Pedagogical Stylistics  

   Stylistics is a form of activity that is increasingly utilized as an instructional method in language and literature studies for both native and non-native English speakers. This approach has gained popularity for its effectiveness in language teaching and learning. This is attributed to its emphasis on using linguistic and literary elements in the instruction of language and literature.  Zyngier (2001, P. 16) remarks that stylistics has been closely associated with pedagogy, and at times, it has been viewed as primarily a pedagogical activity rather than a field for research. Pedagogy has always been integral to stylistics because it is an empirical discipline that tests ideas against texts and generates ideas through textual analysis. Stylistics research often start from classroom activities, or it becomes evident how an analysis or approach can be beneficial to teachers and learners.

    Stylistics, broadly defined as linguistically-informed attention to language use in texts, may contrast with more technical or specialized academic senses of stylistics. However, there is a “continuum” between them. The focus of pedagogical stylistics  is on the use of stylistics in pedagogy, examining examples and concerns of this broadly defined stylistics rather than the narrower pedagogy of stylistics, which concentrates on how to teach stylistics as a pedagogical end in itself. Stylistics claims to have broader applied utility and relevance beyond its own sphere, in terms of applications, technologies, and even an approach to acquiring knowledge and understanding .The fundamental inquiry and approach of pedagogical stylistics is relative: how do specific texts (often literary texts) differ from, but share similarities with, other “uses of language”?. A poem might be analyzed alongside a “non-poetic” text on the same subject or circumstances to explore their “linguistic” distinctions and the impacts of these differences. We instinctively understand the contrast between an official letter and a simple note on a refrigerator door, or between an elegy and a notice in a newspaper. Stylistics asserts the ability to explicitly and precisely explain these differences in a way that is understandable, and even enables those who create ‘texts’ more efficiently in the future. Specific features set apart a particular ‘text’. Clark and Zyngier (2003, P. 233) state that texts compile to create sense. Meaning is derived from a text by an interlocutor through the features of that text, as well as recognizing these changes from other known texts.  Pop (1995, P. 85) remarks that pedagogical stylistic analysis often requires students to not only think about differences in language styles in a theoretical manner, but also to actively engage with the texts by rewriting sentences or entire passages in a different style through changes in syntax or word choice. By focusing on syntagmatic and paradigmatic choices, students are encouraged to pay attention to unique or particular aspects of language use, which in turn fosters interpretive skills and critical thinking among readers.