The study of «Learn Persian» collection from the Perspective of Cultural Semiotics

Despite the variety of electronic resources, textbooks can be considered as one of the main language teaching tools. The purpose of this research is to investigate and analyze information and semiotic components based on the "cultural semiotic of the Moscow-Tartu School" approach in the "Learn Persian" book collection. Culture is the manifestation of human cognitive abilities and today human societies present all aspects of human life and especially cognitive activities in the form of culture. Cultural semiotics is a sub-branch of semiotics whose subject is culture. In this branch of semiotics, some special sign systems are described as symbolic forms. The present study tries to conduct a comprehensive analysis of how cultural semiotics is presented in the "Learn Persian" collection and to express the role of one's own culture and the other's culture in Persian language education from the concepts of cultural semiotics. The findings of the research show that the book has been successful in its representations of oneself and others in relation to each code, using some subjects, and finally, this collection displays a magnificent self. Therefore, it marginalizes culture of others and does not benefit from foreign culture. There are various cultural signs throughout the history of Iran, and assimilation and internalization are more than rejection, negation, and escape in Iranian culture. Based on the results of the research, the cultural symbols in this collection in the form of customs, places, clothes, food, etc. are well presented to non-Iranian language learners.
Extended Abstract:

Introduction

Despite the variety of electronic resources, the textbook can be considered as the main language teaching tool. The purpose of this research is to investigate and analyze semiotic information, elements and components based on the approach of "Cultural Semiotics of the Moscow-Tartu School" in the "Learn Persian" book series. The study of culture is related to cognitive sciences; culture is the manifestation of human cognitive abilities, and today human societies present all aspects of human life and especially cognitive activities in the form of culture. Cultural semiotics describes some special sign systems as symbolic forms and these symbolic forms of society create the culture of that society. Cultural semiotics is a sub-branch of semiotics whose subject is culture. An attempt is made to conduct a comprehensive analysis of how cultural semiotics is presented in this collection and to express the role of one's own culture and another's culture in Persian language education from the concepts of cultural semiotics. Therefore, according to what was said, the questions of this research are: 1- From the perspective of cultural semiotics of the Tartu-Moscow school, how is the representation of "self" and "other" culture in the "Learn Persian" book series?
2- What are the strengths and weaknesses of the "Learn Farsi" book series from the perspective of cultural semiotics of the Tartu-Moscow school?

Review of literature

The Numerous researches are presented in the field of semiotics and especially cultural semiotics. In the review of the educational texts based on cultural semiotics, no significant researches have been done, and works have been done mostly based on visual signs. Some of the researches done in this field are: Asaberger (2000: 83 and 84), Chandler (2008: 20), Posner (2011), Saussure (2011), Senson (2011: 76), Little John (2011), Sharifian (2017), and Lionberg (2017, p.126).

Theoretical Foundation

The method of this research is based on the approach of cultural semiotics. In the review of texts within the framework of cultural semiotics, which is a branch of semiotic science, there is freedom to use other methods of semiotics, which is based on the nature of this knowledge. Semiotics interacts with many fields such as sociology, ethnography, psychology, anthropology, cognitive linguistics and biology. From the cultural codes in two cultures, "self" and "other" culture and the dimensions of culture, we considered the basis of classification for the analysis of the texts of the "Learn Persian" collection. After collecting cultural codes from this collection, we discussed how to represent each of them in relation to "self" and "other".
4. Results of data analysis
The research showed various cultural signs throughout the history and area of this land, and communication and interaction are the result of knowledge. In Iranian culture, assimilation and internalization is more than rejection, negation, and escape. Although this culture has been exposed to other cultures, it has kept its precious heritage and by combining with other cultures, it has introduced positive points into its cultural sphere. This power of interaction and attraction states that it has cultural evolution and has reached the understanding and reception of another's presence. In the social and cultural context, an interesting point that the authors of this series wanted is the attention and importance of greeting, which is well drawn in the social relations of the Iranian society and the position of the family.