Bridging Worlds through Words: Using L۲ Literature to Foster Islamic‑Iranian Green City Citizenship and Mitigate Cross‑Cultural Misunderstandings

This study investigates how engagement with second-language (L۲) literature can foster Islamic–Iranian green-city citizenship while mitigating cross-cultural misunderstandings. Drawing on scholarship that foregrounds the role of literature in intercultural citizenship formation and literary-based L۲ pedagogy, the study argues that literary texts provide a productive pedagogical space for cultivating environmental ethics, intercultural empathy, and civic responsibility. A mixed-methods intervention was conducted with advanced English learners in Iran over one academic semester, integrating ecocritical narratives and culturally resonant literary texts into the L۲ curriculum. Quantitative data were collected through pre- and post-intervention surveys measuring environmental attitudes, intercultural competence, and civic identity, while qualitative data were gathered via reflective journals and focus-group interviews. Findings indicate statistically significant gains in learners’ environmental concern, awareness of sustainable urban practices, and empathy toward culturally diverse others. Qualitative analyses further reveal that literary engagement enabled learners to connect local environmental challenges—such as air pollution and water scarcity—with global sustainability discourses and Islamic ethical principles emphasizing stewardship of the Earth. The study extends existing research on literature-mediated intercultural citizenship by demonstrating how L۲ literary pedagogy can simultaneously support ecological awareness, faith-informed ethics, and global civic identity. Limitations include the relatively short duration of the intervention and the single-context sample. Overall, the study proposes an integrative pedagogical model that combines Islamic environmental ethics, L۲ literary education, and green-city citizenship, offering implications for language education, environmental education, and intercultural pedagogy.