Multimodal Communication

Relationship Between Modes and Senses

You probably think of writing as words on a page, and English classes as torture . . . er, writing essays!  But there's far more to communication than simply words.  As human beings, we also convey ideas and feelings through sounds, images, and touch.  Every sense we use to perceive the world offers its own modes of communication — you can see pictures, hear music, and feel Braille.  When we're talking about multimodality, we mean that communication occurs across multiple modes — often at the same time.   So if you're watching a movie, for example, then you have visual images of the film, the sounds of the background music, and language from the words the actors speak — and every one of these is a separate mode.

The 5 Professional Modes: Academic and Workplace Communication

In the classroom and professional settings, we primarily rely on sight and sound to convey information — with a heavy emphasis on using words.  Aside from the occasional handshake, we don't use physical contact to share information with classmates and coworkers.  This leads to five professional modes of communication: Linguistic, Visual, Aural, Gestural, and Spatial.

The Somatic Modes: Conveying Feelings Through the Physical Senses

Among family and friends, we may also communicate through more modes of direct contact such as a hug, baking a tasty a pie, or using scented candles.  This leads to the three somatic modes, subtle forms of communication that tend to convey feelings rather than direct messages: Tactile, Gustatory, and Olfactory.  Note that sound also travels through the somatic nervous system (Cleveland Clinic), but the aural mode is crucial for professional communication.

The Hostile Modes: Pain and Fear as Forms of Communication

Unfortunately, there are hostile people out there who resort to the threat or use of harm to influence others.  The Aversive Mode directly inflicts some form of pain or loss, whereas the Coercive Mode instills the fear of pain or loss.  Note that pain can be physical or emotional, while loss can involve health, finances, family, and any other positive connection.  Additionally, fear can be present even if the threat doesn't exist in reality — aversion creates a tangible experience, whereas coercion intimidates an audience through the threat of a potential experience.

Professional Genres of Multiple Modes

For College Research Genres, we focus on using communication to influence and persuade others professionally.  Here are some example of multimodal genres you might use in a classroom:

• Posters

• Presentations

• Speeches

• Videos

• Leading Discussions