Module 5

GEC06: Purposive Communication

What it really means:

EVALUATING MESSAGES
AND/OR IMAGES

“Language disguises thought.” Objectives:

― Ludwig Wittgenstein, Tractatus
Logico-Philosophicus After studying the module,
you are expected to:
Commercials and advertisements are now all over.
It has been one of the many means of establishments 1. Talk about the nature of
message in communication
to communicate to their audience. You, being a
2. Evaluate multimodal
consumer who have witnessed probably hundreds of
texts critically to enhance
this so called ads, how many of which did you believe? receptive skills (listening,
how many caught your attention? how many have you reading and viewing)
ignored? Do you have a particular reason for your 3. Convey ideas through
response? oral, audio-visual and/or
web-based presentations for
Notice how fast food restaurants have different target audiences in
commonality in the choice of their color. It is the same local and global settings
with banks and even local business establishments. using appropriate registers
Also, have you thought of the font style of the signages 4. Adopt awareness of
that you often see outside? Does it affect the thought audience and content in
process of the people who will be seeing it? Have you presenting ideas
ever pondered on these trivial things?

Most often, the advertisements that we see are definitely more than what meets
the eyes. For instance, the billboard in Pasig City (Philippines) of Napoleon Quince
(brandy) in 2004 has garnered a lot of attention and criticisms from different sectors
specifically those of the women and children advocates due to its negative effects
towards its spectators. The said billboard has the picture of the Napoleon Brandy
(Fifteen Years Old) at the right and a tagline of “Nakatikim ka na ba ng kinse años?”;
at the bottom part is the picture of their logo with their name Napoleon Quince (Arao,
2004). If you have seen such advertisement, what kind of thinking and reaction
would you have? Will you consider the billboard as effective?

In this very technological times when all are in chaos and panic and fake news
are everywhere, you have to practice critical thinking. You have to validate the
information that you wish to believe in. Likewise, you have to see and think beyond
what is presented because again, it is not simply what we thought of.

This module presents the basic of semiotics, the study of signs and symbols.
Throughout the discussion, you will be analyzing texts and even images. Moreover,
multimodality will also be delved into in this module which will allow your critical
minds to wander and question the message’s representation. Afterwards, you will be
asked to apply your gained concepts by creating your own version of a credible and
sensitive media presentation.

GEC06 1
 INCORRECT vs. CORRECT LANGUAGE USE

Prescriptivists are people who set down rules for correct

language use. They are the educated members of the society who
have the power to sanction speakers for not following language
rules. Prescriptivists equate correctness to strict observance of
the rules of grammar. Cameron (2003) strongly associated
prescriptivism with those forms that are most conservative, elitist
and authoritarian. Fromkin and Rodman (1998) likewise defined it as “Rules of
grammar brought about by grammarians”.

Descriptivists describe the language without being hypercritical or expressing

judgement. Fromkin and Rodman (1998) stated that “It does not tell you how you
should speak; it describes your basic linguistic knowledge. It explains how it is
possible for you to speak and understand and it tells what you know about the sounds,
words, phrases and sentences of your language.”

In your opinion, does being a prescriptivist or a descriptivist depends

on who is talking? on the context? on the medium? Explain your
answer.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

THE TEXT OR MESSAGE

 MESSAGE. It is the information conveyed in the communication process. It

also pertains to any recorded message (e.g. writing, audio-recording, audio- and
video-conferencing) that is physically independent of its sender or receiver. It is
an “assemblage” of signs constructed (and interpreted) with reference to the
convictions associated with a genre and in a particular medium of
communication (Chandler, 2017).
 MEDIUM. It includes broad categories as speech and writing or print and
broadcasting, or relate to specific technical forms within the mass media (radio,
television, newspaper, magazines, books, photographs, films and records) or the
media of interpersonal communication (telephone, letter, fax, email,
video-conferencing).
 In composing oral or written text, you have to consider the text type, its purpose
and its intended audience.
 Structure refers to how the information is organized.
 Language is the means by which information is expressed verbally and/or
non-verbally.
 Presentation covers the layout, format, length, oral delivery and any other
conventions such as spelling and referencing (Hoadley and Nixon. 2017).

