If you missed any of our previous events or want to watch again, you can find a full list of our sessions in the Green Action ELT webinar library below. Most have recordings and some have write ups full of the tips and ideas from the session.
We hope you find this resource helpful and hope you will join us our future events.
AI and climate change: friends or foes?
Popular but water, resource and energy hungry – this session explores the environmental impact of text- and image-generating technologies, such as ChatGPT.
Vicky Saumell, teacher, trainer, materials writer and presenter with a special interest in educational technology, explained the considerable environmental impact of AI and machine learning along with actions we can take.
Project-based learning with a green twist
Friday 15 December 2023
Cynthia Mann explains project-based learning and how you can use it to introduce climate action into your classroom.
This session includes the key features of PBL and strategies to develop engaging climate action projects.
Cynthia showcases a number of projects to inspire you, with plenty of practical ideas to help you design an engaging project for your classroom, whether it is based within or outside of the curriculum.
Capturing young imaginations: greening the curriculum for young learners
Friday 16 FEBRUARY 2024
Experienced teacher educator and creativity specialist Griselda Beacon introduces us to an experiential, exploratory and imaginative aspproach that can help young learners learn English, develop empathy for non-human life and discover the power of small actions.
Griselda draws on over 20 years’ experience in teacher training and young learners’ course development to share practical tips, insights and a number of activities you can take back to your classroom and curriculum.
Staff fridge to conference buffet: reducing our food emissions
Friday 26 January 2024
Two experts in sustainability and event organisation share their expertise around food and catering.
Together they explain the impact our catering choices have on the environment – from stocking the staff fridge to student meals and conference buffets. They shed light on the connection between food and climate, and what we can do in an area that creates about a third of greenhouse emissions.
Showcasing 2023
Friday 15 December 2023
A showcase of environmental action at language schools around the world. It was great to hear from colleagues across our sector and discover new ideas.
If you would like to present at a future showcase, contact Green Action ELT.
Green activism with students
Friday 24 November 2023
How far can we go in our language classes to encourage our learners to become environmental or climate activists? Linda Ruas covers different teaching contexts, exploring action from ‘radical phonology’ to organising local or school protests.
Offsetting: is it the answer?
Friday 20 October 2023
Professor Matthew Paterson from the Sustainable Consumption Institute at the University of Manchester explains offsetting and the problems it faces, from shaky foundations in counter-factuals and difficulty measuring and verifying offsets, to land grabs and carbon colonialism.
Big climate emotions
29 Sept 2023
Many people are experiencing fear, anger and grief. But where exactly do these feelings come from and what should we do with them?
We are pleased to welcome back teacher-activist and founder of Renewable English, Harry Waters, for a session on big climate emotions.
Training for green leads
16 June 2023
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.
It covers what it means to be a green lead, as well as ideas and tools for action.
Drawing for eco-literacy
26 May 2023
The Green Action ELT Forum
Friday 24 March 2023
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 2023
Climate justice: what’s it got to do with ELT?
Friday 20 January 2023
ELT & ecology: how language shapes our world
Friday 25 November 2022
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.
Environmental induction for summer staff
Friday 24 June 2022
This free, online training session offers simple, practical advice on how to green your school to help and motivate all summer school staff whether already 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 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.
This was a session at an conference. Unfortunately there is no recording.
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.