Document Type : Research

Authors

• Nassrin Tanhaee Aharee ¹
• Hayat Ameri ²
• Alireza Ameri ³
• Hamidreza Shairi ⁴

¹ PhD Candidate of Linguistics, Isalmic Azad University, South Tehran Branch

² Assistant Professor in Department of Linguistics, Faculty Member of Tarbiat Modares University

³ Assistant professor in Department of TEFL, Faculty Member of Isalmic Azad University, SouthTehran Branch

⁴ Professor in linguistics and semiotics, Director of French language in Tarbiat Modarres University, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Nowadays, pictures and writing in English books are used in order to transfer educational concepts. As it is claimed that the pictures not only help the students learning but also they increase the interactional relationship between them and their around society (Kress and Van Leeuwen,2006). There is always one problem that an argument on how we can use multimodal- texts in school books especially English books to facilitate transfer concepts and also trigger motivation in educational processes so that English learning and training procedures will be improved.
            According to Sojoudi(2003), semiotic perspective rooted in the works of Saussure and Pierce, shows two points of view but with special and similar philosophical implications. Saussure framework is called structural semiotics but Pierce framework is analytical semiotics. Pierce believes semantic-semiotic means theory and study of signs and it is the world science that includes all other sciences. Saussure considers signs as mechanical but Paris School claim that signs perform the role of signifier only in discoursal context.  Greimas, as a founder of   Paris School, believes that we should pass the surface and enter to the deep layers of context as the deep and inner structures have semantic implications. (Abbasi,2009). Kress and Van Leeuwen (2006) believe their work on visual representation is set within the theoretical framework of social semiotics. It is important, therefore, to place it in the context of the way semiotics has developed during, roughly, the past 75 years. The visual, like all semiotic modes, has to serve representational and communicational requirements and they are adopted the theoretical notion of meta-functions from the work of Halliday for this purpose. Visual design has three main roles such as all other semiotic modes(Kress and Van Leeuwen,2006).The three meta-functions which Halliday posits are the ideational, the interpersonal and the textual functions, Wilcox (2014) believes that described meta-functions in Halliday’s systematic- functional grammar are changed by Kress and van Leeuwen to representational, interactional and compositional meaning. This research tried to analyze the relationship between the written and pictorial context based on discoursal semantic-semiotic using description framework of Kress and Van Leeuwen (2006,1996), to develop Halliday’s functional-systematic linguistics. In this essay, we analyzed the relation between pictorial and written texts in English school books(vision). This article is based on discoursal semantic-semiotic approach. The social-semiotic using description framework of Kress and Van Leeuwen’s (2006,1996) theories is affected by Halliday’s thoughts(1994) and three main roles of language which is raised by him.
The purpose of this research was to investigate the relationship between context and picture in English books(vision), to express how to select pictorial texts accompaniment to written forms in educational English books to increase students meaning comprehension, to present rich and comprehensible concepts, and to investigate discoursal different social and emotional functions. The analysis of the function of the pictures in this discoursal process, the way of their reflection in English books for educational procedures facilitation, and the transfer of educational concepts were the sub goals of this research.
The pictures which are used in English books (Vision) were placed in this analysis. English books (Vision) include some common parts as New words and Expressions in which written texts put under the pictorial ones. In the written texts, some words or expressions   are salient so that the writer consider them as educational aim. The written and pictorial texts of three English books were analyzed based on discoursal semantic-semiotic approach considering the salient factors and rhythm creator in visual context, and both of them were investigated upon Kress and Van Leeuwen theory looking at three meta –functions; representational, interactional and compositional functions. This essay by investigation of the pictorial and written texts in English books (Vision) deliberated that English book texts to what extent are in accordance with three meta- functions patterns of visual analysis; meaning, representational, interactional and compositional. And how overlap between the pictorial and written texts speeds up learning and meaning transfer.
             In conclusion, we found that there is a contradiction between the written and pictorial salient factors according to discoursal semantic-semiotic. Additionally, there is no accompaniment and overlap between written and pictorial contexts. Thus the viewer (especially the student) confronts with a problem in comprehending meaning. It was observed that common patterns in meta-functions were not considered in these contexts. Consequently, the meaning transfer is conveyed defectively and the learning process slows down. Hence the educational aim was not achieved.

Keywords

• Discoursal semantic-semiotic
• Representational function
• Social–semiotics
• English books (Vision)

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