Corpus analysis of multimodality

Fitzgerald, Christopher and Knight, Dawn ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4745-6502 2025. Corpus analysis of multimodality. Chapelle, C., ed. The Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics, Wiley, pp. 1-8. (10.1002/9781405198431.wbeal20517)

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Abstract

The analysis of multimodality using corpora provides opportunities to reveal insights into spoken discourse that are not possible from the analysis of monomodal texts. To comprehensively engage in such analysis, there are various challenges that the analyst needs to consider. This entry accounts for both the opportunities and challenges. Unlike traditional monomodal corpora, which rely solely on written or transcribed spoken data, multimodal corpora aim to capture the full complexity of interaction. This approach allows for deeper analysis of how meaning is constructed through the interplay of verbal and nonverbal cues. The development of such corpora faces numerous challenges, including ethical considerations, technical constraints, and the labor-intensive nature of annotation, particularly when done manually. Researchers increasingly employ both manual and automated methods to annotate visual and prosodic features, often integrating technologies from natural language processing and computer vision. While multimodal corpus analysis enhances the study of discourse by combining quantitative and qualitative approaches, the field remains limited by the availability of large-scale, general-purpose datasets. As such, most existing corpora are small and context-specific. Nevertheless, multimodal corpora provide unique insights into communicative practices, especially in domains like social media, education, and political discourse, where meaning often emerges from the interaction of multiple semiotic resources.

Item Type:	Book Section
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Modern Languages
Publisher:	Wiley
ISBN:	9781405194730
Last Modified:	05 Mar 2026 16:03
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/185550

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