language Education around the world.

Empowerment Through Education: Education is key to sustainable development. By equipping educators with tools to integrate sustainability into teaching, IATEFL empowers them to inspire students to become agents of positive change. Attendees always leave with a strong sense of motivation to implement new ideas into their teaching practices.

Networking with colleagues from around the world: By networking with fellow professionals, we could exchange ideas, share best practices, and collaborate on projects, and overall foster a supportive community of practice.

‘Disrupting the commonplace: embedding critical literacy within language education’ – In Rose Aylett’s Friday Plenary we were reminded of the importance and the power of language education. Hopefully by committing ourselves to the SDG’s we can create a more sustainable, equitable and inclusive world to continue to harness the power of language to address global challenges, and pave the way for a brighter future for generations to come.