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Abstract

The escalating global ecological crisis highlights the need for new approaches to sustainability education, while the cognitive role of Second Language Acquisition (SLA) remains underexplored. This study employs a critical literature review with a systematic search and qualitative thematic synthesis to develop a proposed Green Language Pedagogy (GLP) model. The review followed a four-stage screening protocol (identification, screening, eligibility, and inclusion) and analyzed 50 theoretical and empirical sources published between 2014 and 2025. This analysis of the selected literature reveals a stark disparity: an estimated 85% of the reviewed environmental education research focuses on factual knowledge transfer, whereas only 15% addresses the cognitive-linguistic restructuring of ingrained anthropocentric biases. The synthesis suggests that the “foreign language effect” inherent in SLA provides  psychological distance from emotional responses associated with the native language, potentially influencing decision-making in environmental contexts. This study proposes an integrated framework that connects psycholinguistic perspectives with eco-pedagogy through co-constructivist and dialogic approaches. Practically, this study recommends that curriculum designers replace superficial nature vocabulary with multi-perspective eco-texts to foster critical discourse. From a policy perspective, national educational frameworks could consider integrating sustainability-oriented and transformative approaches alongside existing skill-based language education to support ecological awareness.

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