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13th International Conference
on Functional Grammar
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| Multimodality and Functional Discourse Grammar:
FDG in the age of digital multimedia and the World Wide Web |
John Connolly,
Loughborough University,
Loughborough, Great Britain
As has been pointed out by
various authors, such as Kress and van Leeuwen (1996: 39),
Norris (2004: 9) and Baldry and Thibault (2006: 19), the
process of human communication is essentially multimodal in
character. The
present paper is concerned with the question of how this
multimodality, which is so evident in environments such as the
World Wide Web, should be addressed from the point of view of
Functional Discourse Grammar (FDG).
Dik (1997a: 1-4) maintained that a theory of grammar
should form part of a broader ‘pragmatic theory of verbal
interaction’ (PTVI) and should be ‘devised in such a way
that it can most easily and realistically be incorporated’
into that broader theory.
In pursuance of this aim, Dik (1997b: 441) espoused the
view that a functional model of human language should
encompass discourse within its purview.This proposal has now been put into effect in FDG, in
which explicit allowance is also made for the interplay
between discourse and its non-linguistic context; see
Hengeveld and Mackenzie (2006).However, is there a case for taking these developments
a stage further?
It will be argued in the present paper that not only
language but also its non-verbal accompaniments should be
accommodated within the PTVI. For this purpose it will be necessary to develop a
multimodal, multi-level framework for the analysis and
description of discourse, while at the same time seeking to
ensure that FDG fits as seamlessly as possible into that
framework.
This suggests that we should attempt to develop a
semiotically-based approach to discourse analysis (DA) which
includes, but is not confined to, human language, and which as
far as possible employs the same descriptive apparatus for
linguistic and non-linguistic modes of communication.Such an approach forms the basis of the present paper,
which explores the idea further and assesses its viability.
It will be concluded that a multimodal approach to
discourse that is compatible with the style of linguistic DA
embraced by FDG appears to be feasible, even though it will
need further exploration and development.This research will help to develop the broader PTVI
that Dik envisaged, and to enhance our understanding of the
relationship between language and its non-linguistic context.
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| References: |
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Baldry,
A. and Thibault, P.J. 2006.
Multimodal
Transcription and Text Analysis: A Multimedia Toolkit and
Coursebook with Associated On-line Course. London:
Equinox.
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Dik,
S.C., ed. Hengeveld, K. 1997a.
The Theory of
Functional Grammar, Part 1: the Structure of the Clause.
Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
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Dik,
S.C., ed. Hengeveld, K. 1997b.
The Theory of
Functional Grammar, Part 2: Complex and Derived
Constructions. Berlin:
Mouton de Gruyter.
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Hengeveld,
K. and Mackenzie, J.L. 2006.
Functional Discourse Grammar.
In Brown, K. (ed.), Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics, vol. 4.
2nd edition.
Oxford: Elsevier. 668-676.
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Kress,
G. and van Leeuwen, T. 1996. Reading Images: The Grammar of Visual Design.
London: Routledge.
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Norris,
S. 2004. Analysing Multimodal
Interaction: A Methodological Framework.
New York: Routledge.
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