hesam hasani sadi

A Comparative Analysis of Linguistic Features of Instructional Language: The Case of Online Websites and Textbooks

The popularity of using websites for language learning has surged, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic. Students view websites as valuable tools for enhancing language skills and cultural knowledge (Kir & Kayak, 2013). However, scholars need to address the unique characteristics of EFL websites and course books for effective pedagogical use. This comparative analysis examined the linguistic features of instructional language in online websites and textbooks used for English language learning/teaching purposes. More specifically, this study investigated the possible differences and/or similarities in lexical density, referential cohesion, involvement strategies, and readability levels between textbooks and websites. The corpus used for this study consisted of five popular self-study books and twenty selected websites specifically designed for teaching English grammar. Toward this goal, the study adopted Halliday's (2004) Systematic Functional Linguistics as the analytical framework and utilized a three-step procedure for data analysis. The obtained findings revealed that textbooks exhibited lower readability than websites, likely due to their hierarchical and linear reading essence. In contrast, websites demonstrated greater referential cohesion, involvement strategies, modal verbs, and imperatives. Also, the frequency of engagement tactics on the internet was noticeably higher than in the textbooks. It was found that the textbooks possessed significantly and substantially higher frequency of this linguistic element compared to the websites. Overall, this research could shed light on the evolving discourse of instruction on language learning websites, highlighting successful and less successful aspects of their appropriation of traditional instructional methods. The findings imply the importance of utilizing digital texts as complementary or alternative tools to enhance language learning, considering the changing learning styles of students in the digital age. Teachers also need to understand the nature of digital reading and employ appropriate reading techniques to maximize the potential of digital materials in enhancing students' reading proficiency on computers.