I really enjoy teaching my adult ESL students about climate change. Not only is this topic important and relevant, but I find that the students are interested and engaged with this topic no matter where they are from.
In many current adult ESL textbooks, you’ll find units on climate change. That is because it affects every human on the planet. Here are four reasons to teach a unit on climate change to your ESL students.
1. Climate Change Is a Broad Topic
You and your students can find topics that are related to climate change very easily. Here are just a few: climate activists around the world, how to reduce your carbon footprint, fast fashion, causes and effects of climate change, climate change disasters around the world, electric cars, climate change legislation around the world, countries with the biggest/smallest carbon footprints, sustainable living, sustainable farming practices, how your diet affects the environment, and the history of Earth Day.
Your students are bound to find a related topic that resonates with them!
2. Climate Change Brings Out Different Opinions
When it comes to the topic of climate change, there is much to agree and disagree about. For example, should governments ban single-use plastic? Is a vegan diet best for everyone? What is the best way to reduce pollution? Have your students turn these prompts into class debates, persuasive presentations, or opinion essays!
3. Climate Change Is a Global Issue
Political leaders around the world have different attitudes and policies on climate change, and it is interesting to compare and contrast. For example, Brazil’s president is definitely not interested in taking action against climate change, whereas Sweden is considered the “greenest” country in the world. Students can do research on the carbon footprints and the climate change policies of different countries.
4. Climate Change Is Unavoidable
The topic of climate change is always relevant. Unfortunately, there are often headlines with news about recent climate change disasters. You can find evidence of climate change where you currently live. For example, in the Pacific Northwest, our summers have been hotter than ever and there is currently a wildfire that is causing unhealthy air quality.
More and more countries are stepping up their climate change legislation, and this makes headlines, as well. Teachers can find and use up-to-date newspaper or magazine articles, podcasts, documentaries, TedTalks, and videos on the topic.
Teaching ESL students about climate change is a lot of fun and can help facilitate language learning. I hope these ideas will inspire you to teach a unit on climate change!
For no-prep climate change reading lessons for intermediate to advanced ESL, check out my latest TpT resources (click on the photos below):
