A systemic functional multimodal discourse analysis approach to pedagogic discourse

A SYSTEMIC FUNCTIONAL MULTIMODAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS APPROACH TO PEDAGOGIC DISCOURSE LIM FEI VICTOR NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE 2011 A SYSTEMIC FUNCTIONAL MULTIMODAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS APPROACH TO PEDAGOGIC DISCOURSE LIM FEI VICTOR BA Hons (NUS), MA (NUS), PGDE (NIE) A THESIS SUBMITTED FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE 2011 This thesis represents my own work and due acknowledgment is given whenever information is derived from other sources. No part of this thesis has been or is being concurrently submitted for any other qualification at any university. Lim Fei Victor ii | P a g e DEDICATION In loving memory of my grandmother Mdm Chong Chew Yong (1929-2007) iii | P a g e ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am profoundly indebted to Professor Kay O’Halloran, my Supervisor & Director, Multimodal Analysis Lab, Interactive Digital Media Institute, National University of Singapore. Thank you for apprenticing me into the field of multimodal research more than a decade ago and for being the visionary who pioneered the SF-MDA approach to multimodal text. I thank God for my wife, Yvonne, my sons, Alden and Avern, and my soon-to-beborn daughter, Arielle. Yv, thank you for being an amazing woman who took such good care of the family and for giving me the freedom to pursue my dream. It is your unwavering support and unceasing love that made this journey possible. I am grateful to Mrs Angela Ow, former Director, Training & Development Division, Ministry of Education, Singapore. Thank you for believing in this young man enough to recommend him for the MOE Postgraduate Scholarship. I am thankful to Mr Koh Yong Chiah, former Principal, Jurong Junior College. Thank you for teaching me to have the mind of a contrarian and the heart of an educator. iv | P a g e This thesis is also made possible with the generous assistance of: Mr Joseph Lew, for his help with the marcos program in Excel. Ms Jelaine Ang, for her editing and proof-reading. Dr Alexey Podlasov, Research Fellow, Multimodal Analysis Lab, for his advice on the use of Cytoscape. Ms Patricia Lim, Head of English, Jurong Junior College. Participating Teachers from Jurong Junior College: Ms Eleen Tan, Mrs Joey Tan, Ms Patricia Lim, Mr Ravi Shankar, Mr Timothy Dore and Mr Tsering Wanyal. Ms Felicia Yip, Year Two Level Head, General Paper, Jurong Junior College. v|Page The research for this thesis is supported by Interactive Digital Media Programme Office (IDMPO) in Singapore under the National Research Foundation’s (NRF) Interactive Digital Media R&D Programme (Grant Number: NRF2007IDM-IDM002066). This thesis is also funded by the Ministry of Education, Singapore, Postgraduate Scholarship and the National University of Singapore, Research Scholarship. The images in Figure 5.20A-B are created by Tagxedo, and their derivatives, are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-ShareAlike License 3.0, and must be attributed to http://www.tagxedo.com. vi | P a g e TABLE OF CONTENTS STATEMENT II DEDICATION III ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS IV TABLE OF CONTENTS VII LIST OF FIGURES XIII LIST OF TABLES XVI SUMMARY XVIII CHAPTER MULTIMODALITY AND LITERACY 1.1 Research Terrain 1.1.1 Thesis 1.1.2 Research Questions and Aims 1.2 Research Field 10 1.2.1 Literacy 10 1.2.1.1 Literacy is Social 12 1.2.1.2 Literacy is Material 13 1.2.1.3 Literacy is Semiotic 15 1.2.2 Multimodality 1.2.2.1 Multimodality as Phenomenon 1.2.2.1.1 Challenges to Paradigm 1.2.2.2 Multimodality as Domain of Enquiry 1.2.2.2.1 Challenges to Perspective 17 19 21 23 27 1.2.2.3 Multimodality as Analytical Approach 39 1.2.2.3.1 