A Comparative Study of Reading Comprehension Texts in Touchstone Series: A Social-Semiotic Perspective
محورهای موضوعی : Research in English Language Pedagogy
Maryam Farnia
1
(Department of English Language and Literature, Payame Noor University, Iran)
Sara Gerami
2
(Department of English Language and Literature, Payame Noor University, Iran)
کلید واژه: Social semiotics, Touchstone Series, Systemic Functional Linguistics, Reading passages,
چکیده مقاله :
This study attempted to examine visual and verbal characteristics in Touchstone textbook series. For this purpose, four reading comprehension texts with similar topics were selected from the four Touchstone textbooks. Seven pictures accompanying the four texts were analyzed based on Kress and van Leeuwen’ssocial semiotics, and the four texts were analyzed with reference to Halliday’s systemic functional linguistics. The results depicted fairly high functionality of the visuals in Touchstone series as well as their humanistic communicative trends. Moreover, it was found out that the pictures supported the linguistic text, there by helping learners to comprehend the textual content. The findings also showed that increase in text difficulty made for the occurrence of material and relational processes. Lastly, the results of verbal analysis suggested that reading comprehension texts of Touchstone series chiefly describe real world experiences and actions rather than behaviors, thoughts, or feelings. Based on the outcomes, it can be concluded that the visuals are pertinent to the linguistic passages and help the learners to get a better understanding of the texts.
Alaei, M. &Ahangari, S. (2016). A study of ideational metafunction in Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness”: A critical discourse analysis. English Language Teaching, 9(4), 203-213.
Bednarek, M. & Martin, J. (2010). New discourse on language: Functional perspectives on multimodality, identity, and affiliation. London, United Kingdom: Continuum.
Bezemer, J., Diamantopoulou, S., Jewitt, C., Kress, G.,&Mavers, D. (2012). Using a social semiotic approach to multimodality: Researching learning in schools, museums and hospitals. NCRM Working Paper 1/12, 14 March. London: National Centre for Research Methods. Retrieved from http://eprints.ncrm.ac.uk/2258/4/NCRM_working_paper_0112.pdf.
Bezemer, J., & Kress, G. (2010). Changing text: A social semiotic analysis of textbooks. Designs for Learning, 3(1-2), 10–29. DOI: http://doi.org/10.16993/dfl.26
Chu, P. Y. (2011). Picture book reading in a new arrival context: a multimodal perspective on teaching reading. Unpublished PhD thesis, University of Adelaide.
Cunningsworth, A. (1995). Choosing your coursebook. UK: Heinemann English Language Teaching.
Garinger, D. (2002). Textbook selection for the ESL classroom (Report No. EDO-FL-02-10). The U.S. Dep. of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, National Library of Education (ERIC Document Reproduction in Service No. ED-99-CO-0008). Retrieved from: http://www.cal.org/ericcll/digest/0210garinger.html
Green, A. (1926). The measurement of modern language books. The Modern language Journal, 10(5), 259-269, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.1926.tb03737.x
Halliday, M. (1978). Language as social semiotic: The social interpretation of language and meaning. London: Edward Arnold.
Halliday, M. (1994). An introduction to functional grammar. London: Edward Arnold.
Halliday, M. (1996): Introduction: Language as a social semiotic. The social interpretation of language and meaning. In P. Cobley (ed.). The communication theory reader (pp.88-93). London: Routledge.
Halliday, M. (2007). Language and education. London: Continuum.
Halliday, M. &Matthiessen, C. (2004). An introduction to functionalgrammar. London: Edward Arnold.
Harmer, J. (1991). The practice of English language teaching. New York: London Publishing.
Iedema, R. (2001). Analyzing film and television: Asocial semiotic account of hospital: an unhealthy business. In T. van Leeuwen, & C. Jewitt (eds.), Handbook of visual analysis. (pp.183-204). London: Sage.
Jewitt, C. (2009). The Routledge handbook of multimodal analysis. London: Routledge.
Kress, G. & van Leeuwen, T. (2002). Color as a semiotic mode: notes for a grammar of color. Visual Communication, 1(3), 343-368.
Kress, G., & van Leeuwen, T. (1996/2006). Reading images: The grammar of visual design. London: Routledge.
McCarthy, M., McCarthy, J. & Sandiford, H. (2014). Touchstone Student Book 1 (2nd edition). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
McCarthy, M., McCarthy, J. & Sandiford, H. (2014). Touchstone Student Book 2 (2nd edition). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
McCarthy, M., McCarthy, J. & Sandiford, H. (2014). Touchstone Student Book 3 (2nd edition). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
McCarthy, M., McCarthy, J. & Sandiford, H. (2014). Touchstone Student Book 4 (2nd edition). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Marefat, F. &Marzban, S. (2014). Multimodal analysis of gender representation in ELT textbooks: Reader's perceptions. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 98, 1093-1099.
Roohani, A., &Heidari, N. (2012). Evaluating an instructional textbook: A critical discourse perspective. Issues in Language Teaching, 1(1), 123-159.
Shannon, p. (2010). Textbook development and selection. In International Encyclopedia of Education (3rd Edition). DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-08-044894-7.00065-8
Sheldon, L. (1988). Evaluating ELT textbooks and materials. ELT Journal, 42 (2), 237- 246. Retrieved from http://eltj.oxfordjournals.org/content/42/4/237.abstract
Tahririan, M. & Sadri, E., (2013). Analysis of Images in Iranian High School EFL Course Books. Iranian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 16(2), 137-160.
Torres, G. (2015). ‘Reading’ world link: A visual social semiotic analysis of an EFL textbook. International Journal of English Language Education, 3(1), 239-253.
Unsworth, L. (2008). Multimodal semiotic analyses and education. In L. Unsworth (Ed.), Multimodal semiotics: Functional analysis in contexts of education (pp. 1-12). London: Continuum.
van Leeuwen, T. (2005). Introducing social semiotics. London: Routledge
Zheng, S., Yang, A., &Ge, G. (2014). Functional stylistic analysis: Transitivity in English medium medical research articles. International Journal of English Linguistics, 4(2), 12-25.
