Ecological Discourse Analysis of the Textbook of English Language

Abstract

This study, conducted from 2023 to 2025, presents an ecolinguistics discourse analysis of selected English textbook texts used in Grades 11 and 12 in Pakistan, aiming to uncover how language constructs environmental meaning through metaphor, ideology, linguistic erasure, and evaluation. Grounded in Stibbe’s (2015) ecolinguistics framework and Halliday’s systemic functional linguistics, the analysis critically examines texts such as “Truck Art,” “Hubble,” “Tourist Attractions in Pakistan,” “Gender Inequality and Its Implications,” and “Desiree’s Baby.” Findings reveal a dominant anthropocentric worldview, with nature often portrayed as a passive resource, ideologically tied to national pride and human development, and linguistically erased through the absence of non-human agency. Evaluation of environmental issues was largely neutral, whereas human achievements received strong positive appraisal. These discourse patterns reflect unsustainable narratives—termed “destructive stories-we-live-by” (Stibbe, 2014) that hinder ecological literacy and responsibility. The study recommends integrating eccentric metaphors, inclusive environmental ideologies, active linguistic representation of nature, and evaluative engagement with ecological issues in textbooks. Its further advocates for ecolinguistics training for educators and ongoing discourse review in curriculum development. By aligning language education with ecological sustainability, this research contributes to the emerging field of ecolinguistics in education and offers context-specific recommendations for environmental discourse reform in Pakistan.

Keywords: Ecolinguistics, Discourse Analysis, Metaphor, Ideology, Linguistic, Erasure, Evaluation