Introduction to Modes

What is a mode?

• a unit of expression and represntation
• cultural shaping of a material

Synonyms of mode:
* unit
*element

Confused?

• Halliday went beyond the physical definition of a mode
• to be a mode it needs to have 3 different functions
• Interpersonal
• Immaterial
• Physical Features

Interpersonal

• speaks to an audience

Immaterial Quailities

• must express ideas
• values
• emotions
• senses
• beliefs

Physical Features

• materializes other qualities of texts
• makes them into textual functions

The term mode has been extended into non-verbal elements because of the endless possibilities and combinations of mode usage.

Three Meta Functions:

Ideational: Human/ world experience

Interpersonal: personal/ social experiences

Textual: modes form shape and meaning

How do modes work?

Concepts of Modes

• conceptualize how modes work together
• how meanings cross over

Transmodal

• elements in the text
• reach across modes
• Example:
• Movies use visual and auditory modes

Intermodal

• links between modes
• modes can exist separately 
• Example:
• Illustration and texts from a book

Intramodal

• modes cohere to make meaning
• Example:
• Fashion designer uses different fabrics.
• combines colors with shapes, cuts, etc.

Gathering modes is part of the "making meanings process"
-Kress (1997)

Modal shift:
occurs when modes need to be adjusted, modified or edited.

Transduction:
modes shift as they cross texts.
Ex:
When ads move from printed word to moving image

Transformation:
change happens when the mode jumps to another text.

Ex:
When illustrations from The Lorax transferred over the the film version.

Lesson Learned

Lesson one:
Producers endured childhood passions.
The modes are now tied to formative senses and memories.

Lesson two:
There are many different ways to tell a story.

Lesson three:
Multimodailty is not a solitary act. Work with different perspectives and diversity to push thinking and creativity beyond your comfort zone.

Lesson four:
There is no such thing as original material. Everything is built from ideas or interpretations of another text.

Lesson five:
Modes can generalized, taught and fostered.

Lesson six:
working with Multimodality is a human enterprise.

What I learned

Multimodality is all around us.

We use our personal knowledge of modes and apply them to every day situations.
Some examples:
choosing an outfit for work, what status update to post on facebook, what filter to use on instagram and even what song to play while you are working out.

Modes are an alternatives to the older style of domain-specific practices and instruction.

Modes offer abstract thinking; it offers students the opportunity to branch out and explore different voices to show understanding and competency.

Learning in schools is still focused on the written word. Modes offer some students a natural act for processing and expressing information from written text that is not necessarily traditional or written.

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