Seeing Connection, Balance, and Poetry in ELT

Over the past several years, I have observed more about the balance in nature and how that balance is available to us in our daily lives — after all, we are nature, a truth which I find is worth remembering and repeating.

All is Connected

Recently, I was reading an article on just this topic by the organization BIONEERS from their Earthlings newsletter (#21) on intelligence in nature, excerpted from the book Love, Nature, Magic by Maria Rodale. Interestingly, the article is focused on the world’s deadliest animal…any guesses? Here’s a hint: they are tiny, have an annoying buzz, and have been around for over 230 million years. The answer is mosquitos, who have more than 3,700 species, number in the trillions, live on every continent except Antarctica, and kill approximately one million people annually from diseases, including Zika, West Nile, Chikungunya, Dengue, yellow fever, malaria, and the rare Eastern Equine Encephalitis. Wherever you are teaching, mosquitos exist and are likely taken very seriously, despite their miniature size. (Try using mosquito descriptors as an example of alliteration — miniature, mighty, menacing mosquitos).

Given these realities, it is understandable that humans have tried their best to eradicate them, by, for example, spraying the chemical compound DDT in the 1950s and 60s, which we came to learn was highly toxic to humans as well as other species (as reflected in the title of the book Silent Spring, which is often credited with ushering in the modern global environmental movement). As the Earthlings article explains, the release of genetically modified mosquitos has been tested as a more recent solution. The author states that human activity, such as pesticide use, habitat destruction, and climate change, seem to continue to bolster mosquito populations. So do tires, interestingly enough. Tires may seem like a strange link to mosquito spread, but it turns out that (often discarded) tires are wonderful breeding grounds and incubators for mosquito eggs because they retain water and heat. The shipping of these tires all over the world spreads mosquito populations to places they were not previously, including places further north, as the planet warms because of climate change. As it turns out, human activity is contributing the problem of mosquito-spreading diseases as a result of imbalance and indifference regarding our treatment of the rest of the natural world.

At the same time, humans are becoming more resistant to the drugs used to treat many diseases — which are being referred to as “superbugs,” as they are antibiotic resistant. Whereas most mosquito-related illnesses are viruses, and thus not treated with antibiotics, many bacterial-related illnesses are becoming resistant to antibiotics, due in large part to their widespread use in animals in industrial agriculture. However, it has also been discovered that malaria transmission may be exacerbated in areas of high antibiotic usage. Again we see, as in these examples, how our human activity has effects, and these effects often result in imbalances and negative consequences.

Understanding sustainability as a community practice is one of the primary ecoliteracy principles. It is critical to have a world view where all is understood as connected; such a worldview is more typical of people of color, who are also the most concerned about the climate crisis not only because they are the hardest hit by its impacts, but also because they tend to have a more collectivist (rather than an individualist) approach and world view, as explained by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson in this recent interview. In my August blog (under “Things You Can Do Today”), I describe a Venn diagram activity she recommends for each of us, which I have found to be very helpful in my own work.

Promoting Greater Balance

I am reminded of being in the Costa Rica rainforest with my future elementary grades teachers, where we each wandered off to do whatever we were inspired by in terms of nature-based art. I remember balancing stones, which for me symbolized an increasing balance, patience, and nature connection in my life. My previous attempts at stone balancing only resulted in stone stacking; I was unable to achieve any balance.

For me, this is emblematic of what we as TESOL professionals can do for ourselves and bring to our students. Language is learned incrementally, over time, although of course the pace of that learning differs depending on many variables. But it requires a balance of noticing, being curious, appreciating small achievements, having patience, and taking a long view that rejects an all or nothing approach. It is both in the moment and future oriented. These same principles apply to ecoliteracy learning. It, too, is about a positive aspiration and the growth of new knowledge and skills that allow one to experience and interact differently in the world and with life.

Combining language learning with ecoliteracy can be powerfully transformational in terms of content and language learning, as well as dispositional development (e.g., in terms of having empathy for all life and related social-emotional development). It has as many benefits for us as teachers as it does for our students! Andrés Edwards (2019) reminds us that “Finding our place in nature is at the root of what keeps us healthy and vibrant.”

Beauty and Poetry of Nature

I began writing this post to try to convey what becoming more ecoliterate has done for me and brought to my life. It makes me a happier person. But it also allows me to be a more informed professional who can inspire others to learn about ecoliteracy and help to build a better world in whatever big or small ways fit our lives. I invite you to dive into the world of ecoliteracy and enjoy all it has to offer you and your students, including greater balance and connection. It has also brought me nature poetry, which I encourage you to try with your students!

You can begin with Haiku, which is of Japanese origin, traditionally about nature, and often related to the seasons. The simple 5/7/5–syllable, three-line, nonrhyming structure makes it a good starting point for multilingual learners of English (where you might start with a poem about the mosquito). Here is one Haiku example translated from Japanese:

The Old Pond 
by Matsuo Bashō

An old silent pond

A frog jumps into the pond—

Splash! Silence again.

This example, written in 1686 and translated from Japanese, still follows the 5/7/5–syllable structure; however, note that when translated into English, many Haiku poems do not, which is an interesting language note you can discuss with students. Consider inviting students to write a nature-themed Haiku in their primary language and translating it to English to observe the syllabic and other differences when translated. I leave you with the following excerpt from the book What If We Get It Right: Visions of Climate Futures (2024), edited by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, about the connection of all life on Earth:

This Living Earth (excerpt)
by Steve Connell

…from toxic soil, a mushroom grows
in a desiccated river bed, water flows
in a still smoldering forest, a flower leans into the wind
and in the midst of this vast expanse…spins/a planet/ comprised of:
promise, spark of light, oxygen and bone.
photosynthesis, salt water, honeycomb, hydrogen atom
skin cell, hair follicle, matted fur, acetone,
slice of wing, wind current, opposable thumbs, cyclone, dorsal fin,
deep breath, ozone, atmospheric river, heart valve, limestone

All life is connected
Nothing lives alone
On this one and only living Earth: home.
(p.381)