Multimodal Texts and Public Speaking

Multimodal Texts

• Multimodal texts communicate meaning through a combination of two or more modes.
• Examples include picture books, textbooks, posters, graphic novels, comics, film, animation, slide shows, e-posters, digital stories, web pages, performances, dance, and oral storytelling.
• Modes used vary depending on the type of text (e.g., visual, audio, gestural, linguistic, spatial).

Elements of Multimodal Texts

• Visual: Images, characters, colors, vectors, viewpoint (still and moving images).
• Audio (Aural): Sound (music, sound effects, ambient noises, silence), tone of voice, volume, emphasis, accent.
• Gestural: Movement, facial expressions, hand gestures, body language, interaction between people.
• Linguistic (Alphabetic): Written and spoken language, widely used, translatable.
• Spatial: Arrangement of elements in space.

Public Speaking

• Public speaking delivers information to a live audience in a formal setting.
• It aims to inform, influence, or entertain.
• Two types of speeches:
• Prepared: Topic is given beforehand, researched, rehearsed, and memorized or extemporaneous (prepared with a copy for reference).
• Impromptu: Little to no preparation time.

Techniques in Public Speaking

• Know your purpose (inform, persuade, inspire)
• Be familiar with your topic
• Know your audience
• Plan ahead of time
• Use nonverbal cues (gestures)
• Remain calm
• Practice
• Watch your words
• Speak with clarity (pronunciation, stress, intonation, diction, tone, pacing)
• Observe essential etiquette
• Use visuals when necessary
• Dress comfortably but appropriately

Persuasive Writing

• Persuasive writing aims to convince the reader to agree with an opinion or take an action.
• Strategies include identifying a topic and choosing a side, combining facts and emotion, ignoring counterclaims, presenting only supporting arguments, and a one-sided approach from the author's perspective.

Parts of a Persuasive Writing

• Introduction: Catchy hook, background information, thesis statement.
• Body: Paragraphs presenting reasons and evidence to support the thesis.
• Conclusion: Restate thesis statement, summarize points, call to action/closing statement.

Persuasive Appeals

• Logos: Logic and reasoning (factual information, expert quotes, well-known theories, reliable sources, real-life examples).
• Pathos: Emotion and ideals (emotionally charged language, anecdotes, vivid descriptions, figurative language).
• Ethos: Credibility (appropriate language, spelling, punctuation, grammar, mentioning credible sources or achievements).

Informative Writing

• Informative writing explains a topic or issue straightforwardly.
• Topics include history, culture, science, technology, health, travel, geography, how-to guides, and academic subjects.
• Sources include encyclopedias, biographies, textbooks, government publications, and scientific publications.
• Pre-writing involves outlining to organize ideas and evidence.
• Formal style avoids contractions, first-person pronouns, and vague statements.

Critique (Critical Analysis)

• Critique involves studying, discussing, evaluating, and interpreting literary works.
• Key features of a good critique are objectivity, clarity, structure, and evidence-based support.
• Types of critique include literary analysis, film analysis, and art critique.
• Steps in writing a critique include understanding the material, analyzing its components (purpose, techniques, elements), evaluating its strengths and weaknesses, and concluding with a summary and constructive feedback.

Critical Approaches (Literary Criticism)

• Critical approaches are different perspectives used to analyze and interpret texts.
• Examples include structuralist/formalist, historical, moralist, feminist, reader-response, and Marxist approaches.