Addressing digital text genres through systemic-functional grammar and multimodal studies

While Halliday and Matthiessen claim that their grammar description is limited to verbal language (2004), theorists in the fields of semiosis of communication, linguistics, media studies and education have applied systemic-functional models to a range of multimodal artifacts, such as places, toys, buildings, paintings and digital texts (O’Toole 1994; Kress, van Leeuwen 1996; O’Halloran 2004; Baldry, Thibault 2006). Nonetheless further research is needed to explore multimodal digital texts, especially in educational environments. Starting from the consideration that university students need training in text and genre interpretation, this paper presents the findings so far of one strand of the Prin-financed project ACT (Access Through Text), dealing with access to, and interpretation of, digital texts. Students may feel intimidated by systemic-functional grammar and also be at a loss when getting to grips with digital literacy. Despite the fact that university students are familiar with digital environments, research literature reports that they may be uncertain of their interpretative skills of multimodal digital texts (Baldry 2011; Sindoni 2010, 2011b). This study uses a method that blends a micro-level analysis of clauses and clause complexes in experiential, interpersonal and textual terms and a macro-level multimodal genre analysis. Sampling three digital genres (i.e. YouTube videos, blogs and new travellers social networking websites), it discusses how postgraduate students in “Foreign Languages and Literature” combined functional and multimodal analysis in a course on Linguistics (Sindoni 2011a), also focusing on the acquisition of the metalanguage needed by these future EFL teachers (Sindoni u.c.). In conclusion, this paper argues the case for an integrated use of systemic-functional grammar and multimodal studies that may be helpful for both teachers and students to interpret texts made up of multisemiotic resources.