A Semiotic Approach to the Reading of Literary Texts in EFL Classes* **

Year 2022, Volume: 42 Issue: 1, 521 - 539, 28.04.2022

Necat Kumral

https://doi.org/10.17152/gefad.961999

Abstract

Semiotic reading is a process approach developed in three steps to the reading of literary texts in language classes. The consecutive steps are said to be (1) reading within the text for the sense, (2) reading upon the text for the value and (3) reading against the text for the critique. In order to collect the data needed for the study a vast reading of the literature in the field concerned has been done and in class application of the approach has been administered accordingly. A control group and an experimental group were formed of the 4th grade students of the Police Academy, who were all upper intermediate in their study of English as a foreign language. Since the participants were the cadets qualified enough to be officers ready to work in their field using English, they were all considered eligible, and therefore they were selected exclusively for the study. The data were analyzed and interpreted to come up with a sound conclusion to see to what extent the thesis statement of the study and the results reached overlapped. T-test was used and the results were displayed in tables indicating the frequency each item of both comprehension questions and interpretations questions received. When the answers both of the groups gave to the comprehension questions were compared, it was observed that there was a statistically significant difference between the groups. However, when the answers both of the groups gave to the interpretation questions were compared, it was realized that there was a highly significant difference between the groups concerned. The differences that appeared indicated that the hypothesis of the thesis was correct and that semiotic reading approach was applicable to the reading of literary texts in EFL settings has been proven.

Keywords

Semiotics, Semiotic reading, Sense, Value, Interpretation

Yabancı Dil Sınıflarında Yazınsal Metinlerin Okunmasına Göstergebilimsel Bir Yaklaşım

Abstract

Göstergebilimsel okuma yabancı dil sınıflarında yazınsal (edebi) metinlerin okunması için geliştirilen üç aşamalı bir süreci içine alan yaklaşımdır. Birbiri ardına gelen aşamalar; (1) metin içinde kalarak anlamı elde etme, (2) metin üzerine çıkarak derin anlamı yakalama ve (3) eleştiri için metne karşı okuma şeklindedir. Çalışma için gerekli veriyi toplama amacıyla ilgili alanda çok geniş bir araştırma yapılmış ve yaklaşımın sınıf içi uygulaması, uygun bir şekilde yerine getirilmiştir. Katılımcılar, İngilizce düzeyleri orta üstü olan Polis Akademisi son sınıf öğrencileri arasından seçilerek kontrol ve deney grubu oluşturulmuştur. Katılımcılar, kendi alanlarında İngilizce kullanarak çalışmaya hazır memurlar olmak için nitelikli öğrencilerden, çalışma için özel olarak seçilmiş ve tamamı çalışmaya dâhil edilmiştir. Tezin iddia ettiği okuma aşamalarının örtüşme düzeyleri hakkında sağlıklı bir sonuca varabilmek için elde edilen veriler t-testi ile analiz edilmiş ve yorumlanmıştır. Sonuçlar hem anlama hem de yorum sorularının her birinin aldığı frekansı gösterecek şekilde tablolar hâlinde düzenlenmiştir. Her iki grubun anlama sorularına verdikleri cevaplar karşılaştırıldığında aralarında istatiksel olarak anlamlı bir farkın olduğu gözlemlenmiştir. Yine söz konusu grupların yorum sorularına verdikleri cevaplar karşılaştırıldığında, aralarında hayli yüksek oranda istatiksel olarak anlamlı bir farkın olduğu görülmüştür. Ortaya çıkan farklar tezin iddia ettiği varsayımı doğrulamış ve göstergebilimsel okuma yaklaşımının İngilizcenin yabancı dil olarak öğretildiği ortamlarda yazınsal (edebi) metinlerin okunmasına uygun olduğu kanıtlanmıştır.

Keywords

Göstergebilim, Göstergebilimsel okuma, Anlam, Tema, Yorum

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