Three things from the Conference on ‘Ecopedagogy in the Foreign Language Classroom’ at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice are still working on me, a few weeks after the fact.
Serene format: two packed days, a manageable group, a breathtaking palazzo by the Canale Grande. The conversations started in one panel, carried through the breaks, and were continued the next day. People actually “meet, clash, and grapple,” in Pratt’s phrase.
European interconnections. Research teams from Austria, Spain, and our Italian hosts at Ca’ Foscari brought three years of joint research on environmental storytelling to the table. Speakers from England, Denmark, Germany, and Scotland joined in. European collaboration at its best, courtesy of Erasmus+.
Collegiality. I had the honor of giving one of the featured talks on hopefulness, vulnerability, EFL, and storytelling. Some took up my angle and perspective; others scrutinized it. Feedback on paper slips is what I got to take home and process. That productive friction is what I came for.
Warm thanks to the local organizers, and especially to Fabiana Fazzi.
#Ecopedagogy #EnvironmentalHumanities #TEFL #EnvironmentalLiteracy #ErasmusPlus #Storytelling
Originally posted on Mastodon, Bluesky, and LinkedIn, May 8, 2026.