ROLE OF HUMAN AGENCY IN ECOLOGICAL TEXT: AN ECOLINGUISTIC ANALYSIS OF PRIMARY ENGLISH TEXTBOOKS OF PAKISTAN

Abstract

This study aims to explore: (a) the erasure of human agency in the ecological content taught at the primary level in various Pakistani private schools through English textbooks, and (b) students’ perceptions of ecolinguistics. Stibbe’s perspective on the erasure of human agency in the natural environment and students’ responses to understanding ecological texts were utilised to address the objectives mentioned earlier. The content analysis reveals the erasure of human agency through nominalisation and passivisation. The student participants acknowledged that they gained an overall understanding of the ecological texts. The study concludes that the erasure of human agency in an isolated sentence may create a semantic barrier. Still, when that sentence and its words are read within the whole text, meaning is conveyed. The findings challenge the perspective of Stibbe, who claims that the erasure of human agency in ecological texts hinders the meaning-making process. The study suggests linking language and biodiversity to foster awareness about the natural environment.