An agenda for well-being in ELT: An ecological perspective

Abstract

Well-being is a basic human right according to the World Health Organization. It is the foundation of a life well lived and ought to be the basis of all educational endeavours and encounters. In this article, I urge ELT to make well-being a priority for research and practice. I make three main points. Firstly, we need to be serious in defining and understanding well-being for research and teaching and get beyond superficial conceptualizations, which inhibit growth in this area and meaningful debate. Secondly, we need to consider well-being for the whole ELT ecology, understanding that well-being does not reside solely within the individual but is socially situated too. Finally, I discuss learner and teacher well-being, which lie at the heart of ELT, and argue that we have a collective responsibility in the community to work towards better conditions for well-being for all members of the ELT ecology.