Kay O’Halloran

Kay O’Halloran is Head of Department and Chair Professor in Communication & Media (2019-present) at the University of Liverpool and Visiting Distinguished Professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University (2017–2020). Kay’s research field is multimodal analysis, involving the study of the interaction of language, images and other resources in texts, interactions and events. Her main focus is the development of digital tools and techniques for multimodal analysis and mixed methods approaches to big data analytics. She has over 120 publications and has given 40 plenary and keynote presentations at international conferences. Kay is the founding editor of the Routledge Studies in Multimodality research book series which has published 32 books.

Abstract

Multimodal digital approaches to specialised discourse domains

I explore how a multimodal digital approach can help English language learners to understand and use semiotic resources effectively in specialized discourse domains. First, I focus on multimodal analysis of digital media in English language classes, where the complexity of such analysis involves methodologies which themselves are digital in nature (O’Halloran, Tan, & E, 2017; Tan, Wignell, & O’Halloran, 2016). From here, I explore how a multimodal approach can be used in other discourse domains, in particular mathematics and science (O’Halloran, 2015). In doing so, I show how multimodal analysis can be used to understand the functionalities of language and other resources (images, scientific symbolism, sound and music and so forth) and the ways in which choices from these resources combine to construct knowledge. Lastly, I explore the implications of a multimodal approach to language-related studies in the digital age.

References

O’Halloran, K.L. (2015). The language of learning Mathematics: A multimodal perspective. The Journal of Mathematical Behaviour, 40(Part A), pp. 63-74.
O’Halloran, K.L., Tan, S., & E, M.K.L. (2017). Multimodal analysis for critical thinking. Learning, Media and Technology, 42(2), pp. 147-170. doi:10.1080/17439884.2016.1101003
Tan, S., Wignell, P., & O’Halloran, K.L. (2016). From book to stage to screen: Semiotic transformations of Gothic horror genre conventions. Social Semiotics Special Issue: The Languages of Performing Arts: Semiosis, Communication and Meaning-Making, 26(4), pp. 404-423. doi: 10.1080/10350330.2016.1190082