The challenges that humanity faces in the 21^st century are overwhelming, to the point that the very survival of humanity and the ecosystem are jeopardized. Yet, most people in the West are “comfortably unaware” of the consequences of their lifestyles for the planet Earth as an ecosystem as well as for its inhabitants, human and animal. Language teachers can become agents of change by choosing environmental, human and animal rights topics as reading material and as themes for group discussion starting from a B1 language level. The acquisitive nature of education in the 21st century has neglected the human side of education- that is, of developing the individual's personality, empathy and awareness. The aim of this paper is to create awareness of the problems humanity faces in the 21st century by including transcendental values in our language courses. Using our academic freedom responsibly, we will not only improve our students' language skills, but develop their critical and analytical skills and seek solutions to global problems.

language teaching, awareness, integrated learning, human development