Speaker: David Machin, Distinguished Professor at Shanghai International Studies University

Host: Dr. Qiang Geng, Shanghai International Studies University

Speech Title: Why Language Research Must be Multimodal

Abstract: Why in linguistics do we needs to also involve images and other forms of communication in our analysis? And, if we do, what does this mean practically in terms of how we analyze texts? As linguists how do we go about this in ways that produces meaningful research findings? In this talk, looking at some concrete examples I explore the answers to these questions in regard to translation studies, stylistics and discourse analysis.

Time: June 22, Wednesday, 15:00-17:00 Beijing Time

Zoom Meeting:

https://polyu.zoom.us/j/98429677224?pwd=bjlWL3pnOVNvcS9Kb045ancybGx6UT09

Meeting ID: 984 2967 7224

Passcode: 969247

Speaker’s Bio: David Machin is an internationally established scholar working in the fields of Critical Discourse Analysis and Multimodality who joined the lnstitute of Corpus Studies and Applications at Shanghai International Studies University in 2022.  

In his widely referenced books How to do Critical Discourse Analysis (2012), Doing Visual Analysis (2018) and Introduction To Multimodal Analysis (2020) he has provided a number resources and guides for the multimodal analysis, which he uses in his own teaching. He has also published many papers in peer review journals using these for his own research projects. The most recent of these have involved studying the nature of chains of administrative and performance management documents in schools showing how these involve a reshaping of former priorities as defined by teachers.  Also, he has been working on a project to look at how food marketing represents the idea of healthiness and a healthy diet, shaping these for the purposes of selling products to different target groups.

David Machin is co-editor of the peer reviewed Taylor & Francis journal Social Semiotics, which publishes papers in the wider field of discourse and critical multimodal studies, and the Bloomsbury books series Advances in Critical Discourse Studies.