Studying Fiction

Jessica Mason, Marcello Giovanelli

Research output: Book/ReportBook

Abstract

Cognitive linguistics, and specifically cognitive poetics, is a relatively new discipline within the field of language and linguistics. The last fifteen years have brought huge advances in our understanding of reading and the mind, not just in terms of basic language acquisition and literacy development, but the fundamental tenets of what it means to read and engage with fiction. Current work in the field is beginning to understand why a text can make a reader grieve for a character they know was never real, physically increase their heart rate and prompt genuine fear responses, even make them look at the world differently and affect their real-world behaviours. We believe that this research is of huge potential value to English education practitioners and researchers alike, working across the full range of provision from Early Years to Higher Education.

This book offers an academic, accessible and applied overview of the latest work in cognitive linguistics in the context of studying fiction. Chapters include exploration and discussion of

A history of literature teaching in schools
Choosing fiction: children’s and YA literature in education
Reading, attention and cognition
Reading and the mind
Reading and identity
The roles of readers and writers in creating meaning
Literature, empathy and social justice
Original languageEnglish
Place of PublicationLondon
Number of pages150
Publication statusPublished - 2021

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