Komang Satya Permadi (2013) English Education Post Graduate Program - Ganesha University of Education

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Ecolinguistics

Komang Satya Permadi

Ganesha University of Education

Singaraja, Indonesia

1. Introduction

Basically, there are two levels of linguistic studies, a micro- and a macro- level. In the

microlinguistics is study of the structure of a language system where no complementary issues

are referred to. At this level, the structures of a system are identified, described, and explained to

include levels like phonology, morphology, and syntax. Meanwhile in Macrolinguistics is the

study to understand the role of the individual within the system of language, dealing with issues

that why the individual relates to a particular science, and how he relates to this science. The

macro level has a broad scope. It merges overlapping interests from the study of language with

other fields of enquiry like Sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, biolinguistics, ethnolinguistics,

and ecolinguistics (Derni, 2008).

A sharp link is made between language and its social context. A social correlation

explains how social constraints come to control and manipulate language use, so that a sharp link

is made between language and its social context. A psychological one deals with language as a

product of interpersonal and intrapersonal motives and explains linguistic behavior in correlation

with the human mind and the different psychological mechanisms. A biological perception rises

up questions that relate language with biology. It determines biological factors that make humans

able to acquire and use a verbal system of communication. An ethnographic correlation however

raises issues that link linguistic behaviour to ethnographic findings so that language is perceived

as a cultural phenomenon. An ecological perspective; however, supports the view that language

is used in unpredictable and unconstrained ways. At this point, ecolinguistics relates language as

identity of the speaker and the ecological structure that he belongs to, as a member of a particular

speech community, living in a given environment characterized by identical social and cultural

values (Derni, 2008).

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Ecolinguistics is the study of language according to the environment it is used in (Derni,

2008). This term emerged in 1990 as a new paradigm of language study that speculates not only

the intra- relations, the inter-relations, and the extra-relations of language and environment, but

also combinations of these relations, which will be explained in the next part.

2. Ecolinguistics Branches

Ecolinguistics can be divided into 2 branches, as follows: eco-critical discourse analysis

and linguistic ecology.

a) Eco-Critical Discourse Analysis

Eco-critical discourse analysis aims at showing correlations in discourse

between language and ecological phenomena. Eco-critical discourse analysis

includes the application of critical discourse analysis to texts and documents about

the environment. Many examples from newspaper texts, for example; environmental

contaminations that occur in certain places, advertisements, for example; Go green

plastic bag and political texts, for example, text about the leadership of Joko Widodo

that able to establish a park near Pluit Lake, North Jakarta. All of the texts are related

to nature that also creates an awareness of how language can contribute to an

irresponsible use of nature contribute to the solution of environmental problems

(Derni, 2008).

According to Bundsgaard and Steffensen (2000) in Derni (2008), there exist

three types of relations that are to be considered in an eco-discourse analysis. These

are the inter-relations, the intra-relations and the extra-relations. Intra-relations are

relations within the individuality. Inter-relations are between an individuality and

other individualities of the same kind or species. Extra-relations are relations

between an individuality and other individualities of other kinds or species.

Therefore, it is clear that, Eco-Critical Discourse Analysis texts or documents will be

always related to those three types of relations.

In relation to explanation of types of relations above, Bang and Døør (1990) in

Derni (2008) elaborates Triple Model of Reference to globalize the referential parts

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of a text. These models include; the intra, the inter, and the extra textual refrence,

and the referred part of the text. Furthermore these three types of relations inspected

at the inter, the intra, and the extra levels correspond to three other types of

categories. These are respectively the semantic, the syntactic, and the pragmatic

levels. In detail, the inter-relation of linguistic units to natural environment, semantic

comparisons are to be made. The intra-relation level and the association of internal

factors to linguistic forms are viewed in terms of syntactic attributions; that is the

way these units are structured and the rules for their combination. The extra-relation

in its turn encounters linguistic choices, some external motives that are related to the

environment in which language can be used. For example; flood happen in a city, the

people who see this disaster will think about rain, irrigation system, and junk

everywhere. At this point inter relation level is occur. Afterward, the people will

combine this series of cause and effect structured, if the rain happens, the flood will

arise in that city because the junk is everywhere, and the irrigation system will not

able to swallow all of the junk then will overflow the water. These structured units

combination is called intra-relation level. Then extra-relation will occur when the

people communicate this happening to the other people or write it down as news to

inform the other people with appropriate word.

b) Language Ecology

This study is firstly introduced by Einar Haugen in 1970. According to

Haugen (1970) in Kramsch and Steffensen (2008) language ecology is the study of

interactions between any given language and its environment. Haugen also stated

that language can be best understood in its social context. Language ecology not

only determines spoken utterances but also written texts. Haugen beliefs that

environmental interactions occur with the extra-relations of language and

environment.

