Literary Expressions in Authorized High School Textbooks for English Communication I, II and III

Abstract

This research note presents the findings of a survey of literary expressions included in literary materials in authorized high school textbooks for English Communication I, II, and III. Contrary to the general image of these materials, this survey gives evidence that they include a wide variety of literary expressions: repetitive expressions, contrastive expressions, symbolic expressions, detailed descriptions of the fictional world and characters' appearances and actions, expressions which can be read in two ways, expressions hued with a specific character's point of view, a variety of metaphorical expressions, marked textual structures, phonetic manipulations, graphological manipulations, energetic narratives, to name major examples elicited in this survey. Citing relevant expressions and passages, this paper argues that literary materials in authorized textbooks are rich in literary expressions. This paper calls for future studies for raising teachers' awareness about these expressions and the development of teaching methodologies and procedures for dealing with them effectively in class.