Applied stylistic approaches to the teaching of literary texts

Abstract

Advocates of applied stylistics consider that vocabulary in literary texts is not always predictable from form alone (sometimes deliberately) and that reader interpretation can be assisted through recognition of how specific literary devices function. This might include an examination of how various writers exploit certain registers and unique lexical choices to convey meaning in their work. For instance, some writers mix styles that occasionally combine casual, conversational tones with elevated Classical, Biblical, or Romantic themes in a way that undercuts their subject matter. Such techniques can serve to defamiliarize a reader and thereby heighten their intuitive response to the text. Stylistic interpretive procedures become, therefore, a necessity for literature classrooms in both first and second language settings. Close examination of the lexical and structural elements embedded in literary texts is an effective way of illustrating for learners (particularly at the intermediate and advanced levels) how certain referential and representational aspects of language may be utilized. A teacher's role can be to assist with the decoding of such texts by guiding students through a close examination of the function of these features. Analysis of this kind is valuable because it can inform the teaching of grammar and lexis as well as discourse and serve as a basis for literary text curricula and course design.