Sustainable Development Goals in Latin American-USA Cultural Exchange/English Language Development and Latvian English for Specific Purposes Projects

• In Event: Language, Mobility, and Transnationalism

Proposal

How can the incorporation of United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) promote English language acquisition and transnational cultural understanding? This descriptive case study examines the incorporation of SDGs as core content for two projects, one at a university in in Riga, Latvia and the other a collaboration between universities in Honduras and the southeastern United States. The authors are faculty who implemented the projects and a student participant who will present first-person experiences. This research builds on previous Virtual International Reciprocal Service Learning (VIRSL) project research previously presented at CIES (Authors, 2018, 2022, 2023). Our current focus is on improving English proficiency and transnational cultural competency of our students and increasing their knowledge of the UN SDGs.
The VIRSL project involved Honduran university undergraduates in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) courses preparing them for internships and employment abroad or improved career opportunities, while the United States University involved future EFL and early childhood teachers. Most American students were from the southeastern United States. Honduran university students came from various Latin American countries. American university students were native speakers of English and their Latin American partners were English Learners at varying proficiency levels. The Latvian project involved undergraduate students majoring in International Relations. Students in the Latvian project were native speakers of Latvian with some English proficiency.
Faculty researchers involved in VIRSL collaborations recognized that the project needed a central theme around which to structure virtual discussions. SDGs (United Nations, 2023) contained topics of pressing interest to all participating students. Students were especially interested in SDG topics related to social justice and climate change. The VIRSL project adopted SDGs as the basis for weekly virtual discussions between American students and Latin American ELs during the Fall, 2022 and Spring, 2023 academic semesters. In Latvia, the International Relations undergraduate program adopted high interest SDGs for the content of a Spring 2023 course modifying to an English for Specific Purposes (ESP) format that introduced students to the English vocabulary and cultural competence needed in their content specialty.
The incorporation of the SDGs in our EFL and ESP curricula has several purposes including learner motivation and authentic communication where effective content and language instruction utilizes both authentic content materials and teaching approaches (Maley & Tomlinson, 2017). Bére-ová (2018) and Namaziandost, Hasan, & Shouket (2022) found that effective language instruction utilizing authentic materials, communication and approaches was tied to an increase in student motivation and improved English language acquisition and production. Motivation and willingness to communicate (WTC) are characteristics of “good language learners” (Ushioda, 2008, Lightbrown & Spada, 2021). Esfandiari and Hesani (2019) found that willingness to communicate may be related to moving the curriculum to real-life experience. Further, interactionist theory asserts that English Learner involvement in authentic communication with individuals from English-speaking cultures improved both motivation to earn English and improved understanding of the participating English speaking culture (Lightbrown & Spada, 2021). Previous research (Authors, 2016) found that videoconferencing collaborations between students from different cultures promoted transnational cultural understanding and improvement in English language proficiency. In addition to motivation and English language development through the incorporation of SDGs in EFL/ESP and transnational cultural understanding, the converse should also be noted: language (especially English) and intercultural understanding are critical to the successful implementation of the SDGs. Toppo and Rahman (2020) contend that both language and culture are central to addressing SDGs and that English must be part of a multilingual and multicultural approach in moving forward with the SDGs.
Qualitative data were collected during the Fall, 2022 and Spring, 2023 semesters and will continue to be collected in Fall, 2023. Initial data were collected through synchronous event observations, participant observation, field notes and document review. A thematic analysis was conducted and data was coded into emergent themes. Subsequent member checks and further data were gathered through informal interviews. The data was used to triangulate and confirm theme categories (Lincoln & Guba, 1985). Language development categories to date included improvement in listening skills, vocabulary, phonology, dialect differences, discourse patterns, non-verbal communication, politeness and idioms. Cultural competence categories included campus life, personal life and work, and communication rules and organization, differences and similarities within social justice issue norms, greetings and concepts of time. EL participants reported improvement in English language listening skills, use of American idioms, vocabulary development and preparedness for job interviews. All participants reported increased transnational cultural competence they predict will assist them in their careers. Analysis of the data is on-going and further results will be reported at the conference.
Participating VIRSL students worked in small groups containing individuals representing different countries. Each group included at least one native English speaking American student. Project instructors selected target SDGs based on their students’ career interests. Weekly social justice and diversity subtopics were assigned. The selected SDG(s) and subtopics were discussed from the perspectives and knowledge bases of the students in terms of their nations. Students kept reflective journals or papers about their experiences. Final project assignments differed by university and consisted of either group presentations or papers. Each group produced a bilingual virtual “product” (SUNY COIL Center, 2020) targeted to educate their countries and the world about their conclusions regarding the assigned SDGs. Products were posted to public social media platforms (Twitter, Instagram, YouTube).
The SDGs fit the topic of “environment” that Latvian International Relations students were interested in researching and discussing. The ESP SDG project began by introducing participants to an overview of SDGs through discussion. After reviewing the SDGs students decided that they all were of interest in the context of Latvia. Individual students then randomly selected a target under any of the SDGs. They proceeded to research their targets in a global context. Once their research was complete students were assigned to create a proposal on how they would address their selected target in Latvia. Students presented and discussed their ideas with their peers critiquing complex issues that would influence the accomplishment of the target. The assignment was designed to be personal and with the purpose of effecting real change.

Authors

• Laureen A Fregeau, University of South Alabama

• Elizabeth Hernandez, Escuela Agricola Panamericana Zamorano

• Robert D Leier, English Language Programs, U.S. Department of State

• Felix Ariel Romero Romero Figueroa, University of El Salvador