Article Sidebar

PDF
Date Published: 30/06/2024
Abstract Views: 284
Views PDF: 239
DOI: https://doi.org/10.63023/2525-2445/jfs.ulis.5220
Issue
Vol. 40 No. 3
Section
Research
How to Cite
Lam, Q. D., & Pham, B. N. (2024). A MULTIMODAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF A MEDICAL TEXTBOOK IN VIETNAM - PRELIMINARY FINDINGS. VNU Journal of Foreign Studies, 40(3), 21-34. https://doi.org/10.63023/2525-2445/jfs.ulis.5220

A MULTIMODAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF A MEDICAL TEXTBOOK IN VIETNAM - PRELIMINARY FINDINGS

Quang Dong Lam1, Bich Ngoc Pham2,
1 University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi
2 Haiphong University of Medicine and Pharmacy

Main Article Content

Abstract

Visual images in textbooks can stimulate students’ interest and encourage them to learn language in more critical and creative ways (Canning-Wilson, 1999). As a natural requirement of the field, medical textbooks contain a variety of visual images, but they seem to have received little attention from textbook developers in Vietnam possibly due to both a lack of awareness and research. Therefore, the study attempts to explore the visual elements in a medical textbook in use in the country, analyze their functions as well as their appropriateness for pedagogical purposes. This paper presents preliminary findings from the qualitative analysis of the yielded results couched with Kress and Van Leeuwen’s (2006) Visual Grammar framework to primarily identify three metafunctions of visual elements in the medical textbook. The study is believed to give pedagogical benefits to both teachers and students, and suggest practical improvement to critical aspects of the visual images, which is ultimately useful to developers of medical textbooks in particular, and other textbooks in general.


 

Article Details

Keywords

metafunction, multimodality discourse analysis, visual images, visual grammar design, medical textbook

References

Adami, E. (2016). Multimodality. In O. Garcìa, N. Flores, & M. Spotti (Eds.), Oxford Handbook of Language and Society (pp. 451-472). Oxford University Press.
Aytug, S. (2007). An EFL textbook evaluation study in Anatolian high schools: New bridge to success for 9th grade new beginners (Unpublished master's thesis). Bilkent University, Ankara.
Baldry, A. P. & Thibault, P. J. (2006). Multimodal transcription and text analysis. Equinox Publishing.
Bonnie, F. F.& Suzanne, S. F. (2016). Medical Terminology: A Living Language, Sixth Edition, Pearson Education.
Canning-Wilson, C. (1999). Using Pictures in the EFL/ESL Classroom. Retrieved on 9 April 2017 from
http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search
Creswell, J. W., Hanson, W. E., Clark Plano, V. L., & Morales, A. (2007). Qualitative research designs: Selection and implementation. The counseling psychologist, 35(2), 236-264.
Elmiana, D. S. (2019). Pedagogical representation of visual images in EFL textbooks: A multimodal perspective. Pedagogy, Culture & Society, 3(2), 1-16.
Evan, M. A., C. Watson, & D. M. Willows (1978). A Naturalistic Inquiry into Illustrations in Instructional Textbooks. In A. Houghton & D. M. Willows (Eds.), The Psychology of Illustration (pp. 86-115).
Jahangard, A. (2007). The Evaluation of the EFL Materials Taught at Iranian Public High Schools. Asian EFL Journal, 1, 130-150.
Kress, G., & Van Leeuwen, T. (2006). Reading Images: The Grammar of Visual Design (2nd ed.). Routledge.
Ledin, P., & Machin, D. (2019). Doing critical discourse studies with multimodality: From metafunctions to materiality. Critical Discourse Studies, 16(5), 497-513. Doi: 10.1080/17405904.2018.1468789
Moghtadi, L. (2013). Visual elements used in Iran EFL high school textbooks. International Journal of Foreign Language Teaching and Research, 1(1), 45-56.
Roohani, A., & Saeidfar, A. (2013). A critical evaluation of visual elements in Iranian junior high school English textbooks. Journal of Faculty of Letter and Humanities, 8(28), 80-96.
Salbego, N., Heberle, V. M., & Balen, M. G. S. da S. (2015). A visual analysis of English textbooks: Multimodal scaffolded learning. Calidoscopio, 3(1), 5-12.
Tahririan, M. H., & Sadri, E. (2013). Analysis of Images in Iranian High School EFL Course Books. Iranian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 16(2), 138-160.
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. (2006). Image/text relations and intersemiosis: Towards multimodal text description for multiliteracies education. In The Proceedings of International Systemic Functional Congress (pp. 1165-1205). São Paulo, Brazil.
Yasin, M. S. M., Hamid, B. A., Othman, Z., Bakar, K. A., Hashim, F., & Mohti, A. (2012). A visual Analysis of a Malaysian English school textbook: Gender matters. Asian Social Science, 8(12), 154-163.