Studying and Analyzing the Pictures of “Arabic, the Language of Quran” in High Senior School Based on the Theory of Picture Reading Grammar by Kress and Van Leeuwen (2006)

Document Type : Research Paper

Abstract

The grammar of visual design theory belongs to the domain of social semiotics. Drawing inspiration from Halliday’s (1996) semantic metafunctions, Kress and van Leeuwen (2006) developed a similar framework for analyzing images, identifying representational, interactive, and compositional metafunctions in visuals. This study employs this theory to examine the main images in Arabic textbooks for upper secondary school. The images were analyzed separately in terms of representational and interactive metafunctions, and relationally in terms of the compositional metafunction. The findings indicate that in the representational metafunction, conceptual images are prevalent, while narrative images are very limited, with few depicted events or actions. This imbalance between narrative and conceptual patterns is a key weakness of the images in the textbooks studied. Based on the interactive metafunction patterns, most images serve a display or offer function in terms of contact, which seems logical given the educational nature of the books. However, inconsistencies in the meanings conveyed by social distance and point of view patterns were identified. Regarding the compositional metafunction, about half of the images do not follow common compositional conventions, making it difficult for learners to fully grasp the subject and purpose of the images. Moreover, in most cases, the alignment between text and image is not ideal, constituting another shortcoming. Therefore, revisions to the visual and textual patterns of these images are necessary to enhance their effectiveness for learners.

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References

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History

  • Receive Date: 07 June 2023
  • Revise Date: 01 January 2024
  • Accept Date: 11 March 2024

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