DEVELOPING AN AWARENESS OF THE
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS IN EFL
Philip Cardiff
Kanda University of International Studies
ABSTRACTThe challenges of sustainable development presented by the
Anthropocene have had a tremendous impact on our world, andeducation is widely recognized as one of the most important
tools to mitigate these global problems. The following paper
presents an overview of the development of an EFL course
taught over a semester at a Japanese university. Specifically, it
attempts to demonstrate how the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs) can be utilized in an EFL context to provide aframework to raise students’ awareness of sustainability issues,
while helping them acquire the skills and knowledge necessary totake action for sustainable development. Finally, the paper
outlines some of the key issues that should be considered by EFLpractitioners who are interested in implementing the SDGs into
their classrooms.
INTRODUCTION
In the era of the Anthropocene, the challenge of sustainable development isrecognized as an issue of global concern. In 2015, the UN General Assembly
adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (United Nations,2015). At the forefront of this agenda are the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs), a “universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet,and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity” (United
Nations Development Programme, 2018). The 17 goals (see Figure 1)
include 169 associated targets, representing a vision for sustainable
development to be “incorporated into national planning processes, policies
and strategies” around the world (United Nations, 2015, p. 13).
Education is widely recognized as a key strategy in the pursuit of sustainable
development, since it is both a goal in itself (SDG 4) as well as a means forachieving the other SDGs (Rieckmann et al., 2017). In addition, Target 4.7of SDG 4 specifically calls for a greater focus on the teaching of sustainable
development (United Nations, 2015). In Japan, the Ministry of Education,
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Cardiff, P. (2023). Developing an awareness of the sustainable development goals in EFL.
Literacies and Language Education: Research and Practice, Spring 2023, 27-40. English
Language Institute, KUIS.

Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) has responded by outlining
a plan to implement education for sustainable development acrosseducational institutions, and has highlighted both educators and learners as
major stakeholders in their commitment to achieve the SDGs (MEXT, 2021).
Figure 1. The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (United Nations, 2015)

This paper outlines the process of curriculum development and materials
design for an elective English course (The UN Sustainable Development
Goals: Key Issues & Taking Action) taught over a semester at a private
language university in Japan. The author will demonstrate how studying theSDGs can help learners to not only acquire knowledge and skills but also tocultivate the values and attitudes necessary to take action towards
sustainable development.
THE CASE FOR SDGS IN EFL
Educators are tasked with preparing future generations to face thechallenges of the world, and as such, it has been argued that all educational
institutions “can and should consider it their responsibility to deal intensively
with matters concerning sustainable development” (Rieckmann et al., 2017,p. 7). Regardless of any sense of responsibility, there are a number ofreasons to consider integrating the SDGs into an EFL classroom.

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Cardiff, P. (2023). Developing an awareness of the sustainable development goals in EFL.
Literacies and Language Education: Research and Practice, Spring 2023, 27-40. English
Language Institute, KUIS.

Firstly, the SDGs are engaging. The goals provide a clear framework throughwhich to explore a range of fundamental social, economic and environmental
issues, such as climate change, gender equality, poverty and discrimination.
Learning about the SDGs may help students develop insight into global
issues they are familiar with, while also shedding light on those they areunaware of.
The SDGs are also a rich educational resource in terms of content. The
United Nations and associated organizations publish a significant amount ofresearch on each of the goals. This research is consistently updated andoften includes supplemental videos and further reading materials, all ofwhich can be utilised by teachers and provide meaningful content forlearners.
A further rationale is provided by Cates (2002, p. 45), who makes the pointthat teaching about global issues in an EFL context provides an opportunity
to shift from “language as structure to language for communication aroundthe world”. Teachers can use the SDGs as a platform to experiment with arange of communicative tasks, such as creating a campaign for policychange or writing to a government leader.
APPROACHES TO TEACHING THE SDGS
While it does not provide a definitive pedagogy for teaching aboutsustainable development, the 2030 agenda specifies “education forsustainable development” (ESD) as a means for helping learners to acquire
the knowledge and skills necessary to promote the SDGs (United Nations,2015). According to Rieckmann et al. (2017, p. 7), ESD aims to develop“competencies” that “empower individuals to reflect on their own actions,taking into account their current and future social, cultural, economic andenvironmental impacts”, from both a local and a global perspective. These
competencies include self-awareness, critical thinking, and integrated
problem solving (see Appendix). They “cannot be taught, but have to be
developed by the learners themselves,” through action, experience andreflection (Rieckmann et al., 2017, p. 10). Consequently, ESD has been said
to constitute a holistic approach to learning through a combination ofcontent with “participatory teaching and learning methods” (UNESCO,2012).
Participative teaching methods aim to “promote a more active role ofstudents in the learning process” through group discussions and criticalreflections in addition to involving them in practical activities, to “connect
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Cardiff, P. (2023). Developing an awareness of the sustainable development goals in EFL.
Literacies and Language Education: Research and Practice, Spring 2023, 27-40. English
Language Institute, KUIS.

