What is a mode?

 A mode, quite simply, is a means of communicating.

 According to the New London Group, there are five modes of

communication: visual, linguistic, spatial, aural, and gestural.

 A mode is different from a medium, which is the substance through which a

communication is conveyed. Examples of a visual medium, for instance, would be
photography, painting, or film.

 When a given text makes use of more than one mode, the text can be characterized
as multimodal.

THE FIVE MODES

Kristen Arola, Jennifer Shepherd, and Cheryl Ball, Writer/Designer, 4

What is the Relationship Between Modes and Media?

  A mode is a means of communicating.
 A medium is the channel or system through which communications are conveyed. The
plural form of medium is media.

 So, for example, if we want to communicate in the linguistic mode, we might

choose the medium of print.

 If we want to communicate in the aural mode, we might choose the medium of

a podcast.

 Both print and podcasts are forms of media.

 When analyzing or producing multimodal compositions, it is important to recognize

the operation of multiple modes within artifacts.

 But it is also useful to think about which mode generally predominates in any
given medium.
 Both photographs and films, for instance, employ the visual mode.

 Films differ from photographs, however, in that they involve the

movement of bodies and objects through space (spatial mode).
 We might say, then, that the visual mode predominates in photographs,
 the spatial mode in film.
 Being aware of dominant modes within a medium will prove helpful later
when choosing powerful claims and persuasive evidence for composing
your own multimodal argument.

Making Multimodal Projects. Bedford/St. Martin's. 2014. ↵

1. Kristin L. Arola, Jennifer Sheppard, and Cheryl E. Ball. Writer/Designer: A Guide to

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/olemiss-writing100/chapter/what-is-a-mode/
  The majority of texts young people encounter and create are multimodal.

 A multimodal text is one where the meaning is communicated by more than

one mode --e.g. written text, audio, still pictures, moving pictures, gesture, use
of space, etc.

 Digital multimodal texts can include, for example, videos, slideshows, and web
pages, while live multimodal texts can include theatre, storytelling, and dance.

 The fact that communication nowadays is largely multimodal changes the

construct of communicative competence.

 This has huge implications for our educational systems.

MULTI-MODAL COMMUNICATION: FIVE MODES OF COMMUNICATION

Ann Fillmore

Multi-Modal Considerations

 As writers, we make choices. In every situation, we must decide how to best

communicate meaning to our intended audiences. It is a process of deliberation
that involves calculated choices, strategies, and moves. And, nowadays, writing isn’t
just putting words onto paper anymore.

 “Multi-modal” assignments have become common in higher education, and it is likely

that you will be asked to create multi-modal texts during your academic career. In the
field of writing/composition, “modality” is a rhetorical decision that you need to
consider as you explore how to best achieve your intended purpose(s).

A multi-modal text employs more than one “mode” to communicate meaning beyond the
written word alone. According to the New London Group, these are the five modes:

1. LINGUISTIC/ALPHABETIC ― written and spoken words

2. VISUAL ― images (moving or still)

3. AURAL ― sound, music

4. GESTURAL ― movement, expression, body language

5. SPATIAL ― position, physical arrangement, proximity

  Why would writers want to communicate in a modality other than alphabetic text?

 We’ve all heard the saying that “a picture is worth 1000 words.”

 In certain situations, a visual has the potential to convey an idea more

effectively and more quickly than written text.

 Images can help readers to better engage with the topic and experience a
moment in a way that could be more difficult to accomplish with words alone.

THE FIVE MODES EXPLAINED

Modality is an important rhetorical decision that writers need to consider. Here’s a more
detailed look into each mode of communication. Modes can be used individually and in
combination with others to create multi-modal texts.

1. Linguistic/Alphabetic Mode: includes written and spoken words, word choice,

vocabulary, grammar, structure, and organization of sentences and paragraphs

 Writers use words to communicate. This mode is the most widely used, is a form that
most people are familiar with, and can be delivered through print and audio.

 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.

2. Visual Mode: includes images, video, color, visual layout, design, font, size,
formatting, symbols, visual data (charts, graphs), animation (like gifs)

 The visual mode helps writers communicate meaning in a way that can be seen by the
audience. 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 the one by
National Geographic. This video is considered a multi-modal text since words, visuals,
and audio are used together for a stronger effect.

 The visual mode also includes elements of design and allows writers a more creative
way to present text on a page/screen. For example, the textbook in a photo makes use
of labels, headings, color, and other visual features to help the reader more easily
 understand the information. This textbook is considered multi-modal since it combines
multiple modes of communication.

3. Aural Mode: includes spoken words, sound, music, volume, rhythm, speed of delivery,
pitch, tone, voice

 Sound catches people’s attention, and writers use the aural mode to bring their words
to life. For example, have you ever listened to a game on the radio?

 Listen to the way the sports casters help the audience to experience the game through
sound. This sportscast is considered a multi-modal text since the authors combine
words (linguistic/alphabetic mode) with sound (aural mode).

 Another example of the aural mode is an audiobook. Listen to the following excerpt
from The Carriage, by Jena Baxter. Spoken words can add depth and emotion to a
story. As you listen, pay attention to the volume, rhythm, pitch, speed, and tone of the
narrator’s voice. Multi-modality can enhance the experience of “reading” a text.

4. Gestural Mode: includes movement, speed, expression, body language, facial

expression, physical proximity, interactions between people

 The gestural mode of communication allows writers to communicate meaning through

movement.

 Traditionally, this mode was used primarily in face-to-face interaction ; however,

modern technology allows writers to show movement virtually in their work, through
video.

 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.

 For example, sign languages use the gestural mode since the position of the sign and
movement are significant factors in generating and distinguishing meaning.

 Sign languages are considered multi-modal communication since they combine

linguistic/alphabetic text with movement.
 5. Spatial Mode: includes physical arrangement―spacing, position, organization,
proximity, direction, and distance of elements in a text

 Writers use the spatial mode of communication in the physical layout and organization
of a text.

 For example, this tri-fold pamphlet, printed and folded on paper, presents
information spatially on six panels. Physical arrangement impacts the way the
audience can interact with your work.

 Websites also rely heavily on the spatial mode to communicate meaning.

 Writers make strategic rhetorical decisions about how to arrange digital

information in a user-friendly way within a mobile “space.”

 Features like menus, headers, physical layout, and navigation tools (such as
links) help the audience to interact with the site spatially.

 Websites are considered multi-modal texts since multiple modes are used in
combination to communicate with the audience.

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modes/