GEC06 2
TEXT ANALYSIS

It was stated that English has been considered as an international language

paving its way to many domains in each country. For instance, government,
education and businesses are some domains where English is prevalent. For
countries which are non-English speaking ones, they still utilize English in some of
their establishments and even signage at most for the sake of foreign people.
However, for cases like this, problems like ill-translation from their native language
to English language often occurs. Note the following example.

Car and owner for sale.

The statement is an example of an ill-translated text to English language. What

comes to mind when after reading the statement? For people who are well-versed in
English, they will notice that an error is present. It will look like both the car and its
owner will be sold. With the example provided, it is important that the context of the
statement is known. Where is it posted? What is the purpose? If one knows that the
statement above is a signage in Manila, Philippines with the purpose of selling
vehicles, what do you think is the corrected statement so as not to avoid confusion?
Yes, it can be reconstructed as ‘Car and owner-type jeepney for sale”. Note that an
owner-type jeepney is a term used by Filipinos to refer to a kind of a usually privately
owned vehicle.

Let us practice more by reconstructing the following ill-translated

signage in English.

1. Women are not allowed to have children in the bar (posted in a

cocktail lounge).
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
2. Mental Health Prevention Center (hospital in Africa).
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
3. Drop your trousers here for best results (laundry shop).
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________

SEMIOTICS

 SEMIOTICS involves the study not only of what we refer as ‘signs in everyday
speech, but of anything which stands for something else; in a semiotic sense,
signs take the form of images, sounds, gestures and objects (Chandler, 2017).
 SIGNIFIERS (sounds and images)
 SIGNIFIEDS (concepts)
 SIGNIFICATION (relationship between the signifier and the signified.
 SEMIOSIS is the process by which a culture produces signs and/or assigns
meaning to signs, but since meaning production or semiosis is a social activity ,
subjective factors are involved in each individual act of semiosis (Eco, 1976).

GEC06 3
 Signifying

Signified (Man)
Signifier (Stick man
figure)

Signifying

Signified (Fire)
Signifier (Smoke)

Can you provide your own example of a signifier and a signified?

_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

What is the role of semiotics in the world of messages and meanings?

Semiotics makes us realize and understand that information or meaning is not

contained in the world or in books, computers or audio-visual media. Meaning is not
transmitted to us----we actively create it according to a complex interplay of
codes or conventions of which we are normally unaware. Becoming aware of such
codes is both inherently fascinating and intellectually empowering (Chandler, 2017).
Moreover, semiotics can help us to take “reality” for granted because reality does not
have an objective existence; it is something that is subject to human interpretation.
Analyzing and questioning the realities of signs can reveal whose realities are
privileged and whose are suppressed.

Why must we be conscious on the world of semiotics? How will it affect

your perspective on the things around you?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

GEC06 4
 MASS MEDIA AND MULTIMODAL TEXTS

MASS MEDIA refers to the type of communication that uses technology to

simultaneously reach a wide audience.

A MULTIMODAL TEXT combines two or more of the five semiotic

systems---lingistic or textual system, visual system, audio system, gestural system
and spatial system (Anstey & Bull, 2010).

For instance, in a ballet performance, what are the semiotic systems

combined?

Multimodal texts are now very prevalent in this fast-changing world. Many
institutions have already recognized the necessity of incorporating multimodality in
their fields. In advertisement, simple flyers might not be as appealing as commercials.
In education, the use of a mere chalk might not already be enough in the short
attention span that students have nowadays. Hence, transfer of information is usually
done through multiple modes.

