The Application and Implications of Ecological Affordance Theory in Foreign Language Teaching: Retrospective Reflections and Future Directions

生态给养理论在外语教学领域的应用研究近年来受到了国际应用语言学界和国内外语界的广泛关注。本文运用系统性综述方法，对国际和国内相关文献进行梳理与分析，旨在揭示该领域的研究现状与发展趋势。分析发现，生态给养理论在外语教学领域，理论边界不断拓宽，研究方法呈现跨学科融合趋势，研究主题持续扩展。然而国内在该领域，理论层面宏观探讨居多，细分议题挖掘不够深入，实证研究存在空白。文章最后对国内生态给养理论在外语教学领域的未来研究方向进行了展望。In recent years, the application of Ecological Affordance Theory in foreign language teaching has garnered significant attention in applied linguistics, both in China and abroad. This paper employs a systematic review methodology to synthesize and analyze relevant international and domestic literature, aiming to elucidate the current research landscape and developmental trends in this field. The synthesis reveals that within foreign language pedagogy, the Ecological Affordance Theory has witnessed continuous expansion of its theoretical boundaries, a growing trend toward interdisciplinary methodological integration, and a sustained diversification of research themes. However, domestic research in China predominantly focuses on macro-level theoretical discussions, with insufficient exploration of nuanced sub-topics and notable gaps in empirical investigations. The paper concludes by proposing future research directions for advancing the application of Ecological Affordance Theory in foreign language teaching context.