WHY ECOLINGUISTICS

Logos, 2021

The article proposes the new concept of the ecolinguistic mode for the philosophy of language, which is considered from the standpoint of its ontological and epistemological status. Particular attention is paid to the ratio of the natural and social dominants of language and speech as forms of ecolinguistic modes. These dominants function and develop in the European / world multicultural continuum in a multidimensional relationship with the environment (society). They are correlated both with biological (natural) properties, which, as a rule, are universal for mankind / homo sapiens, and with specific social dominants acquired during historical development, which influence the formation, protection and preservation of linguistic and cultural identity and self-identification. Key words: ecolinguistic mode, language ecology, natural dominants of language, social dominants of language.

Colourful Green Ideas. Berna: Peter Lang, 2002, pp. 77-88. (Fill, Alwin, Hermine Penz, & W. Trampe (eds.))., 2002

Language Sciences (Special Issue on (Special Issue on Ecolinguistics: the Ecology of Language and the Ecology of Science), 2013

In this article we do two things: in the first half, we trace the emergence and development of ecological linguistics, or ecolinguistics, from the early 1970s. Having contrasted the ecological endeavour with the form-based traditions of 20th century linguistics, we discern four particular ways in which the ecology of language has been conceptualised: as a symbolic ecology (Section 2), a natural ecology (Section 3), a sociocultural ecology (Section 4), and a cognitive ecology (Section 5). These four approaches are described and discussed in detail. In the second half of the state of the art, we outline future horizons for the discipline. The foundation for this outline is our plea for a unified ecological language science (Section 6). This unified program pursues a naturalised agenda in the language sciences by exploring the ecological embeddedness of language and linguistic interaction (Section 7). In particular, this section presents the extended ecology hypothesis as one possible way of understanding ecolinguistics as a naturalised science of language. Having presented this view, we argue that it can place the four different traditions mentioned within a unified ecolinguistic framework (Section 8). This framework includes a naturalised foundation for those concerns that characterise the ecolinguistic enterprise, e.g. the exploitation of natural resources, empowerment of marginalized social groups, and the peaceful coexistence of languages and cultures in multicultural communities. In the conclusion (Section 9), we call for further interaction between ecological schools and traditions.

Russian Journal of Linguistics, 2025

Unlike other modern sciences that have dramatically transformed our way of life over a historically short period of time, linguistics cannot boast of any serious achievements that affect our daily life. This raises the issue of practicality of linguistic theories and their applicability in our praxis of living. Confined to the methodologically erroneous and theoretically untenable framework based on the code model of language and communication, linguistics of the mainstream persists in viewing language as a cultural tool in the service of the mind rather than a biologically and ecologically functional feature of humans as a species. Reification of language precludes any productive theorizing about its nature and function, and the biological function of language and its role in the evolution of our species is ignored.

Journal of World Languages

Since the concept of ecology was first applied to language over 50 years ago, the field of ecolinguistics has developed into a thriving branch of linguistics that is more than ever closer to the pressing issues of our time. This article aims to trace the historical development of ecolinguistics, discusses the main trends in current research, and provides a brief projection of potential future developments. The first part includes an overview of research connected to Einar Haugen’s article “Ecology of Language”, published in 1972, which focuses on the interaction between languages in multilingual contexts. A large part of the article is then devoted to the role of language in dealing with environmental problems (e.g. aggravating or solving them), which is the biological understanding of ecology in the study of language inspired by Halliday’s 1990 talk “New Ways of Meaning: The Challenge to Applied Linguistics”. Ecolinguistics will certainly have an interesting future. It will take up...

Papers for the symposium “Ecolinguistics. Problems, …, 1993

From language shift to language revitalization and sustainability. A complexity approach to linguistic ecology. Pp. 15-237., 2019

