International Open Source Sustainability
By Bridget Hardy

           There already exists an excellent worldwide mechanism for the spread, discussion and honing of sustainable ideas and practices: the international movement to learn English.
            Suppose we create a model for a portable course that combines the content of sustainability, environmental issues and green technologies with teaching ESL?  Language skills can be taught via the content of sustainable systems, but we can go beyond that, if participation were multi-lateral among instructors and students, we could change the typical classroom into an international, interactive laboratory for new and old ideas.  Participants could be required to present sustainable practices from their own countries, both positive and negative.  Ideally, many of these ideas and issues would be incorporated into the course content.  In other words, use the open source model in order to spread sustainability through language learning.  In this way, we can learn from each other while simultaneously improving communication.
            Crucial to the success of this idea is to use the existing system without adding the burden of new programs or additional teacher training.  Given a basic "kit" consisting of lexicon and activities to use within an existing classroom, current language teachers in most cases can acquire much of the new knowledge concurrently with their students, in a sense, they become students themselves.  Fairly advanced classes can be expected to conduct research and present ideas to the group for analysis.  The teacher's primary function is to facilitate discussion and clarify the proper use of language.  At the end, students themselves could redesign the course based on what they have learned, then the instructor adapts at his/her discretion.
            Ideally, native English speakers would also be included whenever possible to brainstorm and exchange ideas.  Who they would be depends on the institution, location, availability and level of discourse.  Perhaps displaced Canadian workers might be recruited with positive incentives as part of the economic stimulus package. Learning goes both ways, we retrain for the future, and we use this economic crisis to our benefit.

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