 Learner’s Module in ENG 3A – Purposive Communication

Chapter 5
EVALUATING MESSAGES AND IMAGES OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF TEXTS

RATIONALE:
Communication in the 21st century demands learners to become critical readers of different
text types reflecting different cultures. This chapter will enable the students to learn how to
evaluate messages and images of different types of texts.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
At the end of this chapter, you must be able to:
3. evaluate messages and images of different types of texts;
4. employ various semiotic systems in understanding multimodal texts; and
5. practice critical reading and listening;

PRETEST:
Complete the pretest on page 198.

CONTENT:

TEXTS – provide the means for communicating and form an important part of study in any
given course.

It is important to understand how the features of texts affect reading comprehension,

particularly in examining similarities and differences of the traditional print-based and
multimodal texts.

Pardo (2004) explains that these types of texts share characteristics that may include an
understanding of the author’s intent, the social purpose of the text, how it is structured, how
well it is written, the subject matter, vocabulary, language choices, the reading level, and
other surface features. Hence, evaluating text types is given emphasis on these characteristic
modes that offer significant information that could help enrich an available schema.

Evaluating messages and images of different types of texts requires the evaluator to
comprehend the initial textual data that lie on text features. It involves the active construction
of meaning through the interaction of the evaluator who is engaged on critically reading print-
based or multimodal texts. Print-based refers to those texts that are prepared in prints, but
any printed text is a multimodal text since it involves various communication modalities.
Hence, multimodal texts refer to those types of texts that use a combination of two or more
communication modes, for instance, print, image, and spoken text as in film or computer
presentations. In the 21st century, however, readers tend to devote much of their time reading
and comprehending multimodal texts.

Using multimodal texts requires learners to reconsider its nature, the cultural diversity of
readers, and the complex technological environments. The texts should, therefore, be

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selected with care for the purpose of exploring one key understanding of how texts have
different meanings for readers with different cultural orientations.

MULTIMODAL TEXTS

When a text combines two or more semiotic systems (linguistic, visual, audio, gestural,
spatial), it is considered multimodal. Semiotic is the study of meaning-making. It explores
signs and symbols as important components of communication.

The syllabus of the Australian Curriculum mentions that language modes such as, listening,
speaking, reading, writing, viewing, and representing are often integrated and
interdependent activities used in evaluating texts in order to shape meaning and that any
combination of the modes may be involved in responding to or composing print, sound,
visual or multimedia text. Hence, multimodal texts can be print, digital, or live.

Forms of multimodal texts:

1. Paper. This form is print based, such as, books, comics, posters, magazines.

2. Digital. It is computer-based like slide presentations, emails, ebooks, blogs, e-

posters, web pages, social media, animations, films, movies, video games.

3. Live. It is a form of actual performance or an event

Two or more of the following semiotic systems are included in a multimodal text.

1. Linguistic system. It refers to the linguistic components like vocabulary, structure,

and grammar of a text.

2. Visual system. It pertains to the color, vectors and viewpoint in still and moving
images.

3. Audio system. This mode refers to the volume, pitch, and rhythm of music and sound
effects of a presentation.

6. Gestural system. It denotes the movement, facial expression, and body language of
the characters.

7. Spatial system. It indicates proximity, direction, position of layout, and organization

of objects in space.

CRITICAL READING AND LISTENING

Multimodal texts require readers and listeners to become critical readers and listeners. Since
comprehension is the central goal of both reading and listening, the ability to comprehend
multimodal texts develops students to become critical readers and listeners as well as active
evaluators of multimodal texts.

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The key elements of the communication situation (sender, message, medium, receiver
[audience], and context) provide an understanding of multimodal texts; hence, this knowledge
should be expanded in order to accommodate and include in your understanding the
messages multimodal texts provide.

Critical Reading of Multimodal Texts

Critical reading is the process of reading that goes beyond comprehension of a text. It means
to say that one to be a critical reader must be actively involved in responding to the reading
text. It is very useful at all stages of academic study but is particularly important when
evaluating messages of multimodal texts.

Critical Reading involves:

1. Carefully considering and evaluating a reading text;
2. Identifying the strengths and implications of the text;
3. Identifying the weaknesses of the text; and
4. Looking at the image and deciding how the reading fits into the greater academic
context.

One who is a critical reader is inquisitive, always asks questions about the texts. Hence, the
reader closely examines the key elements of the text. These elements may affect how strong
the message is, that is, how convincing it is. However, before you consider the message, you
should build up a background information about the text or an image. Consider the following
questions (Thoughtful Learning, 2014):

Source
1. Who created the message? Is the source reliable? Was it by a news organization, a
public citizen, an editorial team of a scientific journal, or an advertiser?

Message
2. What does the message say (subject, main point, support)?
3. Is the information fair and logical?
4. What points of view are shared in the message? Which ones are left out?
5. What images or sounds catch your attention?

Medium
6. What type of text is used to deliver the message?
7. What are the advantages and limitations of the text format?

Audience
8. Who is the target audience of the message?
9. How might other people interpret the message of the text?

