Cette recherche propose une analyse multimodale du positionnement interactionnel ou stance-taking. Le corpus de travail, filmé, transcrit et annoté par nos soins dans trois logiciels compatibles (CLAN, PRAAT, ELAN), est une collection de discussions semi-guidées sur le thème de l’environnement (2h 20 min). Les 16 locuteurs sont des étudiants locuteurs natifs d’anglais britannique qui discutent par deux et entre amis. Dans cette recherche, nous adoptons une définition large du « langage », en y incluant l’ensemble des ressources sémiotiques verbales et non-verbales mobilisées pour la co-construction dynamique et intersubjective du sens au cours de l’interaction orale. Nous montrons que les locuteurs intègrent une grande variété de ressources verbales (segments, énoncés), mais aussi vocales (intonation) et mimo-posturo-gestuelles (gestes, expressions du visage), en les synchronisant de manière tant simultanée que séquentielle, pour prendre position vis-à-vis de leur interlocuteur. Au plan théorique, notre approche multi-niveaux et multimodale tisse des liens entre théories françaises de l’énonciation (Benveniste, 1966, Morel et Danon-Boileau, 1998), théorie discursive-fonctionnelle du stance-taking (Kärkkäinen, 2006, Du Bois, 2007), analyse conversationnelle multimodale (C. Goodwin et M.H. Goodwin, 1992, Mondada, 2007), anthropologie linguistique (Ochs, 1996), et étude de la gestualité (Kendon, 2004, Müller, 2004, Streeck, 2009) ; au plan méthodologique, nous combinons analyse qualitative et codage systématique. Notre thèse pose d’abord les bases théoriques et méthodologiques d’une étude multimodale des stances (Partie 1), puis propose la possibilité d’un marquage visuel du positionnement intersubjectif (Partie 2), avant de montrer comment les locuteurs intègrent mots et syntaxe, voix, visage et corps pour prendre position en interaction (Partie 3). / In this research, we propose a multimodal analysis of stance-taking based a collection of semi-guided discussions between pairs of friends who discuss environmental issues (2h 20 min). All 16 speakers are university students who are native speakers of British English. We filmed, transcribed and annotated this video corpus in three compatible software tools, CLAN, PRAAT and ELAN. In this research, we defend a broad understanding of “language”, defined as encompassing all verbal and non-verbal semiotic resources involved in the dynamic and intersubjective co-construction of meaning during spoken interaction. We show that speakers integrate a wide range of verbal resources (segments, utterances) as well as vocal (intonation) and visual ones (gestures, postures and facial expressions), and synchronize these resources simultaneously and sequentially so as to take stances with respect to their interlocutors. On a theoretical level, our multi-level, multimodal approach brings together French utterer-centred approaches to language (Benveniste, 1966, Morel and Danon-Boileau, 1998), discursive-functional theories of stance-taking (Kärkkäinen, 2006, Du Bois, 2007), multimodal conversation analysis (C. Goodwin and M.H. Goodwin, 1992, Mondada, 2007), linguistic anthropology (Ochs, 1996) and gesture studies (Kendon, 2004, Müller, 2004, Streeck, 2009); our methodology combines qualitative analysis with systematic coding. This thesis starts with laying the theoretical and methodological bases for a multimodal study of stance-taking (Part 1); it then proposes that some gestures and facial expressions can be used as intersubjective visual stance markers (Part 2), before showing how speakers integrate words and syntax, voice, facial expressions, gestures and physical posture to take stance in interaction (Part 3).

Denna studie undersöker serieteckning som multimodal instruktion i skolan med syfte atttillgängliggöra kunskap om, undersöka och utveckla, alternativa undervisningsmaterial medmultimodalitet som utgångspunkt och serieteckning som metod. Delar av arbetet hargenomförts som ett kollegialt lärande tillsammans med en annan lärarstudent, samt isamverkan med en undervisande lärare i grundskolan (åk 7 – 9). I studien ställs frågan hur ensom lärare kan använda sig av serieformatet som multimodal kommunikationsform i skolansundervisning, med specifik avgränsning till serier som uppgiftsinstruktion. Detta har skettgenom, och resulterat i, skapande av serieinstruktion samt prövande av serieinstruktion därelever och lärare uttrycker sina uppfattningar av mötet med serie som instruktion. Resultatfrån studien visar att text integrerat i bild kan vara problematiskt, men att bilder som bildstödtill text - samt i kombination med seriens struktur av rutor, effektivt kan användas somytterligare ett steg i en multimodal kommunikation- och instruktionsform. Delar av studiensresultat gestaltas i form av en interaktiv installation under namnet ”Tear down the walls oftext! Let’s build up a world of trilingual learning – text, pictures and squares” på Konstfacksvårutställning vårterminen 2019.

