Cultural literacy and sustainable development through English: a look from CLIL in pharmacy

Abstract

This paper considers the cultural aspects of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) in Higher Education and its contribution towards cultural literacy and sustainable development in health sciences. It reports on a study conducted within a pharmacy degree programme at a Spanish university which seeks to examine the study plan and CLIL activities and explore pharmacy lecturers’ insights into the cultural impact of the integration of English in their content subjects. As one of the main components of the conceptual framework of CLIL, culture by default is an integral part in any activity in a foreign language and thus has the potential to foster intercultural competence and cultural literacy. This literacy, in turn, is essential for the attainment of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda and each of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Although science subject lecturers may have reservations about the contribution of English towards cultural literacy and tend to treat culture as merely transmitting knowledge about other cultures, they recognise its significance regarding the pursuit of SDGs. CLIL activities and support from English teachers clearly internationalised the contents of their subjects, which abound with opportunities for the development of cultural literacy and sustainability awareness. Further collaboration and joint actions between content and language specialists can help to exploit them more fully in class and reinforce the role of languages and language teachers at university.

Act Locally, Think Globally: SDGs as Core Content for a 24 Course EAP Program

“…Dalton-Puffer et al (2022) argue that utilizing CLIL as an educational tool in curriculum design is not only in line with the U.N.'s sustainable development goal of Quality Education, but that it could also promote "more collaborative and multidisciplinary approaches to education." Woźniak (2022) documents how CLIL was successfully employed to create an English as a Second Language program for undergraduates in health sciences. The findings of this study showcase how content instructors can collaborate with English educators to create courses that promote not only second language acquisition, but also cultural competency and awareness of sustainability studies.…”

“…While the program could push for a more multi-disciplinary approach (Woźniak, 2022), the overall outcomes imply that the initial integration of SDGs into the program had a positive influence and could continue to be beneficial to students as the program looks forward towards improving its materials and implementation.…”

Enhancing Sustainable Development Goal Integration in Chilean Citizenship Education: A Thematic Analysis of Textbook Content and Instructional Strategies

“…Ref. [23] discusses the application of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) in pharmacy education to improve cultural literacy and sustainable development through English language teaching, underscoring language's importance in interdisciplinary learning. Ref.…”