A Comparative Study of Chinese High School Multimodal English Textbooks under the "Double Reduction" Policy

High school English textbooks play a pivotal role in the English learning effectiveness of high school students. Following the implementation of the "Double Reduction" policy in Mainland China in 2021, there have been significant changes in the English learning approaches of high school students, necessitating adjustments in the content of English textbooks. This study selected two widely used high school English textbooks published by the Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, specifically the English (New Standard) (Volume 1, 2004 edition) and the General Senior High School English Textbook (Volume 1, 2022 edition). Based on the theory of visual grammar, a multimodal comparative analysis was conducted. The findings suggest that the latter is more suitable for first-year students in high schools after "Double Reduction". The former requires improvements in content difficulty, learning objectives, intercultural communication, and media technology utilization. This research offers insights for textbook compilation and enhancement, recommending an emphasis on the practical arrangement of English knowledge and the cultivation of students' intercultural competencies.