Green Action ELT runs monthly events and discussions to help language schools take action from classroom to marketing to business model. It’s a great way to learn from experts and each other, share experiences, connect with like-minded colleagues and help build a green ELT movement.
Our events are open to everyone – whether you are thinking about environmental action for the first time or have lots of ideas and experiences to share.
If you have a suggestion for events or speakers, please contact us: info@green-action-elt.uk
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Upcoming events
Appointing a green lead at your language school
Friday 28 April, 14:00 (UK)
New habits are difficult and it’s no different with environmental action. When we’re not used to considering a carbon budget alongside our financial budget, it’s easy to forget to bring environmental impact into our planning.
Enter your green lead – a member of staff who will bring the green perspective to your language school and champion environmental improvement at every turn.
We are delighted to welcome Sasha Beswick, Sustainability Officer at Barnsley College, for a session on achieving real, lasting change at your organisation.
Sasha will guide us through the key tools we need to fulfil our environmental pledges – especially the essential step of appointing at least one member of staff as an environmental champion or ‘Green Lead’.
Our events are open to everyone in the language teaching sector. This session will be particularly relevant to managers, directors and senior staff – and anyone who wants to convince their leadership team to appoint a green lead.
Then, with your environmental champion in place, join us again in June for online Green Lead induction training!
Please note the date change! This event was originally scheduled for Friday 26 May but will now be held on Friday 28 April.
Drawing for ecoliteracy
Friday 26 May, 14:00 (UK)
Are you looking for versatile, accessible and minimal preparation teaching ideas? Do you want to integrate eco-literacy into your lessons? This is the session for you.
In this webinar, Emily will share graphic facilitation techniques which will captivate your learners. Prepare to discover ways to make your whiteboards, flipcharts and online resources stand out from the crowd. These quick to draw activities can be adapted for any situation and are guaranteed to get your learners talking and thinking critically.
Emily Bryson is an author, teacher educator, graphic facilitator, visual recorder and ESOL lecturer. She has written various print and digital materials, including National Geographic Learning’s Voices series, 50 Ways to Teach Life Skills and A-Z of ESOL. She has cycled to IATEFL in Liverpool and Belfast and to NATECLA in Birmingham. Her passion is sharing the magic of doodling, sketch-noting and graphic facilitation with ELT professionals. Her online courses have been described as ‘the nicest corner of the internet’. Check out her free e-book, lesson plans, videos and podcasts at www.EmilyBrysonELT.com. Follow her on social: @EmilyBrysonELT.
Please note the date change! This event was originally scheduled for Friday 28 April but will now be held on Friday 26 May.
Training for green leads
Friday 16 June, 14:00 (UK)
Whether newly appointed or experienced, this training session is for anyone who is, or wants to become, a green lead to be the driving force environmental action at their organisation.
We will cover what it means to be a green lead, share ideas and tools for action, and help build an all important support network to share best practise between green leads at different organisations.
More details coming soon…
Creative writing
Friday 30 June, 13:00 (UK)
Details coming soon…
We are taking a break in July and August. We’ll be back with more monthly meetings and presentations in September!
Past events
The Green Action ELT Forum
Friday 24 March
Is environmental action and awareness growing? What barriers do we still face and who is responsible for transforming our sector?
Thanks to everyone who joined us for a fantastic community discussion about the language teaching sector and environment.
There is no recording of this session as there were lots of breakout discussions.
Reducing our staff travel emissions
Friday 24 February
When we think about reducing our transport emissions, we often focus on student flights. But what about staff travel?
Margherita Pasquini, shares how she managed to reduce her professional travel emissions by over 50% and still meet student recruitment targets.
Then Emily Bryson and James Herbertson share examples of their recent low-emissions journeys.
Climate justice: what’s it got to do with ELT?
Friday 20 January
Climate change is a social and political issue – the world’s wealthiest and most privileged people have and continue to contribute the vast majority of emissions, while poorer and marginalised people are disproportionately impacted by pollution, extractive industries and the deadly effects of climate change.
But what has this got to do with ELT? Find out how our schools can help create not only a greener, but a fairer and more just world.
Green story time: the power of picturebooks for all ages
Friday 16 December
Picturebooks not only contain rich, varied language and beautiful illustrations, but they’re an excellent way to grapple with difficult topics like the ecological and climate crises.
So storytelling experts Gail Ellis and Sandie Mourão shared some favourite green picturebooks for English language learners of all ages.
Sadly a recording of this session cannot be shared due to copyright.
ELT & ecology: how language shapes our world
Friday 25 November
Ecology and linguistics expert, Professor Arran Stibbe, helps us detect and challenge the assumptions and ideologies embedded in our language teaching and textbooks.
Can we afford (not) to be green?
