Understanding

and Evaluating
Multimodal Texts

Lecture compilation:
Ms. Rechiel Abarquez – Garcia, MAELS
Faculty, CEAS
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the lesson, you are
expected to:
❑ Understand the different modes
of communication and that
combining these modes can
enhance meaning of any
message.
❑ Critically analyze and evaluate
multimodal texts to determine
factuality of a certain piece of
information
What is multimodal
communication?
❑ The way we communicate is not
simply through text or reading
material but also through many
different modes.
❑ A mode, quite simply, is a means
of communicating.
❑ When a given text makes use of
more than one mode, the text can
be characterized as multimodal.
❑ A multi-modal text employs more
than one “mode” to communicate
meaning beyond the written word
alone.

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/englishcomp1/chapter/the-five-modes/
https://openenglishatslcc.pressbooks.com/chapter/multi-modal-communication-writing-in-five-modes/
The Five Modes
❑ According to the New London Group,
there are five modes of communication:
- visual
- linguistic
- spatial
- aural
- gestural

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/englishcomp1/chapter/the-five-modes/
https://openenglishatslcc.pressbooks.com/chapter/multi-modal-communication-writing-in-five-modes/
Visual includes images, video, color, visual layout, design, font, size, formatting,
symbols, visual data (charts, graphs), animation (like gifs)

❑ The visual mode refers to the images and

characters that people see.
❑ Sometimes people must see to believe,
and visuals can be helpful and even
persuasive.
❑ For example, if you want to showcase
how climate change has devastated the
arctic ecosystem, you might include a
video that shows real-world footage, like
this one by National Geographic. This
video is considered a multi-modal text
since words, visuals, and audio are used
together for a stronger effect.

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/englishcomp1/chapter/the-five-modes/
https://openenglishatslcc.pressbooks.com/chapter/multi-modal-communication-writing-in-five-modes/
Linguistic includes written and spoken words, word choice, vocabulary,
grammar, structure, and organization of sentences and paragraphs

❑ The linguistic mode refers to written

or spoken words. The mode
includes word choice, the delivery
of written or spoken text, the
organization of words into
sentences and paragraphs, and the
development and coherence of
words and ideas.
❑ Shopping lists, emails, text
messages, academic essays, and
the automated voice you hear as
you’re on hold with customer
service use the linguistic/alphabetic
mode since they rely on words to
create meaning.

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/englishcomp1/chapter/the-five-modes/
https://openenglishatslcc.pressbooks.com/chapter/multi-modal-communication-writing-in-five-modes/
Linguistic includes written and spoken words, word choice, vocabulary,
grammar, structure, and organization of sentences and paragraphs

❑ The linguistic mode refers to written

or spoken words. The mode
includes word choice, the delivery
of written or spoken text, the
organization of words into
sentences and paragraphs, and the
development and coherence of
words and ideas.
❑ Shopping lists, emails, text
messages, academic essays, and
the automated voice you hear as
you’re on hold with customer
service use the linguistic/alphabetic
mode since they rely on words to
create meaning.

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/englishcomp1/chapter/the-five-modes/
https://openenglishatslcc.pressbooks.com/chapter/multi-modal-communication-writing-in-five-modes/
 Spatial includes physical arrangement―spacing, position, organization,
proximity, direction, and distance of elements in text or objects.

❑ The spatial mode, as the name

implies, refers to the
arrangement of elements in
space.
❑ It involves the organization of
items and the physical closeness
between people and objects.
❑ Writers use the spatial mode of
communication in the physical
layout and organization of a text.
❑ Features like menus, headers,
physical layout, and navigation
tools (such as links) help the
audience to interact with the site
spatially.

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/englishcomp1/chapter/the-five-modes/
https://openenglishatslcc.pressbooks.com/chapter/multi-modal-communication-writing-in-five-modes/
Aural includes spoken words, sound, music, volume, rhythm, speed of delivery,
pitch, tone, voice.

❑ The aural mode is focused on

sound including, but not limited
to, music, sound effects, ambient
noises, silence, tone of voice in
spoken language, volume of
sound, emphasis, and accent.
❑ An example of an aural mode—
one that depends almost
exclusively on sound—might be
the recording of a public speech
that is delivered orally to a live
audience, a radio address, or a
podcast.

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/englishcomp1/chapter/the-five-modes/
https://openenglishatslcc.pressbooks.com/chapter/multi-modal-communication-writing-in-five-modes/
Gestural includes movement, speed, expression, body language, facial
expression, physical proximity, interactions between people

❑ The gestural mode “refers to the way

movement is interpreted.
❑ Facial expressions, hand gestures,
body language, and interaction between
people are all gestural modes.
❑ The gestural mode is often used in
combination with other modes, such as
linguistic/alphabetic (written/spoken),
spatial (physical arrangement), and aural
(sound) to provide an enhanced sensory
experience for the audience.
❑ Traditionally, this mode was used
primarily in face-to-face interaction;
however, but it has become more
apparent on the web lately with the wide
use of YouTube and other content
creators.
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/englishcomp1/chapter/the-five-modes/
https://openenglishatslcc.pressbooks.com/chapter/multi-modal-communication-writing-in-five-modes/
“Multimodal presentations have
an inherent critical potential to
the extent that we learn how to
use the images to deconstruct
the viewpoint of the text., and
the text to subvert the
naturalness of the image”.
JAY LEMKE
SAMPLE FOOTER TEXT 20XX 12
SAMPLE FOOTER TEXT 20XX 13