[pt] Esta pesquisa consiste em uma investigação sobre os aspectos multimodais do Quadro Branco Interativo (QBI) como ferramenta mediadora no ensino de inglês como língua estrangeira (EILE). Inicialmente, procurou-se utilizar os fundamentos da Teoria da Atividade para contextualizar o artefato tecnológico em questão no plano das atividades docentes, desde o processo de elaboração até a execução das aulas. Os conceitos de mediação, atividade de ensino, conjunto e sistema de gêneros correspondem à base para a sistematização e contextualização, em nível individual ou coletivo, das ações e operações referentes ao ambiente de sala de aula em que o QBI se insere. Conforme o estudo circunscrevia-se às questões de ensino, foi desenvolvido um questionário on-line com o intuito de averiguar as perspectivas de um grupo de docentes pertencentes a uma renomada instituição particular, ícone no EILE, através do uso de ferramentas de última geração, entre elas, o QBI. A finalidade principal consistia no melhor entendimento das atividades docentes mediadas pela tecnologia sob análise, buscando-se elementos facilitadores e/ou delimitadores em todo o processo, contrastando essas experiências paralelamente com outros recursos mais tradicionais, como o quadro negro, quadro branco, transparências e slides. Os resultados obtidos favorecem a utilização do QBI em virtude da multiplicidade de recursos disponíveis. Entretanto, argumenta-se que o mesmo não deve ocupar o lugar central no âmbito das práticas docentes supracitadas. / [en] This research consists of an investigation on the multimodal aspects of the Interactive Whiteboard (IWB) as a mediating tool in the teaching of English as a foreign language (TEFL). Initially, the theoretical background offered by Activity Theory was used with a view to contextualizing the technological artifact in question in the field of teaching activities, from the process of elaborating a lesson to the moment of executing it. The concepts of mediation, teaching activity, set of genres and genre systems constitute the basis for systematizing and contextualizing, whether individually or collectively, the array of actions and operations referring to the classroom environment where the IWB is present. Since the study was delimited to the matter of teaching, an online questionnaire was developed in order to check the perspectives of a group of teachers from a renowned private institution, with excellence in the TEFL through the use of state-of-the-art technologies, which also include the IWB. The main purpose of this questionnaire was to obtain a better understanding of the teaching activities mediated by the IWB, by searching for facilitators or delimiters throughout the process, besides comparing these results with more traditional tools, such as blackboards, whiteboards, transparencies and slides/presentations. The results favor the use of the IWB due to its multiplicity and availability of resources; nevertheless, it is argued that it should not be the main focus in any of the teaching activities mentioned above.

[pt] O presente estudo tem por objetivo a análise de um blog educacional mantido por um professor de curso preparatório de um exame de proficiência em língua inglesa. Os aportes teóricos do estudo têm sua base no conceito de gênero discursivo enquanto ação social recorrente e compartilhada por uma comunidade discursiva (Miller, 1994; Swales, 1990) e também a noção de sistema de gêneros (Bazerman, 2005) construído pelo professor e pelos alunos no blog em questão durante o período de nossa observação. O estudo qualitativo consistiu na definição desse sistema de gêneros e também na investigação de possíveis inclusões no referido blog de gêneros outros que não aqueles comuns em aulas presenciais, por ser o blog um gênero digital e multimediático. Procurou-se também, através da análise de um questionário enviado a nove alunos participantes do blog, verificar a percepção desses alunos quanto ao proveito do uso do blog em questão no que tange ao seu processo de aprendizagem. A análise dos dados mostrou que o sistema de gêneros construído ao longo de nossa observação consistiu basicamente em um sistema bastante similar àquele possivelmente observável em ambiente de sala de aula convencional. Os resultados de nossa análise dos questionários mostraram também que, para a maioria dos alunos, o blog é encarado como proveitoso em termos de aprendizagem conquanto muitos dos alunos não tenham tido uma participação tão efetiva nas atividades propostas pelo professor bloguista. As implicações pedagógicas desta pesquisa remetem à necessidade de se refletir sobre o papel dos novos gêneros digitais no que tange à prática pedagógica dos professores e a contribuição desses gêneros virtuais ao processo ensino e aprendizagem de língua estrangeira nos dias de hoje. / [en] The present study analyzes an educational blog maintained by a teacher in a preparatory course for an English language proficiency examination. The theoretical background of the study centers on the concept of genre as a recurring social action shared by a discourse community (Miller, 1994; Swales, 1990) and also on the notion of a system of genres (Bazerman, 2005). The system under study here emerged during the work of the teacher and the students towards the creation of the blog itself. The qualitative study consisted of, first, the tabulation of the genre system and then the investigation of genres that might be included in the blog, other than those common in classroom settings, considering that the blog is a multimedia digital genre. Through the analysis of a questionnaire sent to nine students participating in the blog, I also sought to check their perceptions as to the advantages of using the blog as far as their learning process was concerned. The data analysis showed that the genre system built during my observation consisted basically of a system that is very similar to one that might be observed in the traditional classroom environment. The results of the analysis of the questionnaires also showed that, for most of the students, blogging is seen as beneficial in terms of their learning although many students did not participate consistently in the activities proposed by the teacher. The pedagogical implications of this research indicate the need to reflect on the role of new digital genres concerning teachers’ pedagogical practice and the possible contribution of these virtual genres in the teaching and learning process for foreign language nowadays.