As mentioned, anything that you can see from simple store signages and even
billboards can be subjected for your analysis since you are one active meaning-maker.
In the world of advertisements, artists have been utilizing various ways and
approaches in order to promote whatever it is that they are endorsing. They can
always play with colors and layouts and be utmost creative with texts. In like manner,
different organizations who are advocating for something are also using the same
method in order to raise awareness on the message that they wanted to convey. The
following discussion presents an example image and the questions that succeed are
the your guides for the analysis.

1. Who created this message?

2. What creative techniques were used to attract my attention?
3. How might different people understand this message differently from me?
4. What values, lifestyles and points of view are represented in, or omitted
from this message?
5. Why is this message being sent?

The image is a picture featured in one of the holiday cards that surfaced the
social media with 45, 500 shares (BBC Trending, 2015). Accordingly, the image was
meant to be humorous however, it was differently received by the audience as they
related it to women degradation.

GEC06 5
 The following is an example analysis of the picture from someone who has a
detached context of the image.

This is a world in which power is the very essence of existence. Whoever holds
the power has the dominance over the other whose power is limited, whose power is
restricted. It is inherent not only on the societal level but also on the smallest unit
that constitutes society, the family. Although there is a basic notion that a family has
some sort of equality within, the picture illustrates how power works based on the
role that one is playing as its member.

Who created this message?

The picture, at first glance, seems to be a normal and ordinary picture of a

family. However, scrutinizing it would reveal otherwise. There is an implied
message. People who created the picture are individuals or even organizations who
are aiming for its audience to be aware and enlightened regarding the issue of power
play by implicating the message using a picture of a family. They might have used
such image as it is quite relatable and it speaks for reality, power begins with our
hierarchy in the family. In addition, the creators may be members of a culture whose
perspective of power is dependent on gender, age and other factors thereof.

What creative techniques were used to attract my attention?

Being a member of a family, the image already interests me. Also, the setting
where the image is “supposedly taken” adds message to the bigger picture. Likewise,
the representation of each of the member of the family is quite controversial
considering the censorship that was assigned to each one of them. Lastly, the text
indicating “Peace on earth” have triggered my curiosity as I wanted to know its
connection to the entire picture.

How might different people understand this message differently

from me?

I have been in existence during the years when people are struggling and
fighting for their rights to cultivate power even at its minimum. I believe that power
is not dictated by gender, age or any aspects thereof. Everyone has the power within
and we are free to practice it as long as we have the capacity and we know how to
take responsibility. As what Spiderman said “With great power comes great
responsibility.” Hence, I do not agree with the picture's representation of power.
Though I may have my own belief, other people may agree with what is
presented as such may be a norm in their culture and such must be followed.

What are the representations present in the picture?

The following are some of the representations and meanings that I have
formulated based on the picture.

SETTING- With trees in the background, it adds to the idea of tranquility,

which is something that is wanted to be achieved in the picture.

FATHER- He holds the great amount of power in the family. He is a man and
he is the oldest. He has the power of knowledge and words. He controls and
manipulates the actions within the family.

GEC06 6
 MOTHER- She is next in line in holding power. She cannot acquire it fully as she
is a “she”. She may have access to knowledge but she has no right to speak as
shown by the cover in her mouth. This is a sign of submissiveness. She only has
to listen to whatever the husband says and she has to comply without complaints.

SON- His eyes may be covered because whatever that he needs to know will be
fed by his parents. The things that he ought and not ought to know would be
dependent upon those who are holding power. Being a male gives him the
privilege to speak for himself and he has the power to act according to his will as
illustrated by his free hand.

DAUGHTER- Unfortunately, the daughter has the least power in the family. They
do not have access to information as everything will be fed up to them by their
parents. Being born as a “lesser” gender, they do not have the privilege of
speaking for their own.

CLASP HANDS- It can be seen that only the women have hands put together.
This symbolizes that they do not have the freedom to do what they want. They are
under control. They have to submit themselves to the “dominant”.

“PEACE ON EARTH”- It would be achieved if such power distribution is

followed. It would be achieved in a man-dominated environment.

Why is this message being sent?

