Engaging
Every day we encounter multimodal texts and digital texts in many forms. Understanding how the visuals and written text work together to create meaning allows the viewer to make decisions and respond to the text appropriately.
Comparing digital and multimodal texts
Digital text
Watch and consider the elements of 'Get your hand off it' (30 seconds)
This digital text, composed by Transport for New South Wales, partners with the Sydney Swans to help raise awareness of the dangers of drivers illegally using a mobile phone. The partnership uses the power of sport to build awareness and promote safe driving behaviour.
Elements of the digital clip:
- speed – fast-paced advertisement, quick between frames
- colours – significance of red?
- content – up to date, engaging (Snapchat, texting), who is the target audience?
- duration – clip is short because it is made for television, where thirty seconds is considered a large amount of time to convey a message or idea.
As a viewer ,it is important that students understand they have control over interpreting and viewing the message, the same as they do when reading a piece of text.
Multimodal text
View the I'm counting on you Transport for NSW child car seat poster. Think about the type of English conversations that could be scaffolded around this text, using the summary below as a guide:
- eye contact – young child is offering his gaze, making personal contact with the viewer
- use of colour – numbers and information are bright and colourful
- factual language – website is provided as a legal imperative to the emotional message
- audience – parent (‘make sure your child’). The three information points are simple and easy to read for busy parents.
- persuasive language – use of possessive pronouns indicates ownership and places responsibility on the reader/viewer
- symbols – salient image of a child smiling in car seat represents care, safety and parental responsibility.
- colours – use of bright colours for the key messages. The use of white for information.