Quarter 2 – Lesson 4 | English Hand-outs

Multimodal text conveys meaning through a combination of more than one mode and the
recognition of the interconnections between modes. These modes are linguistic, visual, audio,
gestural and spatial. For example, a poster conveys meaning through a combination of written
language, still image, and spatial design. Each mode has its own specific task and function (Kress,
2010, p. 28) in the meaning making process, and usually carries only a part of the message in a
multimodal text. In a picture book, the print and the image both contribute to the overall telling of
the story but do so in different ways. Images may simply illustrate or expand on the written story,
or can be used to tell different aspects of the story, even contradicting the written words (Guijarro
and Sanz, 2009, p. 107).
There are five types of modes in Multimodal Text:
1. Linguistic - refers to the 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.
2. Visual - refers to the images and characters that people see. This mode includes color, layout,
style, size and perspective. The visual mode is used in order to instruct, persuade, entertain,
represent feelings or etc.
3. Audio –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.
4. Gestural- refers to the way movement is interpreted. Facial expressions, hand gestures, body
language and interaction between people are all gestural modes.
5. Spatial- is about the physical arrangement, organization and proximity of the text. It also refers
to the proximity, direction, position of layout, organization of objects in space.
Multimodality does not necessarily mean the use only of technology; multimodal texts can be paper-
based, live, or digital.
• Paper-based multimodal texts are conveyed to the reader by varying combinations of written
language and still images. It includes picture books, text books, graphic novels, comics,
infographics and posters.
Pictures/ Picture Book - is an image that represent a specific concept/topic.
Text book – a book used as a standard work for the study of a particular subject.
Graphic novels – are combination of words and images that refers to a complete story presented as
a book rather than a periodical.
Comics – is a medium of narration or ideas using a series of images combined with text.
Infographics – is a collection of images, charts, and data to present a quick clear information.
Posters - are large printed picture for specific purposes such as, advertising or decoration.
Word clouds/Graphic Texts – are used to express an information or concept with use of diagrams
and drawings/strokes.

1.) Live Multimodal Texts can be done through a combination of different modes such as,
gestural, spatial, audio, and oral language. The following are examples of Live Multimodal
Texts:
Dance – is a movement of the body in a rhythmic way usually accompanied with a music.
Oral Presentation/Storytelling – is a short talk on a set topic or telling a story
through voice and gestures in a certain group or audience.

2.) Digital Multimodal texts involve dynamic combinations of different modes across written to
spoken language, still and moving image, audio, gestures and spatial communicative
resources. Here are some examples of Digital Multimodal Texts:
Film/Movie – is a series of moving images shown on a screen, usually with sound, that
make up a story.
E-posters – also known as electronic posters is a digital presentation of a study and can be
accessed through the use of software. Animation - is a manipulated figure that appear as
moving images in a form of storytelling. Slideshows – is a presentation of projected images
through slides and shown on a surface or screen one after another.
Digital stories – is a multimedia production that narrates certain stories or experiences
combining various digital elements.
Podcasts – is an episodic series that discussed about a particular topic or current event
through spoken word digital audio files that a user can download to a personal devise for
easy listening.

Below is a photo of a Tinikling dance. Have you seen also a Tinikling dance performed
live? If you haven’t and if you have access to YouTube please find time to watch a video of it,
since it would be difficult to find a live performance of it at this time.
Moving on, what we are going to do is to compare the photo below from a supposedly
live performance of the Tinikling dance.
 Look at the photo and at the same time think of a
live performance of a Tinikling dance. Focus on how they
are presented only. Let’s start comparing. What are the
similarities on how they are presented? We can say that
both photo and live performance convey a message (like
perhaps a tradition or culture), both are visual because we
can see them, and both are colorful in actual because of
the costumes.
This time, let’s do contrasting. What are their differences? For the photo, the image is
presented in paper and we don’t see any movement. For the dance, we imagine movements
and gestures from the dancers, we are able to hear music to accompany the movements, and
of course, there are live performers. There is a better way of presenting these similarities and
differences, let’s put them in a Venn Diagram, which you know is a non-linear text or a
graphic organizer.

The multimodal texts below show information about Koreans. Look and analyze the picture
collage and brochure below. Compare and contrast the presentation of the two multimodal
texts below using a Venn diagram.