Teaching English and the environment to EFL young learners in Turkey

Abstract

This paper reports on a part of a larger practitioner research project focused on integrating environmental issues through critical language pedagogy into a young learner's classroom in Turkey. Drawing on Paulo Freire's problem-posing model grounded in critical pedagogy, the authors developed localized materials, and a pedagogic model rooted in six environmental themes derived from the students' lived experiences. The pedagogic model was implemented in a public primary setting with a group of fourth-grade students. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the students to understand the model's effectiveness in achieving its dual objectives: development of language and critical environmental awareness. The purpose of this paper is to present a theory-driven, practical, pedagogic model for practitioners seeking to develop their context-sensitive environmental ELT pedagogies.