Critical Discourse Analysis of Educational Texts in Nature Schools: An Ecolinguistics Perspective

This study aimed to critically analyze the promotional texts in nature schools within Ecolinguistics approach. Data collected through telegram channels of nature schools over the past three years.These texts are often taken from Vahhabzadeh(2013 and 2016). Finally,45 discourse texts were selected, comprising a total of 274 clauses. Each clause was analyzed based on Hallidays systemic functional grammar from the perspective of experiential, interpersonal, and textual metafunctions, and ultimately they were ecolinguistically examined. The relationship between human and the environment and understanding the views and attitudes of these schools are among the issues were examined. The results showed that the content of 168 clauses, i.e. 61 percent of clauses, encourages humans to conserve the environment and make proper use of nature and  In 149 cases, approximately 55%, there is a human-nature or nature-friendly relationship. As a result, these schools play a key role in changing human attitudes toward the environment, leading children to conserve nature.

 Environmental linguistics, by nature , is the critique of language forms contributing to environmental degradation and helping the exploration new forms of language that encourage people to protect the environment. This research aims to do an ecolinguistically critical discourse analysis on nature schools texts.

Research Question(s)

What is the relationship between man and nature in the propaganda texts of nature schools?

Literature Review

"Environmental Linguistics" is a book translated by Aghagolzadeh (2016) is the most comprehensive and complet book in Persian. Shahnaseri (2009) has ecolinguistically analyzed the shortcomings of science at both lexical and grammatical levels. Maleki et al. (2016) introduced the typology of environmental discourses in of Islamic National Parlement negotiations. Mirsaeedi (2016) showed the poems contain litral devices such as metaphor, prsonafication and so on can be considered as a model for turning Persian into a green language. Ghiasian and Shirini (2016) research is a decoding of humanism institutionalized in Persian language and culture. (see also Miboudi et al. (2014), Qatreh et al. (2015),  Rakaei and Naeemi (2016), Khairabadi (2015) and Mushtaqimehr and Faizi (1397) for similar disscussion).

This research is done through Halliday's systematic- functional theory (2004), namely. experiential, interpersonal, and textual metafunctions from the perspective of ecolinguistically critical discourse analysis.

Results obtained from experimental analysis of 274 clauses as the research data indicated relational process has the highest frequency with 107 items. This verifies the claim that relationships have a special place in the texts of nature schools. Results obtained from interpersonal analysis showes non-mentioned subject has the highest frequency, indicating the authors of nature school texts pay less attention to interaction and only play an informative role. The next case is positive polarity, which has the highest frequency with 201 cases, and shows that the author has presented his views with determination in most of his texts. The statment with a frequency of 228 is in the first place and shows the authors interst to give too informations to the readers. Application of grammatical aspects suggestes that the affirmative aspect with a frequency of 215 has the highest frequency. It indicates the author has a high degree of certainty. Results obtained from textual analysis shows the experimental initiator has the highest frequency indicating the authors seek to attract the audience's attention. The promotional perspective of nature schools analysis showed approximately 61% encourages human beings to preserve the environment.Finally, the relationship between man and nature in the studied texts indicates that in approximately 55%, there is a friendly relationship between human and nature.