ECO-EXPERIENTIAL ELT: INTEGRATING BALINESE LOCAL WISDOM INTO SUSTAINABILITY-ORIENTED ENGLISH EDUCATION

Abstract

While sustainability education research has largely developed within environmental science and social education, there has been limited attention to its integration into language learning contexts. Only few studies have explored how experiential environmental learning and indigenous ecological philosophy can be integrated into English Language Teaching (ELT) in international school contexts. This study explores how eco-experiential learning integrates sustainability education and local wisdom within ELT in an international school context. Employing a qualitative case study approach, data were collected through in-depth interviews with curriculum leaders, educators and school communities at Green School Bali, Indonesia. Within the perspectives of Kolb’s Experiential Learning (1984) and Sterling’s Sustainability Education (2021), the findings of this study reveal that English learning is embedded within experiential environmental activities, such as field-based ecological exploration, community engagement, and sustainability projects rooted in Balinese philosophies including Tri Hita Karana and Sad Kerthi. These eco-experiential practices foster authentic language use, intercultural understanding, and environmental awareness among students from diverse global backgrounds. Reflective journaling, project-based learning, and outdoor experiential pedagogy function as key mechanisms linking language learning with sustainability practices. The study proposes an eco-experiential ELT framework that integrates place-based education, experiential learning, and culturally responsive pedagogy. The findings contribute to emerging discussions on sustainability-oriented language education and demonstrate how local ecological knowledge can transform English learning into a contextually meaningful and globally relevant practice.