Deficiency-oriented attitudes are still common occurrences despite emphasis on linguistic and cultural diversity. Promoting inclusivity in learning, Herrera (2016) proposes “biography-driven instruction” emphasizing the power of students’ assets. Though her work is intended for young learners’ biliteracy, I argue the tenets can be used as framework for more equitable adult ESL instruction to build off of learners’ “funds of knowledge” (Moll et al, 1992). In this theoretical paper, I detail an approach I call “autobiography driven instruction” where L2 writing instruction can foster inclusivity through life writing by acknowledging diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds as assets, drawing from rich lived experiences and tapping into multi-competencies. In doing so, I draw from life writing scholarship, give practical examples in using a wide range of life writing genres, and emphasize how it can help often-underrepresented students like L2 learners “position themselves at the center of scholarly discourse rather than at the edges” (Viray, 2018).

Schools play a vital role in shaping students’ learning and beliefs. In light of the ecological issues facing our world today, a more ecojustice-focused approach to education is vital. The theoretical framework of ecolinguistics (Stibbe, 2020) provides a useful tool for students to critically analyze the language of the texts they encounter in everyday life, school, and the media, in order to determine their underlying “story” and impact from an ecological perspective. This presentation will discuss the potential benefits ecolinguistics can offer to educators and students, and provide examples how to incorporate it into classroom lessons through linguistic analysis of school textbooks, media sources, and modern advertising.