Multiplier Event in Burgos, Spain: Sustainability, AI, and Gamified Language Teaching
On 20 November 2025, EcoLingua partners and local educators gathered at the University of Burgos for the International Workshop ECOLINGUA, exploring how to integrate environmental issues, AI, and gamification into English language teaching.
Workshop Overview
As part of the EcoLingua project’s multiplier activities, the International Workshop ECOLINGUA was held on Thursday, 20 November 2025, at the Sala de Juntas, Faculty of Education, University of Burgos. The programme brought together teachers, researchers, and students to discuss innovative ways of integrating environmental issues into English language teaching and to explore the role of AI and gamification in sustainable education.
The workshop ran from 16:00 to 19:30 and included contributions from Türkiye, Italy, and Spain, followed by a closing session on gamified instruction in the English language classroom.
Programme Highlights
16:00–16:05 – Welcome and presentation
- Speaker: María Amor Barros del Río (Universidad de Burgos, Spain)
- Brief introduction to the EcoLingua project and the aims of the workshop
16:05–16:25 – Integrating Environment into English Language Teaching
- Speakers: Nilgün Saraç, Çiğdem Sezer Aslan, Pınar Yaşar Silvan
- Institution: Özlüce Rasim Özdenören Anadolu İmam Hatip Lisesi, Türkiye
- Focus on practical classroom experiences and activities that embed environmental awareness into EFL lessons
16:25–16:45 – Designing Activities for the English Language Classroom
- Speakers: Elisabetta Marino, Giulia Magazzù, Giuseppe Capalbo, Maria Grazia Maglione
- Institution: University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy
- Presentation of sample activities and task types that combine language learning outcomes with ecological themes
16:45–17:05 – Towards a Sustainable Education: Use and Abuse of AI
- Speaker: Beatriz Mediavilla Martínez
- Institution: Universidad de Burgos, Spain
- Reflection on opportunities and risks related to using artificial intelligence in education, with a special emphasis on sustainability, ethics, and critical digital literacy
17:05–17:15 – Break
17:15–19:00 – Elaboración de situaciones de aprendizaje con mirada ecosocial
- Speaker: Luis González Reyes
- Institution: FUHEM, Spain
- A Spanish-language session devoted to designing learning situations from an ecosocial perspective, encouraging participants to rethink curriculum design in light of climate crisis and social justice
19:00–19:20 – Designing Gamified Instruction in the English Language Classroom
- Speaker: Serhat Güzel
- Institution: Balıkesir University, Türkiye
- Exploration of how gamification can be used to support ecological awareness in EFL classrooms, including examples of game mechanics, meaningful narratives, and digital tools aligned with EcoLingua principles
19:20–19:30 – Closure
- Final remarks, reflection on the day’s discussions, and invitation to follow the project’s upcoming outputs and events
Impact and Participant Engagement
Throughout the workshop, participants:
- Discussed ways to link environmental content with language learning objectives
- Reflected on how to use AI critically and responsibly in EFL contexts
- Experimented with designing gamified and ecosocial learning situations
- Shared good practices and challenges from their own institutions and classrooms
The event served as a multiplier platform for disseminating EcoLingua’s emerging results, strengthening collaboration between schools and universities, and inspiring teachers to integrate sustainability more systematically into their language teaching.