ECO-ENGLISH:CULTIVATING LANGUAGE SKILLS THROUGH SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES

Abstract

This qualitative study examines the groundbreaking approach of Eco-English, which integrates sustainable agriculture topics into English language education to foster language skills and environmental awareness. Utilizing peer-reviewed research from 2018 to 2024, it shows how ecolinguistics principles and sustainability-focused curricula enhance English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and English as a Second Language (ESL) teaching approaches. The study clearly emphasizes that language education, which weaves sustainable agriculture concepts with biodiversity preservation and environmental stewardship, strengthens basic linguistic competencies in writing, critical thinking, and vocabulary advancement, producing ecological awareness in students. It also demonstrates how competency-based language teaching (CBLT), participatory pedagogies, and digital innovations create successful connections between language learning and sustainability goals. However, this encouraging view faces resistance from educational practitioners and financial hurdles that affect current teaching practices. The paper presents Eco-English as an essential mechanism that enables the progress of global sustainability targets, particularly through the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), making environmentally sensitive communicators. The author advocates for robust curriculum creation that integrates language instruction and environmental advocacy to generate global citizens who are fluent in both languages and responsible for the environment. According to the findings, educators and policymakers should consider Eco-English as a promising teaching method for generating articulate speakers who are also environmental stewards.