Sustainability in the Hispanic World

Module title	Sustainability in the Hispanic World
Module code	MLS3114
Academic year	2025/6
Credits	15
Module staff	Ms Ana Angulo Rufs (Convenor)

Duration: Term	1	2	3
Duration: Weeks		11

Number students taking module (anticipated)	20

Module description

This dynamic module takes you beyond traditional language learning, immersing you in real-world challenges such as climate change, social justice, and circular economies across Hispanic-speaking countries. Through interactive discussions, problem-solving activities, and engagement with authentic materials, you will develop your linguistic and critical thinking skills while gaining a deeper understanding of sustainability from a global perspective. This interdisciplinary approach allows you to connect language learning with some of today’s most pressing issues, making your Spanish studies more relevant and impactful. You will also enhance your intercultural awareness and communication skills, preparing you to engage confidently in global conversations about sustainability.

Module aims - intentions of the module

Engage critically with sustainability challenges in Hispanic-speaking countries through research, discussion, and project-based learning.
Examine and analyse the environmental, social, and economic factors influencing sustainable development in Spain and Latin America, evaluating real-world policies and initiatives.
Apply critical thinking by evaluating sustainability issues from multiple perspectives and proposing innovative solutions.
Develop linguistic proficiency by engaging with authentic materials, debates, and academic discussions in Spanish while enhancing your communication skills through presentations and collaborative projects.
Strengthen employability skills by developing intercultural communication, teamwork, and problem-solving abilities relevant to international careers such as international development, environmental policy, and global business.
Connect sustainability themes to broader ethical, political, and economic challenges, reflecting on their global implications.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

1. Demonstrate an understanding of sustainability challenges in Spanish-speaking countries, including their environmental, social, and economic dimensions.
2. Analyse sustainability policies and initiatives in Spain and Latin America, evaluating their impact on communities and the global sustainability agenda.
3. Engage critically with authentic materials (academic texts, media, and policy documents) to explore sustainability discourses in Spanish-speaking contexts.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

4. Develop advanced linguistic proficiency by effectively engaging with a variety of texts, discussions, and presentations in Spanish.
5. Construct clear and persuasive arguments in Spanish, both orally and in writing, demonstrating an ability to discuss sustainability-related topics with intercultural awareness.
6. Apply independent research skills to investigate sustainability issues, using academic and non-academic sources relevant to Spanish-speaking contexts.

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

7. Strengthen critical thinking and problem-solving abilities by assessing sustainability issues from multiple perspectives and proposing innovative solutions.
8. Develop intercultural communication skills by engaging with diverse perspectives and working collaboratively in multilingual and multicultural environments.
9. Enhance employability through teamwork, project-based learning, and real-world application of sustainability concepts.

Syllabus plan

Topics may include some of the following, but are liable to change:

Over the course of the module, we will explore sustainability challenges in Hispanic-speaking countries through an interdisciplinary approach. The module will introduce key concepts of sustainability and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), providing a foundation for critical discussions on environmental, social, and economic issues.

We will examine global challenges such as climate change, social justice, circular economies, and responsible consumption, considering their impact in Spanish-speaking contexts. Through case studies, discussions, and analysis of authentic materials, we will explore how sustainability is framed in different cultural, political, and economic landscapes. The module encourages critical engagement with sustainability narratives, fostering an understanding of how language shape public perception and policy decisions.

This module is taught in Spanish and intended for final-year students of Spanish.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
16	134	0

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled learning and teaching activities	15	10 x 1.5 hour interactive lecture and practical seminar combined
Scheduled learning and teaching activities	1	1 hour revision and conclusions lecture
Guided independent study	44	Reading set materials
Guided independent study	45	Independent research
Guided independent study	45	Preparing for class discussions

Formative assessment

Form of assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Group Discussion & Presentation based on a problem-solving task	Five minutes per student, four or five students per group	1, 2, 4, 5, 7	Written and oral feedback

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Coursework	Written exams	Practical exams
100	0	0

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment	% of credit	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Group Project: Multimedia documentary with a graphic design (infographics, adverts, etc.) based on a problem-solving task	100	Five minutes (equivalent to 2500 words) per student, four or five students per group. Each student must produce at least one graphic design (equivalent to 500 words)	1-9	Written feedback (oral on request)

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Original form of assessment	Form of re-assessment	ILOs re-assessed	Timescale for re-assessment
Group Project: Multimedia documentary with a graphic design (infographics, adverts, etc. - equivalent to 3000 words total)	Individual Project: Multimedia documentary with a graphic design (infographics, adverts, etc. equivalent to 3000 words total)	1-9	Referral / Deferral period

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Barbas-Rhoden, L., Brunow, B., & Newman, B. W. (2019). Environmental literacy as a global literacy in modern languages: Lessons from a liberal arts college. In C. A. Melin (Ed.), Foreign language teaching and the environment: Theory, curricula, institutional structures (pp. 237–253). Modern Language Association of America.

Chalkley, B., Haigh, M., & Higgitt, M. (Eds.). (2010). Education for sustainable development: Papers in honour of the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005–2014). London: Routledge.

Cook, I (2020) Future Graduate Skills: A Scoping Study. Change Agents UK. Available from: Future Graduate Skills: A Scoping Study (sustainabilityexchange.ac.uk) De la Fuente, M.J. (2022). Education for Sustainable Development in Foreign Language Learning. Content-Based Instruction in College-Level Curricula. London: Routledge.

De la Fuente, M. J. (2019). Stepping out of the language box: College Spanish and sustainability. In C. A. Melin (Ed.), Foreign language teaching and the environment: Theory, curricula, institutional structures (pp. 130–145). Modern Language Association of America.

De la Fuente, M. J. (2021). Education for sustainable development in foreign language learning: Content-based instruction in college-level curricula (1st ed.). Routledge.

Ferry, M. F. (2022). Project-based language-learning: Addressing cultural and linguistic diversity issues in climate action. In M. J. de la Fuente (Ed.), Education for sustainable development in foreign language learning: Content-based instruction in college-level curricula (pp. 50–64). Routledge.

Heller, R. F. (2022). The distributed university for sustainable higher education. Singapore: Springer.

McDonough, W., & Braungart, M. (2013). The upcycle: Beyond sustainability—Designing for abundance. New York: North Point Press.

Robertson, M. (2017). Sustainability principles and practice (2nd ed.). Routledge.

Sachs, J. D. (2015). The age of sustainable development. Columbia University Press.

Indicative learning resources - Other resources

Together 2030. (2019). Marco de aplicación de la educación para el desarrollo sostenible (EDS) después de 2019. UNESCO.
UNESCO. (2016). Welcoming diversity in the learning environment: Teachers' handbook for inclusive education.
UNESCO. (2017). Education for sustainable development goals: Learning objectives.
UNESCO. (2020). Framework for higher education: Guidelines on sustainability.
United Nations. (2015). Transforming our world: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. United Nations. Retrieved from https://sdgs.un.org/goals

Key words search

Sustainability, Hispanic World, Global Challenges, Sustainable Development, Problem-based learning

Credit value	15
Module ECTS	7.5
Module pre-requisites	MLS2001 or MLS2156 or equivalent
Module co-requisites	None
NQF level (module)	6
Available as distance learning?	No
Origin date	07/02/2024
Last revision date	07/02/2024