Human linguistic phenomenon is at one and the same time an individual, social, and political fact. As such, its study should bear in mind these complex interrelations, which are produced inside the framework of the sociocultural and historical ecosystem of each human community. Understanding this phenomenon is often no easy task, due to the range of elements involved and their interrelations. The absence of valid, clearly developed paradigms adds to the problem and means that the theoretical conclusions that emerge may be unclear on certain points. It is true that in the last fifty years sociolinguistic studies have advanced considerably, and today we have access to an impressive set of data and a wide variety of theoretical reflections. But as a discipline sociolinguistics does not yet have unified, powerful theoretical models able to account rigorously and clearly for the phenomena it studies. Sociolinguistic studies are today a diverse set of contributions in which certain and theoretical schools and lines of research emerged; but as is to be expected in a relatively new field, there is not enough communication between the various schools and they cannot yet be said to be integrated in terms of their conceptual and theoretical postulates. Against this background, our work aims to contribute to the overall, integrated understanding of the processes of language contact. Via an interdisciplinary, eclectic approach, it also aims to aid the theoretical grounding and integration of a unified, common sociolinguistic paradigm. Our strategy will not be merely to combine the contributions from ongoing research lines, but to address the question from a more global viewpoint which, together with the more innovative contemporary scientific disciplines, permits a harmonious integration of the various sociolinguistic perspectives in a broad, deep and unitary approach to the reality. The materials used to construct this unified approach are taken from many sources: Theoretical physics, ecology, the philosophy of science and mind, anthropology, phenomenological and process sociology, cognitive sciences, political science, pragmatics, history, systems theory, approaches to complexity and obviously sociolinguistics, are all involved in a dialogue in this desire for integration. Unlike the traditional perspective that separates linguistic varieties from their bio-psycho-socio-politico-cultural contexts and makes of them specialized objects existing in a vacuum, the eco-sociolinguistic perspective is based on the fact that linguistic structures do not live in isolation from their social functions – the existence of matter is indissoluble from its activity, says Einstein. Equally, linguistic structures must be situated ecologically in relation with the sub- and supra-systems that determine their existence if we are to understand their vicissitudes – the unit of survival is the organism-in-its-environment, says Bateson. So our proposal aims to provide the basis of an integrative focus from the perspective of complexity – distinguer sans disjoindre (Morin) – which draws on the contributions of traditional approaches to the study of language systems, but goes beyond them to establish a vision that is more interrelated with the other coexisting sociocultural factors, thus permitting a better understanding of the linguistic phenomenon as a whole.

The paper seeks to shift ecolinguistic focus from discourse to the bidirectional coupling of the human and the living world. In so doing, it endorses Gregory Bateson's unity of mind and nature. Accordingly appeal is made to the bio-ecology, a domain affected by, not just languages, but also individual and collective agency. Indeed, humans change the world by linking social modes of control with individual skills based on life-history. On this eco-logic, humans are both collective agents and living subjects that act within the bio-ecology. To pursue the reciprocal relations of humans and the living is to clarify the limits of scientific knowing. Accordingly, ecolinguistics has the mission, first, of critiquing models that separate the human from the living and, second, of raising the bio-ecology's profile. It needs to build a bio-logic where life draws on energetics, values and how human (and other) collectives behave. Critical approaches to discourse can be complemented by work aimed at bio-ecologial awareness. Ecolinguists can join scientists and the many others who stress our responsibility for terrestrial life or, in the terms of ancient Chinese tradition, for harmony between heaven and earth.

Cadernos De Linguagem E Sociedade, 2013

This starting-point of this article is the fact that a language ecosystem works in accordance with the triad of the fundamental ecology of language (FEL), in which people and territory form a unity. Thus, our main objective is to investigate complex language ecologies as well as how specialized language varieties are formed and form the identity of their users, from an ecolinguistic perspective. Our main theoretical foundation is , the basis for our text, together with for specialized language varieties, as well as Hall , who deals with the question of identity formation in a post-modern context. Out of the interaction of different language ecosystems several FELs may emerge. These in turn may give birth to jargons and slangs. These language varieties form different identities which characterize the subjects of certain social and linguistic groups. Key word: special languages, linguistic diversity, identity.

2008

Linguistics or the scientific study of human language has always been focus to heated issues and contrasting assumptions, as the object of empiricism is in itself a highly debated entity. The present paper sheds light on a recent trend in the field, ecolinguistics, per se. This new paradigm, which relates language to the environment it is used and practised in, determines relations between what is said or written and the circumstances under which linguistic forms are produced in a threedimensional relationship of social praxis that links linguistic behaviour to ideological, sociological, and biological dimensions. Such a combination allows the establishment of three kinds of relations at the intra, the inter, and the extra level. Language can therefore be speculated in terms of these relations and the relations of these relations. Hence, the ecolinguistic approach has developed in an integrationist way to include features from different disciplines like geography, economy, and polit...