You will look at how different forms of multimodal communication are crafted in different genres of communication. You will also examine how multimodal communication can be used to convey meaning in different ways (such as making abstract ideas easier to understand through metaphors).
You and your fellow students will explore how meanings, functions, and modes are integrated in different media, including the embodied medium of face-to-face interaction. You will also apply an array of theories and methods to analyse the complexity of audio-visual communication in various contexts—through the natural media of our bodies as well as other material and virtual means (such as documents, newspapers, websites, and apps). In this track, attention is given to the use of both written and spoken language in combination with other modes of communication.
Core courses in the programme are taught by internationally known experts in their fields. These include specialists in cognitive linguistics and gesture studies (Prof. Alan Cienki), research on the design and effects of different forms of communication (Dr. Luuk Lagerwerf) and metaphor studies and corpus linguistics (Dr. Tina Krennmayr).
