June, Chiang Kai Sing
(2019)
A Stylistic Analysis Of Selected
Graded Readers And Chinese Second
Language Learners’ Aesthetic
Response Towards Selected
Stylistic Devices.
PhD thesis, Universiti Sains Malaysia.
Abstract
Mostly used in extensive reading programmes, graded readers (GRs), which
come under the umbrella of language learner literature (LLL), are weighted with the
obligation to engage second language (L2) learners. Many publishers of GRs focus on
strong plots using reduced language code to achieve this objective; however, there are
stakeholders who recognise the importance of retaining good natural literary discourse.
Rosenblatt's transactional reader response theory and Miall and Kuiken's
foregrounding theory support the notion that stylistic devices have the capacity to
create evocation in the reader which could heighten the aesthetic or pleasurable reading
experience. Taking this into consideration, the study examined the effect of
literariness in GRs for them to be considered good by investigating the extent of
employment of selected stylistic devices in GRs that are considered good (awardwinning
GRs) and that are considered less good (non-award winning GRs) to
determine the importance of literariness in making successful GRs. The study also
compared Chinese L2 learners’ aesthetic response towards texts without and with
selected stylistic devices . As such, the study was a two-phased investigation. To
examine the GRs (phase one), a stylistic analysis was carried out to compare the
occurrence of figures of speech, the selected style markers, in three award and six
corresponding non-award winning texts.
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