Abstract: Ecolinguistics, as an emerging interdisciplinary research field of linguistics, studies the ecological problems of language itself and the impact of language on ecological and environmental problems,and investigates the interaction between language and ecology.Owing to its practicability, perspectiveness, and contemporaneity, ecolinguistic studies, in recent years,are enjoying increasing popularity among scholars both at home and overseas.However,compared with the development overseas,the ecolinguistic studies in China are still in its infancy.The present article intends to provide a comprehensive overview of the background, origins, developments, research fields and prospect of ecolinguistic studies both at home and abroad, hoping to push forward the ecolinguistic studies in the Chinese context.