Nature journaling in English language teaching: an introduction for practitioners

ABSTRACT

In this innovative practice article, we introduce nature journaling in the context of English language teaching (ELT) – an approach and conceptualization that remain mostly unexplored in the field. As educators concerned with our environments, the natural world, and students’ social-emotional literacy and well-being, we make a case for the need to reimagine ELT classrooms as places where nature is embraced and centered. To further elaborate on our stance, we divide this article into four main sections. In the first section, we provide a brief overview of nature journaling in environmental education (EE) and ELT contexts. In the second section, we connect nature journaling with the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL)’s five SEL competencies, the framework grounding our conversation. In the third section, we reflect on our practices and provide six considerations for practitioners seeking to incorporate nature journaling in diverse ELT spaces and environments. In the fourth section, we share an example of a nature journaling activity ELT practitioners can use with their English learners. We end this article with final thoughts about the positive effects of nature journaling for students and practitioners in ELT. Also, we offer recommendations for further exploration and research.

KEYWORDS:

• English language teaching
• environmental education
• nature journaling
• social-emotional learning
• well-being

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 In this article, we use ELT to refer to all English classes and practitioners, including English as a foreign language (EFL), English for speakers of other languages (ESOL), English as a second language (ESL), and English as an additional language (EAL), to name a few.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Hannah Mueller

Hannah Mueller, M.A. is an educator, editor, and program coordinator. She is a writing wpecialist at the Graduate Writing Center of the University of Maryland, Baltimore, USA. Her company, Hannah Mueller Editorial, serves academic and nonfiction writers. Previously, she coordinated a community ESOL program for adults and, at the Willowell Foundation in Vermont, USA, administered environmental education programs including an outdoor high school and wilderness preschool. She can be reached at [email protected].

Luis Javier Pentón Herrera

Luis Javier Pentón Herrera, Ph.D. is a full professor at Akademia Ekonomiczno-Humanistyczna w Warszawie, Poland, the coordinator of the Graduate TESOL Certificate at The George Washington University, United States, and the Co-Editor of Tapestry: A Multimedia Journal for Teachers and English Learners. In addition, he is a fulbright specialist and an English language specialist with the U.S. Department of State. Previously, he served as the 38th President of Maryland TESOL from 2018 to 2019 and earned the rank of Sergeant while serving in the United States Marine Corps (USMC).