ABSTRACT
This chapter shows in what directions the different topic areas of ecolinguistics will develop. Concerning the topics of Part I, the ‘root causes’ of language decline, loss and death will be investigated in more detail. The language diversity in countries beyond Europe, America and Australia will be an additional object of research. Of the topics in Part II, finding further ways of overcoming linguistic anthropocentrism will be pursued, but the main emphasis will be on the study of discourse, where ‘positive discourse analysis’ and discourses of participation will take a central position. The philosophical side of ecolinguistics (Part III) will develop in the direction of transdisciplinarity, and ecolinguistics will be shown to be a ‘pacemaker’ into a new scientific age. Ecolinguistics will also play a more important role in such countries as China, where (Taoism and Confucianism!) the emphasis will be on establishing harmony between humans and nature, as will other (non-Western) philosophical traditions which reflect similar views.