This picture exemplifies the obsolete idea that having a man to run the world
would result to a greater good. However, this is no longer true as women can also
do great things to the world.
Basically, the picture wanted its audience to generate awareness and to
break free from this old notion. It wanted us to free ourselves from the blindness
brought by power. Moreover, it wanted us to distance ourselves from the
stereotypical power distribution carried by being a man or woman.

Indeed, holding great power means having much privileges.

However,holding such power must not be kept to one's care. It must be shared to
those who holds lesser power. The father, being the head of the family, must
educate his children to be critical thinkers, not being a puppet to anybody.
Achieving a peaceful world is not about who holds the power instead, it is a

Based on the analysis above, it can be inferred that the author dealt with the idea
on power. Likewise, the approach on the analysis is quite personal. For others who
would have their own take of the analysis, they may dwell with other perspectives
such as gender inequality, rights and abuse.
Interestingly, this what makes semiotics an engrossing area of study. It activates
your mind to be critical and to create meaning out of the subject. You consider the
perks and setbacks and its effect to other spectators. It is true that your perspective
and analysis may differ from others and you might end up in a debate. However, you
have to remember that differences in opinion is normal because you are coming from
various context. You just have to stand by what you know and don’t let others tell you
that what you know is wrong. The beauty of meaning making is in the richness and
vastness of ideas that you will be able to produce.

GEC06 7
 In addition to still images, we can also do an analysis of messages in the forms of
video. You can always be critical whenever you watch movies, video clips and
promotional videos. The following is an example of a media campaign which is the
One Billion Rising that aims to empower woman all around the world. The
Philippines, through the Gabriella Partylist, also launched a video campaign in
support to the said advocacy.

Image 1. A snapshot from the video A BILLION RISING

In the same manner on how you analyzed the still images, you will also do
the same analysis in this video campaign. The guide questions are as follows. The link
to the video is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVxy9oEShPQ.

Questions:

1. What kind of video was presented?

2. How many people did it take to create this message? What are their various
jobs?
3. Do you think the number of people in the video is necessary? For what reason?
4. What do you notice about the construction of the message? Colors? Sounds?
Lyrics?
5. How is the story told visually? Are there symbolisms in the lyrics?
6. What did you learn from the video?
7. How many other interpretations could there be? What are the reasons for
other responses?
8. What values, behavior and political ideas are present and/or omitted from the
video?
9. Overall, what do you think is the purpose of the message?
10. What would be its impact to its viewers?

Supporting multimodal literacy is an important aspect of education today as it

encourages students to understand the way media shapes their world. Most, if not all
texts today, can be considered multimodal texts as they combine modes such as
visual, audio and linguistic text. By teaching students multimodal analysis, you
provide them access to a more complex way to read all the text they encounter. In
their media-saturated lives, students engage with a large number of multimodal texts
per day that contain a variety of modes that work together to create subtle methods of
persuasion and often implicitly reinforce cultural stereotypes. Because students are in
a habit of passively viewing these texts, it is important to model strategies that will
help them think critically about the messages directed at them through media
(Morris, n.d.).

GEC06 8
 Let’s take the Tests !

Test 1.
A The following are advertisements that has a failed translation in English.
Reconstruct the following to a more comprehensive advertisement with the
application of standard English. (3pts for each item)

Advertisement/ Original Tagline Reconstructed Tagline

Signage for:
A dairy company Are you lactating?

Poultry Farm It takes an aroused man to make

a chicken affectionate

Fast Food Chain We’ll eat your fingers off.

Car Company Every car has a high quality

corpse.

Appliances (Vacuum Nothing sucks like an Electrolux

Cleaners)

A location where fast Racist Park

car drivers convene

Machine Operation Please don’t touch yourself.

Facility Let us help you try it out.
Thanks!
Machine Operation Engine Room is Serious Place
Facility

We have good rooms, and the

price is very cheap.
Hotel
Have three human lives and four
human lives, many human lives

Building under Execution in Progress

construction

A store selling Crabs Caution: We Still Alive! Touch U

Painful!

