Gunther Kress is a pioneering scholar in the field of multimodality. His book "Multimodality, a Social Semiotic Approach to Contemporary Communication" (2010) is a classical study in which Kress explains the principles of multimodal communication from the perspetcie of social semiotics, the study of signs and meaning. According to Kress this is the best frame of analysis to be able to study the creation of meaning in all its diverse social and cultural appearances.

Gunther Kress (2010) , Kress, G. R. (2010). Multimodality : a social semiotic approach to contemporary communication.

Kress proposes the term ‘mode’, a term that is quite loose, compared to the limitations posed by the use of the concept ‘language’ when studying how individuals and social communities create meaning. One of the many clear illustrations that he offers of how to distinguish ‘modes’, is his analysis of a sign that shows how to get to the carpark of a supermarket. The image of a map with an arrow shows what would take too long to explain with text. The text conveys the name of the supermarket, which could not be shown in the form of an image, and the color is used to highlight specific aspects. The three modes together create the meaning that is appropriate for conveying the message about which directions to take to park your car.

Kress attributes the need for an encompassing theory for all kinds of ‘modes of communication’ to the combination of digital technology and globalisation. Subjects of interest that used to be studied in distinct academic communities such as the study of images, gestures and sounds, have now become more intertwined. These developments have led to social, cultural and economic changes in the creation and dissemination of messages. To be able to study these phenomena we need to update the terms and categories from former eras.

In the first chapter, "When meaning is the issue," a number of key concepts and terms are discussed, illustrated by many examples from everyday life. in order to fully comprehend his line of reasoning, watch the two videos below for some background information about semiotics and theory of communication.

In the first video What is a mode? Gunther Kress has a conversation with PhD student Berit Hendriksen about the meaning of modes of communication at the Institute of Education, University of London (15-3-2012)

Video Lecture by Gunther Kress on Multimodality.

In his second video, Why adopt a multimodal approach? Gunther Kress continues this conversation and explains what the added value of a multimodal approach would be for her research on social media.

Video Lecture by Gunther Kress on reasons for adopting a multimodal approach

Exercise 1: Kress and Hendriksen

A number of key phrases from Kress' conversations with PhD student Berit Hendriksen have been selected as a basis for an exercise in which you have to put the missing word or phrase in the right sentence. Take into account that when a series of words is listed the software will only accept one particular order. In that case choose the alphabetical order: adjectives, prepositions, verbs.

Interpreting Kress

In order to place Kress' in the broader historical development of the study of communication, read the article Gunther Kress by Bezemer and Blommaert (2012). In this concise article, the authors discuss the key elements in Kress' approach on the subject: sign making, multimodality and change. In a way they symbolize his intellectual journey from the study of language (linguistics) to the study of signs (semiotics) and eventually the study of all modes that are active in an instance of communication (multimodality). The focus on ‘change’ and the increased relevance of his insights became evident with the advent of digital technology and the exponential growth of non textual data such as photos, films, and sound.

Exercise 2: Interpreting Kress

Read the article Gunther Kress by Bezemer and Blommaert (2012). Drag and drop the correct terms in the blank spaces.

References

• Kress, G. R. (2010). Multimodality : a social semiotic approach to contemporary communication. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203970034
• Bezemer, J., & Blommaert, J. (2012). Gunther Kress. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286459320_Gunther_Kress

‌