On modes, metafunctions, and communicative acts: A Systemic-functional Multimodal Analysis of Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 1’s publication materials

Abstract

One of the observable ways the Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC) uses to ensure order and safety inside the LRT premises is through its publication materials at the entrances and platforms of each station, and inside the train wagons. In the Philippines, no previous studies have been published that analyzed multimodality employed in railway publication materials. Thus, this study, through a Systemic-functional Multimodal Discourse Analysis, explored LRMC’s use of semiotic resources, such as metafunctions and modes of language, in its publication materials. Thirty (30) publication materials, which were gathered through purposive sampling, were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. By utilizing Halliday’s (1978) three metafunctions and incorporating Kress and van Leeuwen’s (2001) three strata of meaning-making, both language and visuals were analyzed to discover the meaning-making process in the publication materials and to determine how meanings were conveyed through specific semiotic modes. Further, van Leeuwen’s (2005a, 2005b) communicative acts were employed to examine the coherence between and among the metafunctions and semiotic modes to convey the communicative goals of the publication materials. The present study found that the main language choice of LRMC is the material process in imperative mood that is cohesively integrated through elliptical form as a way to communicate safety instructions to train passengers. Moreover, the imposition of rules and promotion of travel safety of LRMC was expressed through a narrative representation, which consists of specific modes such as image, gaze, social distance, and layout as the materials functionally instruct the discourse of safety.

Keywords

• communicative acts
• lrt line 1
• metafunctions
• modes
• publication materials