B. Give one example of a signage that you have seen in the Philippines or even locally in your
area that has errors. What is the error about? What could probably be the reason for such error?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

GEC06 9
Test 2. Analyze the picture by answering the questions used to examine multimodal
texts. Accomplish this following an essay format.

Who created this message?

2. What creative techniques were used to attract
my attention?
3. How might different people understand this
message differently from me?
4. What values, lifestyles and points of view are
represented in, or omitted from this message?
5. Why is this message being sent?

Criteria for Evaluation

In-depth analysis Organization Mechanics
of the Content 10points 5points
35points
Total: 50points

Performance Task

A. Choose a social issue which you think is relevant and of great need to be known by
your community. Create a picture campaign regarding the social issue of your choice.
For the picture that you are going to use, kindly abide by the rules of your area’s
quarantine protocols. Include a hashtag (#) for the campaign to be worth
remembered by the audience.

B. In a group with 3-5 members, create a video promoting the concept of unity. The
concept on how to present the context of unity is dependent on the choice of the
group. As much as possible, atleast 3 members of the group must appear in the
promotional video. Include a hashtag (#) for the video to be worth remembered by
the audience. The duration of the video must be 2-5mins long.

Note: The mode of submission is dependent on the teacher’s discretion.

Rubric for Evaluating Multimodal Text

Criteria Description Rating Score Remark/s
Artifact  It refers to the finished product. It must be
well created conveying a coherent message by 30
using appropriate structure, medium, mode
and technique.
Context  It must consider the rhetorical and physical
surroundings of the artifact. In addition, it 30
must also regard the purposes, audiences, and
the composing environment.
Substance  It shows quality and significance of content
and ideas presented in the multimodal text.
Information must be presented with 30
credibility and accuracy.
Process  The output must exemplify familiarity with
Management composing skills and processes. 10
Technique
TOTAL 100
(Based on the aricle of Park in 2015 entitled Assessing the Students’ Digital Multimodal Compositions)

GEC06 10
 References
Arao, D.A. (2004). Napoleon Quince at ang malisya sa pagtikim ng kinse años.
Investigative Report. Plaridel Journal.
Backstrom, A. (2006). Prescriptivism and Descriptivism: A Study on Attitudes
Towards Language. Lulea University of Technology
Barthes. (n.d.). Signs, signification, and semiotics (semiology).
BBC Trending. (2015). Christmas cards that shocked the web. Retrieved from
https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-35128683
Cameron, D. (2003). Verbal Hygiene. London: Routledge
Chandler, D. (2002). Semiotics: The Basics 2nd ed. Routledge: Taylor & Francis
e-Library
Curtin, B. (n.d.). Semiotics and Visual Representation . International Program in
Design and Architecture
Daly, A. & Unsworth, L. (2011). Analysis and comprehension of multimodal texts
34(1). University of New England:
Australian Journal of Language and Literacy
Morris, G. (n.d.). Supporting Multimodal Literacy. University of Michigan: Sweetland
Center for Writing.
Park, S. (2015). Assessing the Students’ Digital Multimodal Compositions.
International Literacy Association

Videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVxy9oEShPQ

Pictures

https://images.app.goo.gl/dkt8Af9QGyC7BY7W9
https://images.app.goo.gl/bTpkfC7J7fQr4Jvd6
https://images.app.goo.gl/TtPa4w2Bod2QMeTe7
https://images.app.goo.gl/1UWNgVfS7NKcdCP48
https://images.app.goo.gl/6RbBWZBXmZNFgEbD8
https://images.app.goo.gl/xNc1v4bzMLcN2Fce9
https://images.app.goo.gl/ZqfYBB7F666Db67SA

Images

https://images.app.goo.gl/k8SrVE7KEuCE2cWc7
https://images.app.goo.gl/HYjK4acrdSRFBwvx6

GEC06 11