academic achievement with real-life issues and to understand the impact of
the individual actions on the community” (Concina, 2019, p. 1250). In an
EFL context, such practical activities may include role playing (UNESCO,2012), sustainability excursions (Rieckmann et al., 2017) and leading SDG
focused projects (Steele & Rickards, 2021). Further examples are provided
by Maley and Peachey (2017), who have edited an extensive collection ofcreative teaching ideas applicable to a variety of contexts and age groups.
In terms of content and themes to include in SDG focused teaching,
Rieckmann et al. (2017) have provided a comprehensive list of suggested
topics as well as specific learning objectives for each of the goals. In
addition, Jodoin and Singer (2019) highlight the potential for applying theSDGs to a Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) context, suchas linking industry, innovation and infrastructure (Goal 9) to an engineeringor architecture course. The SDGs can easily be connected to students’ fieldsof study, adding depth and context to a range of academic subjects such as
geography, technology, politics and global citizenship studies.
COURSE DESIGN
The design and pedagogical approach of this course takes much of its
influence from Rieckmann et al. (2017), while themes and topics have been
informed by various educators and sustainability experts including Bolster
and Levrai (2017), Brennan (2017), Green (2018) and Brinkmann (2021).
As outlined by Rieckmann et al. (2017), in order to acquire the skills andcompetencies necessary to take action for the SDGs, learners are required toengage in critical reflection in combination with practical activities.
Consequently, a range of self-awareness and reflection tasks are integrated
throughout the course, in addition to participative activities such as group
discussions, presentations and projects. Each unit includes a variety of topics
representing the three dimensions of sustainability (environmental,
economic and social) as well as lessons focused around specific SDGs.
The course is divided into three units over a 15-week semester:
Unit 1: An Introduction to the SDGs
Unit 2: Making Connections
Unit 3: Taking Action

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Cardiff, P. (2023). Developing an awareness of the sustainable development goals in EFL.
Literacies and Language Education: Research and Practice, Spring 2023, 27-40. English
Language Institute, KUIS.

Unit 1: An Introduction to the SDGs
In Unit 1, students begin by exploring the topic of sustainable development
through the frame of the SDGs and the Millenium Development Goals which
preceded them. The goals are broken down into simplified definitions andoverarching targets. Students then form groups and rank the SDGs in orderof perceived importance before rationalising their choices. The aim here is toraise students’ awareness of the SDGs in addition to the challenges
governments, institutions and individuals face when deciding which goals toprioritise. As students negotiate their answers, they also become moreaware of the interconnectedness of the SDGs, and how achieving one goal
can have an effect on others. This is followed by a reflective writing exercise
in which students consider which SDG(s), if achieved, would have thebiggest impact on their lives and why.
From here, the focus shifts to some of the challenges to achieving the SDGs.
In a TED Talk titled The global goals we’ve made progress on - and the ones
we haven’t (Green, 2018), students listen to the economist and social
progress expert, Michael Green, evaluate the success of the SDGs in theirearly stages. Students reflect on the issues his research highlights such as
the lack of measurable data to assess the progress of the goals, and how
realistic it is to reach the target of the 2030 agenda. The progress of SDG
targets in Japan are explored before the final unit assessment, which
requires learners to critically evaluate the success of an existing SDG
initiative in Japan and present their findings.
Unit 2: Making Connections
Unit 2 looks at the central promise of the 2030 agenda to “leave no one
behind” (United Nations, 2015), with lessons and content focused aroundgender equality (Goal 5), inequality (10), inclusive cities and communities(11) and peace and justice (16). In addition to being highlighted as areas
where progress has been limited globally (Green, 2018), these concepts
have been identified by previous students of the course as being of particularinterest. The unit begins with a focus on these issues within the context ofJapan, before considering how they have been compounded by global
matters such as the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and various
conflicts around the world. This is explored further in an extended interactionin which students choose a specific example to focus on, such as how
COVID-19 has impacted on gender inequality, and conduct their own
research before leading a group discussion.
The theme of community runs throughout the unit and at various stages,
students are encouraged to reflect on which communities they are a part of31
Cardiff, P. (2023). Developing an awareness of the sustainable development goals in EFL.
Literacies and Language Education: Research and Practice, Spring 2023, 27-40. English
Language Institute, KUIS.