In this study, I examine how terrorism is produced and consumed in communication. Using discourse analysis, I investigate how terrorism is constituted in the accounts of four women described in online news reports as having joined, or almost joined the so-called Islamic State (IS): “Alex,” constructed as having been lonely and flirted with IS; “Khadija,” presented as a schoolteacher turned member of IS’s all-women’s brigade; Laura, described as a woman whose partner abandoned her, who met a man online, and who brought her son with her to join IS; and Tareena, referred to as a health worker who brought her child with her to join IS. My analyses address how each interview can add to our insights about becoming a woman of IS. I make four arguments. First, terrorism is mobilized through interaction. Second, the double bind is a dynamic uniquely applicable to women because becoming a member of IS can be examined as an act of gender resistance. Third, accounts of becoming a woman of IS work as rhetoric designed to prevent other vulnerable people from being recruited. Fourth, terrorism is mobilized through narrative storytelling, especially through the use of paralinguistic features in the building of accounts. By researching terrorism as communication, and focusing in particular on four women’s interviews of their recruitment experiences, this dissertation contributes to new, applicable, and actionable interventions designed to counter and prevent the violence of terrorism, as well as to research about women, terrorism, and communication.

'Changing mindsets' is about how teachers are engaging with ‘visual literacy’ — the practices involved in understanding and creating visual texts. The concept of ‘visual literacy’, like other ‘new’ literacies, has arisen in response to changing communication practices in developed, capitalist societies like Australia. This study addresses the ways in which teachers in primary schools are engaging with the visual literacy initiative in the context of the new arts syllabus (Years 1-10) in Queensland. Using a broadly poststructural approach, this thesis explored the changing mindsets implied by this curriculum initiative from three perspectives. The concept of ‘preservation of self’ (Nias, 1987, 1993) was used to examine the personal dimension of change; the concept of ‘trendy theory’ (Goodson, 1988, 1994, 1997) addressed the social and political agendas that drive curriculum reform; while the concept of ‘multimodality’ (Kress, 2000a, 2000b, 2003a, 2003b) drew attention to the cultural values ascribed to different modes of communication. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 26 primary teachers from 11 government schools in a regional centre in 2002. The discourse analysis method was used to analyse the data resulting from these interviews. The data showed that the official discourses featured in the new arts syllabus did not match the discourses used by practising teachers. Although there was some recognition of the significance of the visual mode, most teachers in this study were not aware of ‘visual literacy’. Significantly, the agency exercised by teachers in curriculum reform was shaped not only by their personal identities, but also by the levels of support that they experienced in their working environments. These findings have crucial implications for policy-makers in implementing curriculum change, particularly in the context of the new arts syllabus.

