Multimodality/
Semiotics

Ledia Kazazi, University of Elbasan "Aleksandër Xhuvani", Albania
ledia.kazazi@uniel.edu.al

According to Kress and van Leeuwen, multimodality is the use of multiple modes of communication, including but not limited to language, image, gesture, sound, and spatial arrangement to construct meaning and convey messages. From their perspective, communication is not solely reliant on linguistic elements but encompasses a diverse range of semiotic resources that interact and combine to shape how meaning is produced and interpreted. Each mode provides its own affordances and constraints, influencing the ways information is represented and understood. The combination of different modes within a communicative act allows for a richer, more nuanced form of expression.

Multimodality extends beyond the mere co-occurrence of different modes; it encompasses the interplay and integration of these modes to create coherent and meaningful communication. Kress and van Leeuwen emphasise the importance of understanding how modes interact within multimodal texts, analysing their relationships, hierarchies, and contributions to overall meaning-making processes. Kress and van Leeuwen also highlight the role of social and cultural factors in shaping multimodal practices. They argue that meanings are not inherent in modes themselves but are socially constructed and negotiated within specific cultural contexts. Therefore, multimodal analysis involves not only the identification of formal properties of different modes but also examining the ideological, institutional, and contextual factors that inform their use and interpretation.

Keywords: interplay, semiotic resources, meaning making

Related Entries: Multimodality/Sociotechnical Analysis, Mode, Modality

References:
Kress, G. (2010). Multimodality: A social semiotic approach to contemporary communication. Routledge.
Kress, G., van Leeuwen, T. (2001). Multimodal discourse. Bloomsbury Academic.
Kress, G., van Leeuwen, T. (2021). Reading images: The grammar of visual design. Routledge.