Communicative Ecologies: Language, Nature and Technology

Abstract Book of the 8th World Conference on Teaching and Education

Year: 2025

[PDF]

Communicative Ecologies: Language, Nature and Technology

Prof. Lily Eustace

ABSTRACT:

This paper investigates the evolving function of the English language at the intersection of ecological and technological transformation. As English increasingly operates as both a medium of global communication and a foundational code within digital infrastructures, its role extends beyond linguistic exchange into shaping socio-environmental realities. The concept of communicative ecologies is introduced to describe the dynamic interplay between language, the natural world, and emergent technologies. Grounded in interdisciplinary research across applied linguistics, environmental humanities, and digital technologies, this study examines how English mediates understandings of both ecological systems and artificial intelligence. It further argues that language learners, often positioned at the margins of dominant linguistic paradigms, are in fact central agents in the reconfiguration of English—embedding local knowledge, ethical awareness, and environmental sensibility into its global evolution. The paper concludes by proposing an integration of ecological literacy and critical digital competence into English language education, advancing a model of communicative practice responsive to planetary and technological futures.

Keywords: English language, communicative ecologies, environmental humanities, AI and code, global English, ecological literacy