Empowering Pre-Service Taiwanese EFL Teachers for the Integration of SDGs Into Bilingual CLIL Classrooms in Taiwan: Strategies and Challenges

Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) is widely recognized as an effective approach for enhancing both subject mastery and second language acquisition by immersing students in meaningful language use. However, balancing content and language objectives remains a persistent challenge in CLIL classrooms. Subject-specific teachers may prioritize academic content at the expense of language development, while language teachers may focus on linguistic proficiency over subject depth. To address these challenges, integrating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into CLIL lessons has emerged as a promising strategy. SDG-related content provides authentic, interdisciplinary contexts that naturally integrate language and subject learning, fostering meaningful learning experiences through real-world applications. Despite its potential, research on how pre-service teachers design and implement SDG-focused CLIL lessons remains limited, particularly in Taiwan. Existing studies indicate that SDG integration in primary education often emphasizes knowledge acquisition rather than fostering sustainable behaviors. Additionally, teacher training programs rarely equip pre-service teachers with strategies to balance SDG themes, subject content, and language instruction in CLIL contexts. This study investigates the strategies used by pre-service Taiwanese EFL teachers to integrate SDG3 (Good Health and Well-Being), SDG4 (Quality Education), and SDG11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) into bilingual CLIL classrooms. Adopting a qualitative approach, the research incorporates semi-structured interviews to explore pre-service teachers’ perspectives on SDG integration and lesson plan analysis to examine instructional design. Thematic analysis identifies recurring pedagogical strategies, particularly those grounded in Scaffolding Theory, such as guided questioning, modeling, and differentiated instruction, which support pre-service teachers in overcoming instructional challenges. The findings will provide evidence-based recommendations to enhance pre-service teacher training programs, equipping future educators with practical strategies for integrating SDGs into CLIL classrooms.