The main purpose of this thesis is to describe and analyse how museum visitors engage with and make meaning from what is being offered to them in terms of the various resources made available in two exhibitions. Yet another purpose is to describe and analyse the design of these exhibitions. The empirical data stems from observational studies at the Museum of National Antiquities in Stockholm, and includes the investigation of two exhibitions: Prehistories I and II. Eight ‘visiting pairs’ were videotaped and the tapes were multimodally transcribed and analysed. Data also includes digital photos and maps produced by the visitors. In a comparative analysis, descriptions of the exhibitions and their analysis and the visitor study are discussed in relation to earlier research and to the issue of learning. A design-oriented and multimodal perspective on learning is used as a theoretical and methodological framework. The different visits are compared and the visitors’ responses are discussed as different forms of engagement. The results are interpreted within an institutional perspective connected to contemporary discourses within museum studies. The exhibitions are considered as an expression of the museums’ ambition to adjust to a pressure for change. Both exhibitions are, in a greater or less degree, considered as examples of ‘new’ exhibitions in that they rhetorically put forward visitors’ participation, cultural rights, post colonial perspectives and immaterial aspects of cultural heritage. The study presents learning as a social and sign-making activity. It stress how meaning-making and learning happens as a transformation in several steps. As visitors engage in different semiotic resources in the exhibitions’ design, they form new signs through their representations – as a ‘re-design’ of the exhibition – which in turn give them new possibilities for making meaning. / Museet, utställningen, besökaren. Meningsskapande på en ny arena för lärande och kommunikation

The aim of the study was to describe and analyse the design of learning environments and how children in preschool, preschool class and primary school create meaning and learn from the teaching aids offered to them in scientific activities planned by teachers. The theoretical reference frame was obtained from multimodal and design-oriented theory, with its focus on the creative dimensions of learning and detailed aspects of how learning takes place. The study is based on video-observations and constituted an in-depth study of a limited number of occasions spent in preschool, preschool classes and the first year of primary school when science lessons were in progress. Four children’s groups, thirty-six children and five teachers took part in the study, from different schools and municipalities. The children are aged between three and seven. The video-observations have been transcribed as text and analysed with analytical concepts found within the theoretical framework. The results show that considering the number of children in the children’s groups, relatively few children take part in the scientific learning contexts. Changes in the balance of power were evident in the learning settings and followed the interaction patterns that were identified in the children’s groups.  The results also show that children create representations – both individually and corporately – in new or different ways that are made up of analogies expressed in terms of equivalent, existential, expressive and figurative analogies. The children’s verbal expressions that corresponded with the responses expected by the teachers were highly valued, were paid attention to and were recognised as know-how. This meant that many of the potential meanings that exist in children’s meaning-making in science become invisible. The results have educational implications for teachers’ work at the local level and for teacher training.

The goal and purpose of this essay is to study if and how multimodality is used within a Swedish school in Kalmar. This is accomplished by observing the different modalities inside the classroom and how the use of different modalities affects the teaching. Unstructured observations combined with a material-based thematic presentation leads up to an analysis based on social semiotics and multimodality. The essay shows how the teaching uses lots of modalities: sound, images, movies, speeches and literary text in lots of different ways. These different types of modalities are used in a multimodal context, providing good conditions for learning.

Located in social semiotics (Hodge & Kress, 1988), theories of identity (Goffman, 1959; Holland, Lachicotte, Skinner, & Cain, 1998), and third space (Gutierrez, Baquedano, & Turner, 1997; Rowe & Leander, 2005), this dissertation presents the findings from a year long, field-based qualitative study with a high school class of nine Spanish for Native Speakers (SNS) students and their teacher. The study used an arts-infused multimodal curriculum exploring Spanish language texts and cultures from around the world. The following questions guided this study: (a) What factors were considered as the teacher and the researcher co-planned this arts-infused multimodal curriculum, and how did the consideration of those factors shape the curriculum?, (b) How did students enrolled in this SNS class negotiate meaning and identity as they worked within this class?, and (c) What discourses around students’ meaning making practices and identities emerged within their visual texts over time and across texts? Data sources included interviews, observations, student-generated visual texts, photographs from class sessions, student journals, and audio and videotapes of portions of class discussions and activities. Visual texts were coded for elements of visual design and apparent discourses with which the text-maker identifies (Albers, 2007b; Kress & van Leeuwen, 2006). Five themes emerged from the data: 1) The teacher participant and researcher co-created the curriculum using critical-care pedagogy; 2) Actual participation in and creation of visual and multimodal texts shaped the classroom community; (3) Negotiation and meaning making occurred through the flexible use of sign systems; 4) Participants worked through understandings of self; and 5) Personally relevant discourses emerged within individual and group texts. The study suggested that heritage language courses like this one can teach more than language. Such courses deserve attention as havens where students’ complex meaning making of themselves, their worlds, and their places in them are freely explored.