Abstract:

Grounded in direct interaction with industry partners, as well as in collaborative online international learning, this research focuses on a project, designed to raise sustainability awareness within an English for Specific Purposes (ESP) course. This project was developed by students working in international groups, and its primary goal was to raise their awareness regarding the significance of implementing sustainability actions within various industries. The project was structured to encourage students to identify and systematize relevant information pertaining to sustainability in the industry, demonstrate rigor in the use of sustainability-related terminology, and prepare well-structured information using multimodal communication strategies. First, students were organised into international groups, and each group selected a real Portuguese business partner. Afterwards, the activities included the characterization of the social, economic, and/or environmental sustainability practices of the selected business. Next, students were challenged to conduct a diagnosis of areas for improvement in sustainability practices and propose innovative solutions in the different areas. The project culminated in oral presentations with and for industry partners, in which students presented concrete improvement actions for their chosen company's sustainability practices.

The project's outcomes included multimodal communication elements and supplementary materials, encouraging students to engage with sustainability issues in a comprehensive and practical manner. The collected data show that, by integrating the development of sustainability awareness into an ESP course, this project enhanced the students' ESP proficiency and cultivated a deeper understanding of sustainability challenges and solutions within industry settings. Besides, while working in international groups, students have not only developed communication and language competences but also their (international) collaboration and digital competences.

Keywords:

Sustainability, language learning, international collaboration, English for Specific Purposes, Higher Education.