Green ELT Sector Researcher: ELT for the Planet

About the project

Climate change is the greatest challenge of our time, affecting every nation, society and individual across the world. In the British Council's recent soft power survey of 37,158 adults aged 18-34 across the 36 survey countries, climate change was perceived to be the most important issue facing the world today. The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 26)  is a key opportunity for the UK to play a leadership role in the global effort to address this pressing issue through international collaboration and cooperation.

The British Council is supporting the UK’s role in COP26 through a global programme centred on climate change, including a specific strand focussing on environmental sustainability in English language teaching and learning: ‘ELT for the Planet’. 

About the role

The focus of this consultancy is to produce a report highlighting efforts being taken to make the ELT sector ‘greener’, promote and facilitate environmental responsibility, reduce environmental impact and incentivise sustainability – including green accreditation initiatives.

It is expected that the report will serve as a collection of case studies, highlighting a broad range of efforts from across the ELT sector from different geographies from around the world. Initiatives from the ELT sector may include national governments, policy makers, administrators, ELT publishers, public and private language schools, teacher associations, English language teachers and educators.

1. Give inputs to the concept note for this report, including finalising the research scope, approach and report format. 

2. Create an outline of the chapters for the report, and identify suitable interviewees for each chapter, and arrange interviews, in conjunction with the British Council team. 

3. Conduct desk based ‘field research': 

 a) with an agreed number of stakeholders including English UK, private language schools, teacher associations, publishers, universities, accreditation bodies, examination providers, and     Ministries of Education. 

 b) the use of an online research tool followed by direct interviews to explore -

• their view of the current environmental impact of their stakeholder group and that in the near future. (The impact of Covid would also be explored).
• what policies, initiatives and tangible actions have been put into practice to date.
• what policies, initiatives and tangible actions are to be imminently launched.
• what policies, initiatives and tangible actions are in consultation/development phases.the stakeholders’ views of barriers to progress.

4. Edit, contextualise and finesse, to a high level of quality assurance, any external contributions to the report commissioned in conjunction with the British Council, to the point where the British Council agrees the final report fit for publication.

5. Report to the British Council summarising the field research and drawing together issues that might contribute to the industry-wide and stakeholder-specific statements, benchmarks and standards in sustainability.

6. Advise on how to host, launch and publicise the report, and promote it through their networks.

7. Participate in at least one launch event as agreed with the British Council.

8. Moderate / participate in at least two online global roundtable panel discussions following the report publication. 

Output: 1 x Green ELT Sector report in the agreed format

The Researcher will receive a fee depending on their experience, with a daily rate paid. No travel or accommodation will be required or paid as part of this consultancy. 

Qualifications and experience required

• Post-graduate qualification in a relevant subject
• Experience of relevant ELT academic research and report writing 
• Proficiency in English (Essential)
• Extensive and demonstrable experience of working on collaborative projects to deliver outcomes to agreed quality standards and within agreed timeframes

If you are interested, please submit the following;

• your CV, tailored to the above requirements with cover letter detailing your approach to the tasks as outlined
• copies of, or links to, a minimum of three reports / articles either written or edited by you
• expected daily rate & total number of days allocated for green ELT sector research and report writing. 
• the names of three referees who will be able to provide a written reference upon request from the British Council 

to Colm.Downes@britishcouncil.org, ELT for the Planet Technical Lead, with the subject title: Green ELT Sector Researcher /ELT for the Planet. Note that the deadline for submission is 18.00 GMT on Tuesday 15 December

Clarification questions can also be submitted to the same address. 

Please note we can only respond to successful applicants within five working days of the application submission.