The 4th International Conference on Ecolinguistics addresses: 

Languaging and Eco-civilization:Towards Consilience with the Life Sciences. 

The conference aims to bring about consilience (abringing forth of new knowledge) that can unite those who acknowledge human responsibility forthe well-being of the living world. Accordingly, we aim to connect ecolinguists with work in fieldsthat include bio-ethics, ecocriticism, biosemiotics, economics and the environmental sciences.

Drawing on Eastern and Western thought, ecolinguistics is developing into a discipline built on aset of international conferences, a global network of ecolinguistic scholars, and a newly establishedjournal and book series. ICE-4 extends how the previous three ICE conferences (held inGuangzhou, Beijing, and Guiyang) have linked ecolinguistics to the policy of building an ecologicalcivilization based on Chinese characteristics. Thus, the conference will strive to construct new waysof drawing on languages and languaging to create sustainable eco-civilizations.

Accordingly, ICE-4 will use a multidisciplinary context to connect old and new concerns with whatlinguistic expertise offers to the well-being of human and non-human forms of life. We pursue howlinguists can contribute to managing a transition to new eco-civilizations. Looking beyonddiscourse, we appeal to how activity based on scientific, social and ethical concerns draws onlinguistic expertise and skill. In so doing, we open up a transdisciplinary domain that aims to stembiological degradation and nurture a new concern for sustaining life on earth. 

Can linguists and other scholars contribute to the development of eco-civilization?The question links linguistic issues with Eastern and Western views of knowledge/ethics. In considering practical consequences, we hope to develop consilience around the following:

1. How do languages (especially threatened languages) shape well-being by drawing on ahistory of interdependency between humans and their lived environments?

a. How can discourse about the environment and ecological issues be used to developharmonious living within the bio-ecology by, for example, replacing the stories thatunderpin globalised culture with new ones.

2. How can the ethical basis of human life and languaging be used to:

a. Raise awareness of human interdependence with the living world? 

b. Allow communities to harness the power of science while also recognizing itsnarrow epistemic limits?

c. Pursue educational and communal ways of enhancing the well-being of localenvironments? 

We encourage submissions that address languaging and eco-civilizations from theoretical orempirical perspectives, or from those directed at community and educational practices aimed at re-establishing harmony within the bio-ecology. 

We seek participation from 

ecolinguistics, 

appliedand general linguistics, 

ecological humanities, 

environmental science, 

economics, 

philosophy, 

cognitive science, 

semiotics, translation, 

communication, 

business, 

education and other relatedfields. 

Confirmed Keynote Speakers

Stephen Cowley 

- University of Southern Denmark, DK
Peter Finke 

- Bielefeld University and Witten/Herdecke University, DE (formerly) 

Huang Guowen

 - South China Agricultural University, China
Alexander Kravchenko

 - Irkutsk State University, Russia
Arran Stibbe 

- University of Gloucestershire, UK 

Call for Papers/Posters/Panels

Conference papers can be submitted either as an oral or a poster presentation.Paper abstracts(maximum 300 words) should be submitted by 1 February 2019. Speakers will be notified by 1March 2019. 

Proposals for thematic panels (including hand-on workshops, etc.) are also invited. Thematic panelshave a duration of two or three hours and may include four or six presentations. Proposals mustcontain a description of the panel/workshop (maximum 500 words), as well as a list of confirmedspeakers, including short abstracts for individual speakers in the panel (maximum 150 words).Panel organisers should submit their proposal by 1 January 2019. Panel organisers will be notifiedby 20 January 2019. 

Primary language of submission is English.
For submission of abstracts and proposals, see guidelines on: www.ICE-4.dk. 

Further information:

-  Website: www.ICE-4.dk

-  Mail: ICE-4@sdu.dk

-  Facebook: www.Facebook.com/I.C.ECO