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Multimodal Discourse Analysis of Communicative English for Chinese Learners (Integrated Course) From the Perspective of Ecosophy

  • Xu Song

    Xu Song is currently a PhD candidate of English Language Studies at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities of the National University of Malaysia (Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia). Her research interest lies in systemic functional linguistics, multimodal discourse analysis, and ecological discourse analysis.

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    and Melissa Shamini Perry

    Melissa Shamini PERRY (PhD Melb) is a senior lecturer and the coordinator of the MA Postcolonial Literature at the English Program, the National University of Malaysia (Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia). Her research interests are in the area of social semiotics, multimodality, literature, media, transmedia storytelling, and cultural narratives, material culture, transculturalism and intercultural engagement.

Published/Copyright: September 28, 2023
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Abstract

Textbooks may reflect a certain ecosophy through the linguistic elements of the content that significantly influences students’ values. This analysis selected 88 discourses from the reading sections of Communicative English for Chinese Learners (Integrated Course), from Books 1 to 4, designed for undergraduate English majors. Based on Systemic Functional Linguistics, the title and the illustration of the reading sections are analyzed to ascertain whether the ideology they reflect is in accord with the ecosophy, that is, the harmonious coexistence of humans, nature, and the development of society. After conducting a textual analysis, all multimodal discourses that can reflect clear ecosophy conform to this idea. Concerning illustrations, seven of them are at variance with the ecosophy. As for the analysis of the logico-semantic relations between image and text, only three discourses are found at variance with the ecosophy, but in actual pedagogical context, these three discourses aim to arouse the thinking of the audience about people’s inappropriate conduct and arouse their ecological consciousness.

About the authors

Xu Song

Xu Song is currently a PhD candidate of English Language Studies at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities of the National University of Malaysia (Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia). Her research interest lies in systemic functional linguistics, multimodal discourse analysis, and ecological discourse analysis.

Melissa Shamini Perry

Melissa Shamini PERRY (PhD Melb) is a senior lecturer and the coordinator of the MA Postcolonial Literature at the English Program, the National University of Malaysia (Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia). Her research interests are in the area of social semiotics, multimodality, literature, media, transmedia storytelling, and cultural narratives, material culture, transculturalism and intercultural engagement.

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Published Online: 2023-09-28
Published in Print: 2023-09-26

© 2023 FLTRP, Walter de Gruyter, Cultural and Education Section British Embassy

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