and their underlying norms and values. These reflections often mark aturning point in terms of how tangible the SDGs are for the learners, as they
begin to demonstrate a deeper awareness and understanding of theiractions, and how they can impact and be impacted by the goals. As the unit
draws to its conclusion, Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) is
explored in greater depth, and students evaluate the positives and negativesof the areas they live in before researching some of the sustainability
initiatives being implemented in various cities around the world. For the unit
assessment, learners prepare a presentation based on how one specific city
is demonstrating sustainability practices.
Unit 3: Taking Action
In Unit 3, focus turns to taking action for the SDGs. Students examine anapproach to practical sustainability (Brinkmann, 2021) which is broken down
into lifestyle changes, leadership and education. Students evaluate their
daily practices and look at what steps they could take to live a moresustainable life, ranging from the products they consume to the energy they
use and their recycling and disposal habits. They then reflect on theinter-linkages between these practices and how they can contribute towards
climate action (Goal 13).
To explore leadership, students listen to a series of TED talks by climate
activists (Thunberg, 2018; Neubauer, 2019), and brainstorm ways to takeaction for the SDGs they are most interested in. Finally, they look at
education, both as a goal of sustainable development (SDG 4) and as ameans for achieving the other SDGs. Students review a series of campaigns
and approaches to sustainability education in schools around the world,
before examining the role of universities in achieving the SDGs. They reflect
on what their own university is doing to practice sustainability, such as
recycling, and consider areas for further progress. This is explored throughthe lens of Goal 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) and in particular, the conceptof multi-stakeholder partnerships in the pursuit of sustainability. In otherwords, students are encouraged to think about potential local level actions
between their university and other stakeholders, such as local businesses orvolunteer groups, while also recognizing their own role as responsible
citizens in the pursuit of sustainable development. This forms the basis fortheir final course project.

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Cardiff, P. (2023). Developing an awareness of the sustainable development goals in EFL.
Literacies and Language Education: Research and Practice, Spring 2023, 27-40. English
Language Institute, KUIS.

COURSE ASSESSMENT
Presentations
In Units 1 and 2, students create a research presentation based on classcontent. For Unit 1, students are tasked with identifying an initiative that
contributes to the achievement of the SDGs by a Japanese corporation,organization or citizen group. The assignment utilizes higher order thinking
skills, as students must critically analyze the success of the initiative basedon available data and evidence, before presenting their findings andconclusions to the class.
The Unit 2 assignment requires students to explore what makes a city
sustainable before researching and preparing a presentation based on how
one chosen city is demonstrating sustainable practices. The presentations
must also outline how one aspect of these sustainability practices could be
realistically implemented in the students’ home city.
In both assignments, students are assessed on the content of theirpresentation in addition to the appropriateness of their language, the qualityof their slides, and presentation delivery. The assignments are scaffoldedwith examples from previous students who have given permission to share
their work, with further guidance provided in the form of potential sources
for learners to use in their initial research.
Final Course ProjectIn the final course project, students are tasked with researching, planningand pitching an initiative aimed at helping their university to make progressin one or more of the SDGs. Students are free to focus on any particularissue and the initiative can be original or an adaptation of an existing idea,
but their presentations must include the stages of implementation, details of
resource requirements such as time and money, and how realistic theinitiatives are with reference to expected outcomes. Students must also
include details of any potential risks and challenges of their proposals.
The project builds on students’ knowledge of SDG initiatives from Unit 1,
while consolidating the focus on communities (Unit 2) and multi-stakeholder
partnerships (Unit 3) as they are required to specify how their initiative
would benefit the local community and which stakeholders are involved. The
project gives students the autonomy to explore the aspects of sustainability
they are most interested in, while also motivating them to become “experts”
and share their knowledge. In addition, Steele and Rickards (2021, p. 190)
have suggested that such student-led SDG projects can also enhance
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Cardiff, P. (2023). Developing an awareness of the sustainable development goals in EFL.
Literacies and Language Education: Research and Practice, Spring 2023, 27-40. English
Language Institute, KUIS.

students’ “capability and confidence to engage with SDG issues beyond theclassroom”. Some example final project initiatives are outlined in Table 1.
Table 1. Sample Final Research Projects
Initiative

Summary

SDG(s) focus

Studentsmajoring
inGlobal Education languages and teaching
Circle:SDG provide free workshops onworkshops
for campus to teach local
local Children
children about the SDGs.

