Analyzing Image Representation in Iranian English High School Textbooks: A Social Semiotic Perspective

Given the vital role of images in conveying meanings in books, the current study analyzed the images of English high school textbooks (Prospect 1, Prospect 2, and Prospect 3) from an ontogenetic perspective. More specifically, It investigated the developmental changes of the representational mode in the images, both quantitatively and qualitatively, based on the Kress and van Leeuwen’s (2006) social semiotic framework. Results revealed that there was no relevant pattern in the image use in line with the semiotic framework, given high school students’ developmental growth. The analysis of three aspects of representational mode, including processes, participants, and settings, showed that changes from narrative to conceptual processes, specifics to generics, cartoons to photographs, and local to non-local settings did not exist in these three textbooks. The findings of the study can help English textbook writers increase their awareness and knowledge regarding the role of images in the students’ learning process.