Analysing and evaluating the bilingual adaptation of English graded readers in China: A social semiotic multimodal discourse study

The study investigates how international English graded readers are adapted and bilingualised in China and what effects these textual transformations may have on learning and teaching. Focusing on the bilingual adaptation of Cambridge English Readers, it evaluates the contextual suitability of these editions and explores how they reflect distinct cultures of learning. Guided by social semiotic multimodal discourse analysis, the study addresses three questions: (1) What textual transformations occur in the bilingual adaptation of English graded readers in China? (2) How do these changes potentially shape learners’ use of the graded readers? (3) Do the English and bilingual editions reflect different cultures of learning? The work is motivated by a gap in research on adaptations of extensive reading materials (as opposed to textbooks) and the need to understand how multimodal and sociocultural factors shape pedagogic potential.

The literature establishes extensive reading as a highly effective approach to second/foreign language development, emphasizing large amounts of self-selected reading for pleasure, focus on meaning rather than form, and implicit language learning (Day & Bamford, 1998; Maley, 2008; Krashen, 2004; Nakanishi, 2015; Tomlinson, 2021b). Core principles include absence of tests/tasks and enjoyment-driven, multimodal materials. Research on materials adaptation has concentrated on textbooks and classroom use, including localization features such as contextualization, linguistic contrasts, intercultural reflection, and learner autonomy (López-Barrios & de Debat, 2006, 2014; Masuhara, 2022). Adaptations for young learners in other contexts (e.g., Bahrain) have involved adding literacy activities (al Majthoob, 2014). However, there is a notable gap regarding the localization of extensive reading materials, which differ from textbooks in purpose, classroom integration, and task load. The study also draws on social semiotic multimodal discourse theory (Halliday; Kress & van Leeuwen) to analyze ideational, interpersonal, and compositional meanings, intersemiotic relations (verbal–visual), resemiotisation, and the cultural/commercial dimensions of materials (Gray, 2010, 2013).

Design: Qualitative social semiotic multimodal discourse analysis using Kress’s (2005) twofold method: (1) analyze multimodal design/composition; (2) evaluate pedagogic and cultural effects. No primary data collection was involved. Data: The Starter level (11 books) of Cambridge English Readers and their bilingual editions published by Beijing Language and Culture University Press (mainland China, 2015 edition). Cambridge English Readers represent international extensive reading materials, with features aligning to extensive reading principles (multiple levels, varied genres, contemporary themes, free audio/resources). Analytic focus: Written language, images/illustrations, layout, and paratexts (covers, contents, character/place pages, blurbs). The analysis identifies textual transformations in the bilingualisation: addition of before-reading questions, after-reading activities, Learning Guide (New words; Phrases & expressions; Reading exercises; Cultural notes), Chinese translation, and promotional blurbs. Intersemiotic relations (e.g., references to maps/illustrations/audio), metafunctions (ideational, interpersonal, compositional), and layout-driven reading paths are examined. Additional tools include Martin & Rose’s narrative genre staging (for back-cover synopses) and van Leeuwen’s legitimation (for author/translator bios).

- The bilingual editions add substantial pedagogic apparatus, shifting the readers toward intensive reading: - Before-reading questions: 51 across 11 Starter books; frequent references to paratexts (counts by reference type: Front cover 9; Back cover 1; Title 8; Contents 2; People in the story 12; Places in the story 10; Illustrations 2; Recording 6; Other 1). These motivate prediction and engagement, often leveraging multimodal paratextuality, but typically involve simple intersemiotic repetition rather than complex verbal–visual relations. - After-reading activities: Categorised as Questions on the story (33), Writing about the story (20), Writing to the author (6), Describe the illustrations (9), Exercises on language skills (3), Other creative activities (15). Tasks encourage perspective-taking and genre exploration (e.g., emails, news reports), enhancing interpersonal meaning-making but contravening extensive reading principles (no tests/tasks). - Learning Guide: Per chapter lists of New words (with phonetic transcription and Chinese translation) and Phrases & expressions (with Chinese translation), Reading exercises (short answer, MCQ, matching, ordering, gap-fill, T/F) targeting story and picture comprehension, and Cultural notes. This foregrounds explicit language focus and comprehension testing, pushing materials toward intensive use. - Cultural notes: 32 notes across 11 books (Chinese), mainly explaining Western cultural items (e.g., coffee types), with some entries clarifying language usage and word distinctions. - Translation: Full Chinese translation added. While potentially interruptive to extensive reading, layout places translation after the main English text (not on facing pages), minimizing disruption and framing translation as optional support. - Layout: Learning Guide and translation are positioned after the main narrative, preserving an uninterrupted reading path for enjoyment before engagement with exercises/lists, partially mitigating the intensive shift. - Blurbs and paratexts: Back-cover synopses follow narrative orientation–complication patterns that entice readers; endorsements emphasize enjoyment and learning value. Inside-front bios (in Chinese) legitimize authors/translators via personal, expert, and role-model authority (e.g., key-school affiliations, exam success), reflecting exam-oriented values and functioning as commercial promotion. - Overall, the bilingual editions better suit classroom use, support multiliteracies (through multimodal paratextuality), and align with learners’ exam preparation needs, but may hamper fluent, pleasure-focused extensive reading. - The original vs. bilingual editions reflect different cultures of learning: the original emphasizes extensive, implicit learning; the bilingual emphasizes exercises, explicit language learning, and exam alignment.

The added pedagogic components and language-focused apparatus in the bilingual editions contradict extensive reading principles (reading for pleasure, minimal testing), potentially reducing reading fluency and enjoyment. However, these changes enhance classroom applicability: teachers can use before/after-reading tasks, multimodal references, and genre-based writing to support instruction and multiliteracies pedagogy. Layout decisions (placing Learning Guide and translations after the main text) preserve a primary path for uninterrupted reading, illustrating how compositional choices mediate pedagogic effects. The paratextual legitimation of translators/teachers and emphasis on exam success reveal a Chinese exam-oriented culture of learning, aligning the materials with local expectations and market demands. These findings underscore the importance of considering multimodal design and sociocultural context when designing/adapting extensive reading materials and demonstrate how textual features shape learning practices and values.

The bilingual adaptation of Cambridge English Readers incorporates before/after-reading tasks, Learning Guide components (word/phrase lists, exercises, cultural notes), Chinese translation, and promotional paratexts that collectively shift the series toward intensive reading. While this may impede fluent, pleasure-driven reading, layout choices that place ancillary materials after the main text allow for uninterrupted narrative engagement. The adaptations increase classroom utility, support multiliteracies, and align with exam-oriented learner needs, reflecting local cultures of learning and achieving contextual suitability and market fit. The study highlights a neglected area—translingual, cross-cultural adaptation of extensive reading materials—and illustrates the value of social semiotic multimodal analysis for evaluating such adaptations. Future research should examine teachers’ and learners’ perspectives and classroom practices using these bilingual readers and extend analysis to other series and cultural contexts.

- Scope limited to textual/multimodal analysis of 11 Starter-level books from a single series and locale; no primary empirical data or user perspectives were collected. - Focus on paratexts and added components may not capture all facets of classroom implementation and learner engagement. - Generalizability beyond the series, level, and Chinese market may be limited; higher levels without illustrations were not analyzed in depth.