PGCE PROCESS WORK MODULE 1 UNIT 3 TASK 7 - MULTIMODAL SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS- OR “IT AIN’T WHAT YOU DO IT’S THE WAY THAT YOU DO IT!”
MODES
Kress et al. define ‘modes’ as the means “that a culture has shaped” ( .p.21) in which to do something. Simply put, modes are ways of doing things.
SEMIOTICS
Kress et al. state that ‘semiotics’ is:
“…the discipline that concerns itself with meaning of all kinds, in all forms, everywhere. Sign is the central concept of semiotics; it is an entity in which meaning and form have been brought together in a single unit- of signified and signifier, to use the technical terms - seen, always, as reflecting the meanings of those who make the sign.” (ibid. p. 22)
MULTIMODAL
According to Kress et al. a multimodal semiotic analysis within a classroom is a way of:
“… seeing meaning in visual displays, in classroom layout, in the voice-quality of the teacher, in diagrams and wall displays, in students’ posture, just as much as in what is said, written and read.” ( ibid. p.21)
Kress et. al. give some examples of the different signs and how they may be interpreted in a classroom setting.They maintain that even the classroom layout presents a visual sign as you enter it:
“The manner in which tables, chairs and desks are arranged distributes students and teacher into particular places, and into a frame of social relations with each other.” (ibid. p.23)
“This spatial relation is a sign made by the teacher to express his (in this case) sense of the social relation, of the pedagogic relationship with the students, as well as his sense of how the students might work with each other and with him.” (ibid. p. 24)
Kress et al. speak of the:
‘’Mode of spatial arrangement’’ (ibid. p.26)
They give an example of this below:
“Four students are seated at each table; the grouping at the tables is suggestive of a participatory pedagogy, a sign of a ‘constructivist’ approach. However, this sign of a ‘discourse of participation’ is set within an arrangement of the tables in two rows, which, starting close together at the teacher’s desk, are angled away from his desk to realize a perfect panopticon. That structure superimposes a different meaning: a sign of a ‘discourse of surveillance’ overlaid onto a sign of a ‘discourse of participation’ (ibid. p.25)
The teacher then paces in an arc as he teaches. He can not see all of the students at the same time, doesn't enter the space between them but ‘patrols’ guard like across the door. The students have to twist uncomfortably in their seats to see him.
Kress et al. maintain that:
‘’Movement has meaning. In the space of the classroom the meaning is produced in the interaction of three factors: the teacher’s movement itself, the meaning of the space in which the teacher moves (at the front, in between the desks), and whether, how and where the students may move. ‘‘(Ibid. p.26)
In other words; how the teacher moves in the class, his body language, the furniture and pupil positioning will all impact upon the class. They also stress that visual material, such as wall displays, written handouts and text written on a black/white board can both say something about the teacher’s attitude to the pupils and also give out confusing messages to the class.
They talk about “visual display” and state that:
“is again a mixture of ‘participation’ - realized through materials that (might) link to the cultural world of the students - and of authority through the simultaneous presence of materials from an elite culture.” (ibid. p26)
Kress et al. also stress the importance of the use of speech - what is said and how it is delivered. Interestingly, they don’t group their headings of ‘speech’ and ‘vocal quality’ together. I believe they should, as I think that one impacts upon the other.
Tone of voice, what you say and the way in which you say it, can convey different meanings. There are “indirect”, “implicit” and “explicit” (ibid. p28) meanings conveyed by a teacher which can be confusing for pupils.
They state that:
“In and through voice quality (van Leeuwen 1999), the teacher performs and realizes sensibility and sensitivity. This, too, has pedagogic significance: the meaning of a social relation in which explicitness is inappropriate, in which directness would be too ‘heavy’ for the gossamer lightness of what has to be communicated, where to be explicit would be gross and mundane.” (ibid.p30)
Kress et al. also talk about the importance of body language. They give it the heading “Gaze, gesture and embodiment”. They state:
“it is in gaze that we see the development, unfolding and communicating of the curriculum of sensibility….
“ All this provides the effect of embodiment: that is, the meanings made in the mode of gesture are, as it were, meanings in the body of the teacher, just as the effects of his positioning, movement and use of gaze have the same force.” (ibid.p.29-30)
They summarise by saying that:
“the appearance and form of a single sign does not tell the whole story….The meaning of any event or of any structure does not lie in the meaning of one sign, but has to be seen in the complex meanings of a set of signs all read together.” (ibid. p35)
Signs then, as I understand it, are, according to Kress et al., not just objects, but signals to be read in the way we communicate both verbally and non-verbally, intentionally or unintentionally with those around us and with the space we occupy.
Kress et al. believe that Semiotic Modal Analysis can help us be aware of what signals we are sending to others. This is particularly important for students in the classroom. They conclude by saying:
“For the students it is of course absolutely crucial what signs are made, what signs are there to be read, transformed, and remade by them, and, above all, how they are positioned in relation to these complex signs, given their own specific and, as a group, diverse backgrounds.” (ibid. p.36)
MULTIMODAL SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS
I understand “multimodal semiotic analysis” as a way of trying to make sense of different interpretations that can be placed upon the same sign by different people in the same setting at the same time. Cultural and social contexts and beliefs affect the meaning. It is important in asking the questions:
What was the intention of the sign makers?
Is the intended message the one we actually got?
What does the same thing mean to different people?
I found a video on Youtube useful in visually and verbally illustrating the meaning of Semiotic Analysis. In it the person talks about:
‘Peering through a lens into a culture’. I think that is a nice way to look at it. The link to the video is below:
Ways in which multimodal semiotic analysis might help me in my teaching
I think it would be useful to observe another’s teaching methods focusing on different modes, as defined by Kress et al. above. For example, I might look, during one lesson, at the teacher’s body language in relation to that displayed by the pupils in the class as a way of interpreting how the students are engaging with the teacher and the subject material. I might compare one teacher’s body language with another’s to note any differences or similarities and then see how effective their approaches were. In so doing, I might discover something that I could use that would help me in the way I use my own body language in my classes.
Semiotic Modal Analysis (SMA) can help me be more aware of the messages I am trying to convey to my students and help clarify the intention and attempt to avoid misinterpretation. It can also help me to reflect upon whether I am giving equal attention to all my pupils by making me more aware of the classroom layout I use and the way in which I move within it and interact with my students. In short, SMA can help me to a greater realisation of the consequence of my teaching methods ; simply put:
‘’it ain’t what you do, it’s the way that you do it.”
Bibliography
Bezemer, J. & C. Jewitt (2010). Multimodal Analysis: Key issues. In: L. Litosseliti (ed), Research Methods in Linguistics. London: Continuum. pp. 180-197.
(accessed 30th October 2016)
Jewitt, C. (2009) The Routledge Handbook of Multimodal Analysis. London: Routledge.
Kress, G. R., Jewitt, C., Bourne, J., Franks, A., Hardcastle, J., Jones, K. and Reid, E. (2005) English in Urban Classrooms: A Multimodal Perspective on Teaching and Learning. Abingdon: Routledge Falmer.
University of Nottingham (2011) Semiotic analysis - David's lesson (video online).
