Chapter2LiteratureReview
fieldofresearch.
2.1.2
Multimodality
and
Multimodal
DiscourseAnalysis
Concerningthedefinitionof‘multimodal’,ittypicallyreferstothemultiplemodes,forexample,spoken,written,primedanddigitalmedia,embodied
action,andmaterial
objectsandsites,throughwhichsocialsemiosistakesplaceanditistohighlightthe
as
importanceoftakingimoconsiderationsemioticsotherthanlanguage-in—use,suchimage,music,gesture,and
SO
on.‘‘Termssuchas‘multimodalstudies’,‘multimodal
beentakentorefertothestudyof
semiotics’and‘multimodality’have
communication
other
anyform
and
of
than
the
supposed
dominant
form,(writtenspoken)
language.”(O’Halloran,2004)
Andwhatis‘multimodality’?Thenitisnecessarytonotewhatthelinguistshave
defined.
“Thetermmultimodality,asusedhere,is
the
a
technical
one
aiming
tohighlightthat
meaningwork
of
wedoatalltimesexploitsvarious
semiotics’’and‘‘The
computer
andthe
increased
is
ubiquity
sound,image,film,through
behindthisnewemphasis
on
TV,the
internet
undoubtedly
and
interestinthemulti—semioticcomplexity
oftherepresentationsweproduce
and
see
aroundus”(Idema,2003).
a
‘‘Multimodality
resource
referstothediversewaysinwhich
numberofdistinctsemiotic
a
systems
arebothcodeployedandCO—comextualizedinthemakingof
text—specific
meaning”(Baldry&Thibault2006).
ofdifferemsemiotic
or
“Multimodalitymeansthecombinationlanguageandmusic—in
a
modes…for
example,
communicativeartifact
event.”(vanLeeuwen,2005)
as
Twoimerpretationsoftheterm“multimodality'’一multimodality
inmultimodal
theoryforthe
combinationof
resources
andmodes
or
phenomenon,andmultimodalityas
a
theexplorationofnewdomains
notpreviouslytreatedwithin
theapplicationofparticularapproachtodomains
thattradition-isimpliedinJewitt’S(2009)definitionin
.
9
.