Linguistics is the study of the structure, function and development of language, while Ecolinguistics is the study of how language and nature interact, as well as how we use language and images to represent it. Emile Farmer Bellewes has been teaching linguistics for over fifteen years and ecolinguistics for eight years.
In addition, he has been working on his ecolinguistics research for four years, researching the linguistic disenchantment and re-enchantment of nature in the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency’s Policy discourse and the genre of New Nature Writing.
Ecolinguistics and the integration of Critical Thinking into Environmental Education
There are many subtle ways in which people use images and language to persuade us that certain, sometimes destructive and exploitative ways of treating the natural world are normal, acceptable, or even ecologically beneficial. Ecolinguistics can be used to investigate and then question these narratives. Emile Farmer Bellewes further explains it like this:
“Often, multiple discourses or mini-stories play out in texts and images of nature. These stories can act as powerful blueprints for how we think about and act towards the natural world in practice. They are often composed of clusters of particular representations and perspectives, which in turn can be traced to particular choices of language.”
Ecolinguistics isn't only used to critique; it can also celebrate ecologically positive and nurturing narratives. With some help, students can break down and analyse the semiotic components of these stories or discourses to promote their use in countering ecologically destructive perspectives and practices.
“Ecolinguists are also interested in patterns of language and images that form particular representations of nature that encourage us to protect and nurture the natural world as well as those found in, for example, the genre of New Nature Writing, that highlight nature’s dynamism and ability to regulate itself, thus challenging the tendency to view nature as a disenchanted, inert, non-sentient world of mere resources for human wants.”
Improved critical language awareness for increased sensitivity to ecological issues
Emile thinks it is important to go deeper and understand environmental stories in relation to a wider range of ecological perspectives.
“In education, we often talk about the need for students to develop critical thinking, but the idea of critical thinking around language and discourse has been backgrounded. Language and images determine much of what we learn in life as well as the perspectives that we develop. What I'm trying to do here is increase the level of critical thinking around language and the discursive forms of communication that surround us every day, especially when it comes to ecological perspectives at this crucial juncture.”
Emile hopes these ideas will feed into language education and teacher education so that students can learn and develop critical awareness of language, and apply this to issues relating to our treatment of “our natural life-support system and the fellow beings with which we share this planet.”
“The development of the skills of critical thinking in relation to language, discourse and images is important for becoming a citizen in a democratic society. Students need to be able to critique or positively appraise what they read and hear from politicians or read in newspaper articles, or for example, in marketing or discourses about ’Black Friday’. They should recognise that politicians and journalists will have their own ideological perspectives on the world and media outlets will have their own particular affiliations.”
