A Critical Study of English Eco-hotel Profiles— Based on Fairclough‟s Three-dimensional Model

Eco-hotels are promoted to minimize the negative impacts on the environment. The author, therefore, makes a critical study of English eco-hotel profiles in order to decode the ecological thoughts embodied in the profiles. Based on Fairclough’s three-dimensional model, this study follows the three steps: description of linguistic features in terms of transitivity, interpretation of ecological thoughts, and explanation of social reasons. After examining transitivity in twenty English eco-hotel profiles, the author finds that material processes and relational processes enjoy the overwhelming occurrence. They serve to construe the ecological thought that we human beings should identify ourselves with nature and minimize our impacts on nature. In a society in which mankind has gradually been alienated from nature, the eco-hotel founders, as profit-seeking businessmen, tend to convey ecological thoughts in their profiles since such endeavor can earn them both fame and fortune. Seen from the study, the linguistic resources used in English eco-hotel profiles convey the prevailing ecological thoughts, which may influence readers’ ecological ideologies and lifestyles. Correspondingly, readers are supposed to have a critical look at the language use that expresses ecological or un-ecological thoughts.