EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF MULTIMODAL LINGUISTICS IN THE DIGITAL ERA

Abstract

The field of linguistics over the past decades has expanded to multimodal directions, that is, it is no longer a case of purely linguistic manifestations; now it is also the visual, auditory, spatial, and even gestural modalities. These multimodal affordances have been intensified by the digital era and as such, have changed the modalities by which people converse, learn, and create meaning. This paper explores the role of multimodal linguistics in the field of digital communication, in terms of the reconfiguration of discourse and language interpretation by technological innovation. The study explores the interrelations between the linguistic and non-linguistic modalities in online platforms, education environment, and media discourse, using a multidisciplinary theoretical framework, including the social semiotic theory, the discourse analysis and the corpus based insights. Evidence shows that multimodality eases the process of meaning-making through complex interactive structures where language is combined with visual and digital components. Therefore, the study assumes that multimodal linguistics to offer new methodological and theoretical paths to the study of the modern discourse to reflect the changing dynamics of human communication in the digital era.