Goal
4(Quality
Education)
Goal 8 (Decent Work &Economic Growth)
Goal11(Sustainable
Cities & Communities)
Goal 17 (Partnerships for
the Goals)

Collaborating with student
organizations
inotheruniversities to implement
SDG
awarenessandfundraising campaigns.

Goal11(Sustainable
Cities & Communities)
Goal 17 (Partnerships for
the Goals)

Students
andlocal
Multilingual
residents collaborate toCommunity Beach clean up local beaches
Clean-up
while practicing various
languages.

Goal
11(Sustainable
Cities & Communities)
Goal
12 (Responsible
Consumption&
Production)
Goal 13 (Climate Action)
Goal 14 (Life Below
Water)

Inter-University
SDG Festival

Reflection Tasks
As previously mentioned, reflection is considered a key requirement todevelop the skills necessary to understand and promote sustainable
development (Rieckmann et al., 2017; Concina, 2019). Throughout thiscourse, students are encouraged to reflect on the themes and topics coveredin class both through group discussions and by responding to reflective
questions in various lessons and at the end of each unit.

34
Cardiff, P. (2023). Developing an awareness of the sustainable development goals in EFL.
Literacies and Language Education: Research and Practice, Spring 2023, 27-40. English
Language Institute, KUIS.

Anecdotally, responses from students at the beginning of the course often
outline their interest in the SDGs and a desire to ‘take action’, yet they lackan understanding of the goals and of their connection to them or how they
can contribute towards their progress. By the end of the course, however,students demonstrate a deeper connection to sustainability issues, whichhelps them consider how they can take action in a more tangible way. They
can reflect on the values that underlie their practices and are better able tounderstand how these actions can impact sustainability both positively andnegatively. This self-awareness is perhaps the first step towards making
intentional choices, as students begin to recognize themselves as
stakeholders in the pursuit of sustainability.
DISCUSSION AND CONSIDERATIONS
A key consideration for the design of this course has been deciding which
SDGs to focus on specifically and which to omit. While each goal is importantin itself, it would be impractical to touch on all of them, given the plethora of
SDGs and their associated targets. Consequently, decisions about which
SDGs to include in the curriculum are informed by existing literature andstudent preferences. Climate change and environmental sustainability,
enshrined in SDG 13, is prioritized throughout the literature (Rieckmann etal., 2017; Brinkmann, 2021; Steele & Rickards, 2021), while goal 4 (Quality
Education) is considered essential both as a stand-alone goal and as ameans for achieving the other SDGs (Rieckmann et al., 2017). In addition,
Green (2018) has highlighted goals 1 (No Poverty), 5 (Gender Equality), 10(Reduced Inequalities), 11 (Sustainable Cities & Communities) and 16(Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions) as the most challenging to achieve
globally, warranting their inclusion in the curriculum. Student reflections inprevious iterations of the course have provided insight into which SDGs they
are particularly interested in, which also forms the basis for much of thecourse content. In every semester to date, goal 5 has emerged as the mostpopular SDG, followed by goals 13 and 8 (Decent Work & Economic Growth).
For students who have an interest in other SDGs, the end of unit
assignments give them the autonomy to explore themes and goals that are
not covered in detail in the course.
Another issue worth considering is the English ability necessary for learners
to engage with SDG themes and ‘authentic’ content that has not beendeveloped specifically for language learning. Jodoin and Singer (2019) havesuggested that in order to effectively engage with SDG content, students
require an intermediate or at least B1 level of English on the Common
European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) (Council of Europe,
35
Cardiff, P. (2023). Developing an awareness of the sustainable development goals in EFL.
Literacies and Language Education: Research and Practice, Spring 2023, 27-40. English
Language Institute, KUIS.

