Arran Stibbe

Arran Stibbe is Professor of Ecological Linguistics at the University of Gloucestershire, where he conducts groundbreaking research at the intersection of language, ecology, and sustainability. He is widely recognized as a leading scholar in the field of ecolinguistics, having founded the International Ecolinguistics Association. His work focuses on how language shapes our relationship with the natural world and how stories encoded in language influence societal structures and environmental practices.

Dr. Stibbe's research interests span multiple interconnected domains:

• Critical discourse analysis of environmental narratives
• Ecolinguistics as a framework for understanding language-ecology relationships
• The role of stories in shaping sustainable or unsustainable societies
• Language awareness for ethical leadership and sustainability
• Analysis of how discourse constructs human relationships with animals and nature
• Development of new linguistic frameworks for ecological consciousness

His extensive publication record demonstrates a consistent focus on how language both reflects and shapes our ecological consciousness. Recent work explores the relationship between economic discourse and environmental destruction, the development of 'ecocultural identity' through language, and innovative approaches to sustainability education. Stibbe's research reveals how dominant narratives in advertising, economics, and media often promote unsustainable consumption patterns while erasing our connection to the natural world, and he actively searches for alternative, more life-sustaining narratives in literature and indigenous knowledge systems.

Dr. Stibbe has received significant recognition for his contributions to education and scholarship:

• National Teaching Fellow (awarded by the Higher Education Academy)
• Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

As an educator, Stibbe has developed innovative approaches to teaching communication for leadership, language and ethics, and critical discourse analysis with ecological applications. His work extends beyond traditional academic boundaries through the creation of free online learning resources, including a comprehensive course on 'Stories We Live By' that accompanies his seminal textbook. He has supervised numerous graduate students in linguistics and environmental studies, fostering a new generation of scholars who examine the critical relationship between language and ecological sustainability.

Dr. Stibbe founded and convenes the Ecolinguistics Association, which serves as an international hub for scholars working at the intersection of language studies and environmental concerns. His research group explores how different forms of discourse—from corporate communications to literary works—shape our ecological consciousness and influence environmental decision-making at individual and societal levels.