Challenges to Practice 42 vii | P a g e 1.2.3 Multimodality in the Classroom 45 1.2.4 Multimodal Literacy 47 1.2.4.1 Multimodal Literacy in Multimedia Texts 49 1.2.4.2 Multimodal Literacy in Multisemiotic Experience 55 1.3. Research Application 53 1.3.1 Multimodal Pedagogic Discourse 55 1.4. Summary 61 CHAPTER METHODOLOGY AND ORIENTATION 64 2.1 Methodology 64 2.1.1 Current Approaches to Classroom Discourse 64 2.1.2 Systemic Functional Multimodal Discourse Analysis (SF-MDA) 69 2.1.2.1 Systemic 72 2.1.2.2 Functional 76 2.1.2.3 Multimodal 79 2.1.2.4 Discourse 80 2.1.2.5 Analysis 82 2.2. Orientation 85 2.2.1 Quadnocular Theoretical Perspective 85 2.2.2 Diachronic and Synchronic Analytical Views 89 2.3 Summary 95 CHAPTER CONTEXTUALISATION FROM IDEOLOGY TO INSTANCE 96 3.1 Resemiotization 96 3.1.1 Singapore’s Educational Landscape 101 viii | P a g e 3.1.2 Singapore Ministry of Education’s Desired Outcomes of Education 102 3.1.3 The Ministry of Education’s Advanced Level Curriculum Framework 103 3.1.4 General Paper in the Ministry of Education’s Curriculum Documents 107 3.1.5 General Paper in the English Department’s Scheme of Work 111 3.1.6 Accretive Learning in General Paper 115 3.2. Curriculum Genre Theory 118 3.2.1 Curriculum Macrogenre & Curriculum Genre 120 3.2.2 Curriculum Hypergenre 125 3.2.3 Lesson Genres and Lesson Microgenre 131 3.2.3.1 Contextual Configuration of Lesson Microgenre: Field 135 3.2.3.2 Contextual Configuration of Lesson Microgenre: Tenor 139 3.2.3.3 Contextual Configuration of Lesson Microgenre: Mode 141 3.2.4 Lesson Microgenres in the General Paper Lesson 149 3.3. Summary 151 CHAPTER GESTURE AND SPATIAL PEDAGOGY 154 4.1 Gesture Studies 154 4.1.1 Communicative Gesture and Performative Gesture 157 4.1.2 Systemic Functional Approach to Gesture 160 4.1.3 Descriptions of Gesture 164 4.1.4 Formal Description of Gesture 165 4.1.5 Functional Description of Gesture: Metafunctional Organisation 167 4.1.5.1 Ideational Meanings in Gesture 167 4.1.5.1.1 Presenting Action 167 4.1.5.1.2 Representing Action 173 ix | P a g e Semiotic Resource Language, Gesture, Use of Space Language, Gesture, Use of Space Language, Gesture, Use of Space Language, Gesture, Use of Space Distance Socio-Consultative Socio-Consultative Socio-Consultative Socio-Consultative Spoken & Written Spoken & Written Spoken & Written Spoken & Written Medium Audio-Visual Audio-Visual Audio-Visual Audio-Visual Modality Front Front Front Front Directionality of Gesture Hands Level Waist Chest Chest Chest Description of Hand Push bottle away x x x Both Hands Left Hand Left Hand Left Hand Use of Hand x x x Bottle Contact with Object Indexical Indexical Indexical Presenting Types of Action x x x Material Presenting Action Process Indexical Representation x MP: Attention MP: Attention MP: Attention Representing Entity x x x x Positive Positive Positive x Attitude Medium Medium Medium x Engagement Contraction Contraction Contraction x Graduation x x x x Pointing Beat Gest & Lang x Dependent Dependent Dependent Positioning Behind Teacher's Desk Behind Teacher's Desk Behind Teacher's Desk Behind Teacher's Desk x x Mental: Cognition Relational: Intensive Transitivity x x Non-Finite x Mood 362 Lesson Progress 361 Lesson Progress 360 Lesson Progress We will go through Step one to six Lesson Stage 359 Lesson Progress Seconds In the course of today’s lessons Linguistic Transcription Phenomenal Domain Subject Matters Subject Matters Subject Matters Subject Matters Lesson Microgenre Discourse on Learning Objectives Discourse on Learning Objectives Discourse on Learning Objectives Discourse on Learning Objectives Expounding Expounding Expounding Expounding Socio-Semiotic Process Unequal Distant Unequal Distant Unequal Distant Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral Contact Affect Unequal Distant