Teaching sustainability communication in higher education: applying case study method based on social media

Abstract

The article aims to introduce the role of foreign language teaching while using social media in fostering sustainability communication (SC) in higher education (HE) institutions. Foreign language learning enables students to analyse actual topics about sustainable development on social media, to discuss problems, to share personal emotions and experiences. Moreover, ESP curriculum aims to build students’ basic language communicative skills with the focus on sustainability communication when students recall gained information. The article overviews the importance of the SC development on the theoretical level as well as introduces the challenges of SC development relying on social media texts in foreign language classes on the empirical level. One of the most innovative methods of learning/teaching a foreign language is a case study method. It integrates such skills as one’s ability to analyse, think critically, search for solutions and make decisions. The article deals with concepts of professional English development and case analysis based on social media. It presents the findings of the research into students’ attitude towards case study method based on social media texts for developing their professional English communication. The research highlights the problems and peculiarities of applying the method. It has revealed that students have a positive attitude towards assignments involving case study method based on social media texts. They believe that such assignments help develop one’s communication skills of the professional English language.