Aluno: Shelton dos Santos Sousa

A MULTIMODAL LOOK AT ELEMENTARY EDUCATION ENGLISH LANGUAGE

TEXTBOOK ANALYSIS

Multimodality is the study of the visual composition of elements in magazines,

textbooks, websites, and magazine pages, among others, to understand how these
visible components work together. This brings us some reflections on how the
transfer of meanings occurs and how these meanings are received, and what
relationship the text has with the image.
The textbook has a lot of relevance in teaching. A significant role it plays is
that of guiding the teacher in classes through a sequence of content and seeking to
generate a way in which the content can be understood in the best possible way.
Over the years, he continues to be present in classes, helping with the teaching of
the English language, making life easier for many teachers, since the contents to be
worked on are already organized.
Technological advancement shows that we are becoming more and more
visual, citing for example the use of memes or the creation of videos more frequently
in applications such as Instagram and TikTok. Textbooks need not only contain
written texts, but also elements that favor the learning of those who have them. With
the support of new technologies, it has become possible to create images to aid in
the reading of texts, but what is not yet known is whether these images are being
worked properly in combination with the text to create meaning.
Previously, writing was considered the most valued mode, but over the years
it is noticeable that there have clearly been changes in the way that information is
transmitted. Knowing this, the proposed theme seeks to observe the multimodality
present in the elementary school textbook, as well as the activities, in particular
those that have images, and thus observe whether it addresses multimodality
properly.
It is important to emphasize that, although the visual components have the
possibility of being connected with the verbal text, one is not dependent on the other,
and following this line of reasoning, we must understand how they have thought and
the objectives of the images that are found. in the material that is constantly used to
guide the teacher and students in the classroom, paying attention to the guidelines
that are found in the material and whether they are adequate with regard to the
reading of multimodal texts.
it is relevant to say that the actions that are performed by human beings, as
well as the objects that are handled, are all components for the construction of social
reality, with variations possible depending on the context and society in which they
are inserted. Consequently, within the didactic material, there needs to be a clear
relationship between the semiotic resources addressed and the verbal text, as well
as well-defined guidelines to guide the educator.
Therefore, with regard to multimodality, the presence of images in the media
is inevitable, especially when we talk about education. Technological mechanisms
increasingly provide us with the possibility of creating new visual resources, with
different semiotic resources, making it possible to construct the reality of a given
society in which the book is inserted.
The composition of the visual elements can lead us to reflect on how the man
or woman is characterized within the book and in what context, what actions they are
performing, whether they are rich or poor, and whether they have a black presence
or not. Thus, the look of the images has a role that is not only illustrative but also
helps in the creation of critical thoughts, seeking to reveal what is behind each
representation.