2001). There is no language tier system for this particular course, and whilesome students have found it more linguistically demanding than others, thishas not significantly impacted class participation or the quality ofassignments. Nevertheless, after each iteration of the course, content isreviewed based on student feedback from their reflections.
Finally, while the Unit 3 project is often described as the most challenging
aspect of the course, for many learners it has also proven to be a meaningfulexperience. The main difficulties cited include the amount of planning andresearch involved and the challenges of proposing initiatives that are realistic
in terms of resource requirements (human and financial). Nonetheless, byparticipating in this assignment, learners are able to draw on content fromthe course and apply it to a real-world context. As previously mentioned,such practical activities are considered an essential aspect of sustainability
education (Concina, 2019). Anecdotally, many students have stated in their
final reflections that one of the highlights of the course was learning about
SDG initiatives from their classmates.
Some of the stronger final assignments have demonstrated an awarenessand understanding of local level actions that often exceed expectations.
Accelerating local level partnerships towards achieving sustainability has
been highlighted as a priority in Japan, with learning institutions and local
communities “expected to actively cooperate with each other” (MEXT, 2021,
p. 14). With this in mind, it would be interesting to explore the viability of
implementing some of the student-led SDG initiatives with other local level
stakeholders, and any potential role their university could play as a
facilitator.
CONCLUSION
The advantages of and rationale for integrating the SDGs into an EFL
classroom are multiple. Firstly, SDG content is informed by critical issues
which are both engaging and applicable to a range of academic subjects andcontexts. Moreover, this content is readily available and consistently updated
in line with global events, which can be utilized to make lessons up-to-date
and meaningful for learners. In addition, the SDGs afford EFL practitioners
the opportunity to combine this content with participatory teaching methods
to offer students a holistic learning experience.
The course introduced in this paper was designed to introduce critical social,economic, and environmental issues to learners, while also imparting thecommunicative skills necessary to reflect on their own actions and engage
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Cardiff, P. (2023). Developing an awareness of the sustainable development goals in EFL.
Literacies and Language Education: Research and Practice, Spring 2023, 27-40. English
Language Institute, KUIS.

effectively with the SDGs. In raising students’ awareness and understandingof the challenges of local and global sustainable development, the course
develops students’ language and social competencies that empower them totake intentional and effective action towards sustainable development. It is
the author’s hope that this paper provides inspiration for the SDGs to beincorporated into English language curricula as a step toward achieving
sustainable development.
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Bolster, A., & Levrai, P. (2017). Using the Sustainable Development Goals in
the EAP classroom. In N. Peachey & A. Maley (Eds.), Integrating issues in
the creative English language classroom: With reference to the United
Nations
Sustainable
Development
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Brennan, D. (2017). Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe,
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Language Institute, KUIS.

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Language Institute, KUIS.

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Cardiff, P. (2023). Developing an awareness of the sustainable development goals in EFL.
Literacies and Language Education: Research and Practice, Spring 2023, 27-40. English
Language Institute, KUIS.

APPENDIX
Key competencies for the SDGs (Rieckmann et al., 2017, p. 10)
Systems
thinking

The abilities to recognize and understand relationships;
to analyze complex systems.

Anticipatory

The abilities to understand and evaluate multiple futures- possible, probable and desirable. To assess theconsequences of actions.

Normative

The abilities to understand and reflect on the norms andvalues that underlie one’s actions.

Strategic

The abilities to collectively develop and implement
innovative actions that further sustainability at the local
level and further afield.

Collaboration

The abilities to learn from others; to understand andrespect the needs, perspectives and actions of others(empathy); to understand, relate to and be sensitive toothers (empathic leadership); to deal with conflicts in agroup; and to facilitate collaborative and participatory
problem-solving.

Critical thinking

The ability to question norms, practices and opinions; toreflect on one’s own values, perceptions and actions; andto take a position in the sustainability discourse.

Self-awarenessThe ability to reflect on one’s own role in the local
community and (global) society; to continually evaluate
and further motivate one’s actions; and to deal with
one’s feelings and desires.

Integrated
The overarching ability to apply different problem-solving
problem-solving frameworks to complex sustainability problems anddevelop viable, inclusive and equitable solution options
that promote sustainable development.

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Cardiff, P. (2023). Developing an awareness of the sustainable development goals in EFL.
Literacies and Language Education: Research and Practice, Spring 2023, 27-40. English
Language Institute, KUIS.