Haugen rises a new term ecology to deal with the social environment and also

to support their belief while conducting research in any language community.

According to Haugen (1970) in Derni (2008) he states that part of its ecology is

therefore psychological: its interaction with other languages in the minds of bi- and

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multilingual speakers. Another part of its ecology is sociological: its interaction with

the society in which it functions as a medium of communication. This assumption to

correlate social environment with mental and emotional that used in appropriate

context.

In addition, Fill (1993) in Al-Gayoni (2012:28) states that ecolinguistics is a

new branch of linguistics which investigates the role of language in the development

and possible solution of ecological and environmental problems. It can be said that

ecolinguistics is a study of preservation of linguistic diversity.

3. Ecolinguistics Issues in Indonesia

Environment is one issue that is being discussed today. Climate changes due to

greenhouse effect in which it implicates the rising of the sea level. Indirectly, those things cause

social and natural life from coast up to mountains and it lead to environmental diversity changes.

These changes do not only result on existence of the environment and organism, moreover it will

direct to deeper points such as norms, culture and existence of linguistic diversity. Languages

will not be able to survive, if it is not inherited to the next young generation. Furthermore,

dominance of international, regional and national language intervene the existence of minority

language in certain area (Al-Gayoni, 2012). The fact that human languages are rapidly dying out

(from 6,500 languages today to maybe 650 in the coming two generations) is increasingly

perceived as an urgent problem (Mühlhäusler, 2002)

Indonesia has known this study, some researcher in Indonesia used ecolinguistics to find

out and to conserve the local language. Like what was happened in Takengen, Aceh. There were

128 villages around a lake which were recorded at the earlier time. But nowadays, the young

generations do not know the name of the village since the civilization immigrated to other village

around the lake. The causes of immigration were earthquakes, tsunamis, and the overflowing of

the lake. This ecological change made some of the villages merging each other. Furthermore, the

ecological changes also made a language change in the merged villages. Some of the words in

the languages were also missed. The example is the word smong (smong is huge tidal waves)

which is called tsunami nowadays (Al-Gayoni, 2012:11). In addition, value, ideology, and

culture in the merged villages were also changed and it became the villages’ identity.

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The other researcher also did an ecolinguistics research in Bali. The researcher studied

about some words in bahasa bali which are not currently used by Balinese people. The words

were used in Balinese people’s daily activities. These are the unused words:

No. Unused Words Generally Used Words English

1. Kelambi Baju Shirt

2. Kole Tiang I

3. Nanang, Pan Bapak Father

4. Luweng Nak Luh Girl

5. Taban Bale Bed

6. Bulakan Kelebutan Mata Air

7. Plesir Melali Hang out

8. Ngidu Ngangetin badan Body Warming in

kitchen fireplace

9. Tenggala Bajak Plow

10. Empelan Dam Dam

These words are not currently used again because it is not supported by ecological factor.

For example Kelambi. The word kelambi, which was originally taken from Tamil language, was

used in 1960s by balinese people. Tamil ethnic people were selling textile around Gajah Mada.

In 1970s, the use of word kelambi was degraded because it is considered as old-fashioned cloth

word, while baju is used to call the new-fashioned cloth. (Sudeva, 2009).

Meanwhile, Rasna & Binawati (2012) also did an ecolinguistics research in Bali that

mainly discussed about youth knowledge of traditional medicinal plants. There are 119 types of

traditional medicinal plants in Bali to cure diseases of children according to Lontar Rare Usada.

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Evidently, 202 from 225 Balinese adolescents (90%) did not know 56 species of medicinal plants

for the child diseases, such as; padang gulung, wong papah, akar jail, bungkak samsam, don

ketepeng, getah layah lambo, getah amplas, ketan gajih, sanggalangit, bintanu, and so on. This

unawareness, which was caused by modern medicine, would be resulted in weaker belief to

traditional medicine.

4. Conclusion

A study of language is relevant to many other fields of inquiry. Ecolinguistics is the study

of language according to the environment it is used in (Derni, 2008). Because language is part of

the environment where we live, it is speculated in accordance with this environment. And as

language enters into almost every aspect of human life, many disciplines dealing with various

aspects of human life can be used in correspondence with linguistic study.

Ecolinguistics also investigates the role of language in the development and possible

solution of ecological and environmental problems (Fill, 1993 in Al-Gayoni, 2012:28). In the

other words ecolinguistics is a study of preservation of linguistic diversity.

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References

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https://www.academia.edu/1010980/Ecological_Perspectives_on_Second_Language_Ac

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Mühlhäusler, P. (2002). Ecolinguistics in the University. Retrieved December 6, 2013, from,

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