Status Semiotic Resource Language, Gesture, Use of Space Language, Gesture, Use of Space Language, Gesture, Use of Space Language, Gesture, Use of Space Distance Socio-Consultative Socio-Consultative Socio-Consultative Socio-Consultative Spoken & Written Spoken & Written Spoken & Written Spoken & Written Medium Audio-Visual Audio-Visual Audio-Visual Audio-Visual Modality Front Front Front Front Directionality of Gesture Hands Level Chest Waist Waist Waist Description of Hand Oscillating Clasped Clasped Clasped Both Hands Both Hands Both Hands Both Hands Use of Hand x x x x Contact with Object Indexical Indexical Indexical Representing Types of Action x x x x Presenting Action Process MP: Attention MP: Attention x x Positive Positive Positive MP: Attention x Attitude Positive Indexical Representation Circumstances: Course x Representing Entity Medium Medium Medium Medium Engagement Contraction Contraction Contraction Contraction Graduation x x x x Pointing Beat Dependent Dependent Dependent Behind Teacher's Desk Behind Teacher's Desk Behind Teacher's Desk x x Material Correspondent x Behind Teacher's Desk Transitivity Gest & Lang Positioning x x Finite x Mood And err which I briefly discussed in the previous lesson Linguistic Transcription Lesson Stage 366 Lesson Progress 365 Lesson Progress 364 Lesson Progress 363 Lesson Progress Seconds Phenomenal Domain Subject Matters Subject Matters Subject Matters Subject Matters Lesson Microgenre Discourse on Learning Objectives Discourse on Learning Objectives Discourse on Learning Objectives Discourse on Learning Objectives Expounding Expounding Expounding Expounding Socio-Semiotic Process Unequal Distant Unequal Distant Unequal Distant Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral Contact Affect Unequal Distant Status Semiotic Resource Language, Gesture, Use of Space Language, Gesture, Use of Space Language, Gesture, Use of Space Language, Gesture, Use of Space Distance Socio-Consultative Socio-Consultative Socio-Consultative Socio-Consultative Spoken & Written Spoken & Written Spoken & Written Spoken & Written Medium Audio-Visual Audio-Visual Audio-Visual Audio-Visual Modality Front Front Front Front Directionality of Gesture Hands Level Waist Waist Waist Waist Description of Hand Clasped Clasped Clasped Clasped Both Hands Both Hands Both Hands Both Hands Use of Hand x x x x Contact with Object Indexical Indexical Indexical Indexical Types of Action x x x x Presenting Action Process Indexical Representation MP: Pensive MP: Pensive MP: Pensive MP: Pensive Representing Entity x x x x Positive Positive Positive Positive Attitude Medium Medium Medium Medium Engagement Contraction Contraction Contraction Contraction Graduation x x x x Pointing Beat Gest & Lang Dependent Dependent Dependent Dependent Positioning Behind Teacher's Desk Behind Teacher's Desk Behind Teacher's Desk Behind Teacher's Desk x x Verbal x Transitivity x x Finite x Mood [...]... need to possess the latitude and capacity to analyse multimodal discourse and to 7|Page analyse discourse multimodally O’Toole (1994/2010), Baldry (2000), Baldry & Thibault (2006) and O’Halloran (2004b, 2010) have developed a distinct approach towards multimodal discourse analysis that is founded on Systemic Functional Theory which is described as being both ‘bottom-up’ and ‘top-down’ in orientation... and multimodality Multimodality is described as a phenomenon, domain of enquiry and an analytical approach The respective challenges to paradigm, perspective and practice are presented Multimodal literacy in multimedia texts and multisemiotic experiences are also explicated Finally, multimodal pedagogic discourse is introduced as the research application in this study The SF-MDA approach adopted in... Indexical Action 178 4.1.5.2 Interpersonal Meanings in Gesture 184 