Friday 28 October 2022
If you’re sceptical about green ELT, or your colleagues don’t think it’s necessary or a priority, this is a great session for you – it argues that green action is urgent, possible and beneficial to our language schools.
Green ELT for lower language levels
Friday 30 September 2022
This session explores how to raise climate awareness and encourage greener life choices with beginner and elementary learners with speaker Carol Samlal, ESOL tutor, branch chair for Natecla East of England, inclusivity and sustainability specialist, and outdoor enthusiast.
Environmental induction for summer staff
Friday 24 June 2022
This free, online training session offers simple, practical advice on how to green your school.
It aims to help and motivate all summer school staff – teachers, activity leaders, pastoral and administrative staff – whether currently interested in environmental issues or not.
How to turn your teaching materials green
Friday 29 April 2022
Kath Bilsborough shares simple and practical ways your can turn your existing teaching materials green, to discuss environmental topics in the classroom without new materials.
Taking your English language lessons outdoors
Friday 25 March 2022
A strong connection with nature supports deep learning, is beneficial for our mental health and supports and encourages environmental action.
Green ELT teaching activities
Friday 25 February 2022
Raising awareness and empowering students to take action is one of the most impactful things we can do as educators. Harry Waters (Renewable English) share lots of tips for engaging classroom activities.
Measuring and auditing your environmental impact
Friday 10 December 2021
To take positive action you need to keep track of energy consumption, waste and travel miles and all your other impacts on the environment.
Creating an environmental policy for your school
Friday 19 November 2021
A good policy not only provides structure and guidance, helping you make real changes, but is one way to demonstrate your commitment to staff and students.
Offsetting and mitigation
Friday 29 October 2021
Reducing emissions is the most important part of taking climate action and in July you came up with lots of great ways to reduce and green our UK ELT transport.
But what about the emissions you can’t cut?
Attracting green students
Friday 1 October 2021
How can we improve and promote our environmental credentials to appeal with increasingly environmentally aware students? We discussed marketing, sustainability and greenwashing.
Marketing and sustainability
Friday 24 September 2021
With the green market growing and many language schools emphasising their green credentials, we discussed attracting environmentally aware students at English UK’s ELT Marketing Conference.
Transport and travel
Wednesday 14 July 2021
Thanks again to everyone who joined us to explore a very tricky topic. Together we considered short term measures, such as flying better and offsetting, as well as more long term changes like increasing online teaching, long stay experiences and encouraging train travel.
Motivation and Action
Wednesday 16 June 2021
How do we translate our knowledge of the crisis, our fears, hope and ideas into action? We discussed how to motivate ourselves and others. How can we overcome denial and feelings of powerless? And how can we encourage change in our colleagues and organisations.
Savings and costs
Wednesday 19 May 2021
In our first ‘Green ELT opportunities and (overcoming!) obstacles’ session, we discussed the challenge of putting environmental responsibility in the budget, cheap, free and cost-saving activities. Thank you to everyone for sharing their excellent thoughts and ideas.
The landscape of green UK English language teaching
Thursday 22 April 2021
On World Earth Day Chris Etchells, founder of Green Action ELT, gave an overview of Green ELT – from what the climate and ecological disasters mean for ELT to practical ways to green your organisation and emerging opportunities for our profession.
Chris covered actions for both organisations and individuals and shared his personal reflections on reconciling business interests with the need to ensure a safe future.
Practical ways of including sustainability in your language classroom
Thursday 22 April 2021
Green Action ELT invited three teachers, working in very different contexts but all passionate about environmental education, to present their ideas and answer your questions on sustainability in English language teaching.
Milica Vukadin, Ben Crompton and ELTsustainable founder Owain Llewellyn offered practical ideas to help you put environmental sustainability at the heart of your ELT.
Build back better, greener UK ELT: a community discussion
Wednesday 24 February
As we look forward to the end of the Covid-19 crisis, what future do we see for our profession?
Instead of returning to ‘normal’, could we seize this moment to build better ways of working? What changes should we keep to improve our profession?
These were the questions we asked and together we began to create a collective vision for the future of English language teaching.
Creating an online, paper-free syllabus
Thursday 21 January 2021
Alicja Szyszkowiak conducted an online training session on Zoom about how to create a paperless online syllabus. With reference specifically to junior summer courses this session will also be of interest to any ELT organisations interested in online syllabuses.
How to reduce Your digital carbon Footprint
Thursday 10 December 2020
Technology expert and co-founder of Green Tech South West, Hannah Smith shared advice on reducing our digital carbon footprints at work and at home. Her mission: to raise awareness about the environmental impact of digital tech.
UK ELT & the climate crisis: a TEDx event
Wednesday 14 October 2020
As part of the global TED Countdown initiative, we presented short talks from leading thinkers on climate change and, with the help of our own local speakers, discussed ways for UK ELT to help in tackling the climate and ecological crisis.