Abstract
This article explores the integration of sustainability into language education for non-specialist students within French higher education. It argues that sustainability-oriented language education can contribute to professionalization and internationalization by integrating language learning with disciplinary knowledge, cultural awareness and transversal competencies. Drawing on Narcy-Combes’s (2005) concept of a transductive (dynamic, interactive) relationship between language, culture, and disciplinary knowledge, the article proposes a revisited, sustainability-oriented transductive model in which these dimensions develop in an interdependent manner. The argument is illustrated through three pedagogical initiatives implemented in a university language department: an AI-supported online English learning pathway, the use of digital twins (virtual replicas of real-world laboratory environments) in a virtual chemistry lab, and a serious game (designed for educational/training purposes) on international logistics and carbon footprint. These initiatives are presented as contextualized and practitioner-based and are analyzed in terms of how they operationalize the proposed model within specific disciplinary and institutional settings. Rather than claiming measurable impact, the article suggests that embedding sustainability into languages for specific purposes curricula may foster learner engagement, professional awareness, and the development of key transversal competencies relevant to global professional environments. The article concludes by discussing implications for curriculum design, teacher development, and future research in sustainability-oriented LSP education.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.4079/gbl.v26.4
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