Environmental pedagogy and education to sustainability have become increasingly popular among language instructors, meeting the growing demand for meaningful and relevant language instruction and a global shift toward learner-directed and problem-based methodologies. This article illustrates an example of curriculum development centered around sustainability in an intermediate-level Italian course, combining curriculum development and project-based language teaching. The project led students to explore issues relevant to the Italian discourse, such as overtourism, the conservation of Alpine communities, the design of urban spaces, and sustainability in the food industry, while applying relevant language skills to real-life communicative tasks. Additionally, the project prompted students to rethink critically their own approach to Italy and reflect on the ways in which touristic images are reshaped by today's influencer culture, encouraging them to deepen their personal connection to the target culture with a positive effect both on program retention and on study abroad participation.
Valentina Fulginiti (Sun,) studied this question.