4.1.5.3 Textual Meanings in Gesture 190 4.1.6 Summary of Approach to Gesture 4.2 Spatial Pedagogy 193 196 4.2.1 Types of Space in the Classroom 199 4.2.2 Summary of Approach to the Use of Space 204 CHAPTER 5 APPROACH AND ANALYSIS 207 5.1 Approach in Study 208 5.1.1 Collection of Data 208 5.1.2 Annotation of Data 213 5.1.2.1 Categories of Annotations... as an instantiation of the teacher’s pedagogical strategy This ultimately differentiates one teacher from another For this reason, this study adopts a multimodal approach to pedagogic discourse 1.1.2 Research Questions and Aims This study is guided by three leading questions and the aims of this thesis are formulated correspondently Firstly, what understandings can a multimodal perspective on pedagogic. .. SF-MDA approach to pedagogic semiosis It also explores what digital media software and technological platforms can offer in the annotation, analysis and visualisation of the multimodal data This thesis proposes methods to transcribe, describe and analyse these resources within the SFMDA approach Building on and applying the seminal work done in Curriculum Genre Theory by Christie (1993, 1997, 2002) and... positioning and movement in the classroom They are realised materially through the verbal, visual, aural and somatic modalities as well An effective teacher orchestrates these semiotic resources and modalities to construct a lesson experience to engage, enthuse and educate the students Against the contemporary contextual backdrop of the interactive digital media age, the rapid acceleration and advancement... also proposed Chapter 5 describes the approach and presents the findings from the analysis of the multimodal corpus The approach in the collection, annotation, analysis and visualisation of the data is outlined The analysis is discussed in accordance to the lesson microgenres, gesture, use of space through positioning and movement as well as language The visualisation of the patterns and trends in the... (O’Halloran, 2011) Distinguished as the Systemic Functional Multimodal Discourse Analysis (SF-MDA), the approach presents a rigorous and detailed analysis of the choices made in the text derived from a system network of meaning options on the different ranks & scales and across the various metafunctions The SF-MDA approach is discussed more fully in Chapter 2 This study applies and extends the SF-MDA... (200 7a: 235) argues for the need to “develop theoretical and practical approaches for developing effective teaching strategies, particularly for teachers working with disadvantaged students” O’Halloran (200 7a) emphasises the importance of teacher-training, crediting the teacher as a critical factor in the outcome of the students’ achievements in Mathematics 4|Page Likewise, Allington & McGill-Franzen... resources as well as their effective combinational deployment in teaching and learning Secondly, what is a viable methodological approach to multimodal pedagogic semiosis that is both contextually situated and empirically verifiable? The spotlight on the repertoire of modalities and semiotic resources at a teacher’s disposal in the classroom necessitates the use of new investigative methods These approaches . A SYSTEMIC FUNCTIONAL MULTIMODAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS APPROACH TO PEDAGOGIC DISCOURSE LIM FEI VICTOR NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE 2011 A SYSTEMIC FUNCTIONAL MULTIMODAL. 5.5 Analysis of Language 297 5.5.1 Word Cloud Analysis 298 5.5.2 Systemic Functional Grammar Analysis 300 5.6 Summary of Wilson and Adeline’s Pedagogy 306 CHAPTER 6 INTERSEMIOSIS IN PEDAGOGIC. Gesture 193 4.2. Spatial Pedagogy 196 4.2.1 Types of Space in the Classroom 199 4.2.2 Summary of Approach to the Use of Space 204 CHAPTER 5 APPROACH AND ANALYSIS 207 5.1 Approach in Study 208