Context
10. What is the purpose of the message?
11. Who controls the transmission of this message?

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Listening as a Critical Thinking Activity

Listening is a voluntary active process, it is psychological. According to Lynch (2013), adults

listen 50 percent or less, while teenagers listen 25 percent or less. Studies show that those
who practice listening skills get better grades, higher pay and achieve their goals more often
than those who do not. For you to be able to access the message of an argument, you must
be a critical listener.

Critical listening requires active thinking because it goes far beyond just hearing a speaker’s
message. It involves analyzing the information of a speech and making important decisions
about truth, authenticity, and relevance. Kadjan-Baumeyer (2018) claims that listening is a
critical thinking activity; hence, Lynch qualifies that critical thinking:

1. Involves being able to access the strengths and weaknesses of an argument;

2. Involves being able to distinguish between the fact, theory and opinions of an
argument;
3. Allows for thinking outside of the box;
4. Allows for compromise and growth;
5. Involves being able to judge the credibility of sources;
6. Requires accessing the quality of evidence;
7. Involves discerning relationships between ideas;
8. Involves priorities on what to remember and in what context;
9. Allows for fewer mistakes and reduces trial and error in everyday life;
10. Does not mean negative thinking;
11. Is a normal process that requires practice and reinforcement;
12. Requires an open mind and the ability to consider and understand all sides of an
issue, and;
13. Means replacing name calling and images with reason compromise and the ability to
persuade instead of attack

Multimodal texts demand one to possess critical thinking because listening and reading are
two language skills that require this active mental processing. To analyze multimodal texts,
Kadjan-Baumeyer suggests to readers and listeners to perform the following:

1. Identify support for the claims.

This means performing research to determine the process the speaker used to
actually gather facts and information. Look for things like dates and sources.

2. Evaluate the argument of the speaker or the text.

Try to figure out whether the speaker is using emotional appeals, a logical argument
or actual evidence to state the case. Sometimes, a speaker uses overstatements
to stress a point and to make it more appealing. It is perfectly legal, but it can be
misleading. This is especially true if you have not done your homework. When it
comes to evaluating an argument, there are a few things you can do to get the most
information.

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EVALUATING MULTIMODAL TEXTS

Putting communication at the front of your mind and becoming more aware of how you
communicate in a given situation can be informative and have many positive effects.
Whenever you evaluate multimodal texts, you are able to apply what you have learned about
critical reading and listening to improve your performance and overall experience.

You also consider the key elements of communication in order to evaluate messages within
various relationships. Whenever you evaluate multimodal texts, communication allows you to
see more of what is going on around you, which allows you to participate actively and
competently in various communication in a multicultural setting.

Multimodal texts are constructed means such that they can also be deconstructed or
separated into its various parts—source, message, medium, audience, and context. Using
the evaluation checklist provided by Thoughtful Learning (2014) in evaluating messages, we
will create a sample evaluation of texts in this section.

1. SOURCE

Readers or listeners of a text should ask first about its authorship. There is a need to
identify if the source is an individual or a team although the number of writers does
not warrant credibility of the text. Examine if the source is reliable. You always have
the hunch in determining if the source is reliable or not. This can be determined
through the background information about the source. Evaluate the choices about
content did the source make.

a) Who created the message?

b) Is the source reliable?
c) What choices did the source make?

2. MESSAGE

After evaluating the source, the content of the text should be examined in order to get
its message. There are various questions that one may ask in getting the message of
the text (Thoughtful Learning, 2014).

a) What does the message say?

You may ask questions such as:
• What is the subject?
• What is the main point?
• How is the main point supported?
b) Is the information fair and logical?
c) What points of view are shared in the message? Which ones are left out?
d) What images or sounds catch your attention?

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Identifying the Subject, Main Point, and Support

The subject of the message may be a person, product, service, place, program,
among others. It concerns on what is talked about in the text. It is the reason that
makes a claim or a main point.

The main point is no less the main idea or the claim of the source. It can be explicitly
or implicitly expressed in the text.

An explicit main point is well expressed in the text. Certain features of the text
would lead to an overt statement of the main point, for instance, orthographic
features like sentences, phrases, clauses that provide an immediate extract of the
main point is an explicit expression of the main point.

Whereas the implicit main point is covertly expressed in the text and can only be
extracted based on suggestive features such as, graphics, images, or sound effects.

How a message supports its main point depends on the format and purpose of the
message. An online research article, for example, may use citations, experiments,
observations, interviews, statistical data, or graphics to support its main point, while
an online advertisement may use demonstrations and testimonials to promote a
product.

Moreover, readers should also check the accuracy of the message. Double-checking
facts and details should be done to recognize flaws in logic. Therefore, it is important
to understand the difference between and among fact, opinion, and claim.

Revisiting the differences, a fact is a statement about the real world that can be
shown to be true and can be checked for accuracy through gathering of evidence.
An opinion, however, is a self-report or attitudinal statement of feelings or personal
judgement. A claim is a debatable statement that can be supported with evidence
and reason.

Evaluating Logic and Balance

When evaluating a message, it is important to examine the chain of reasoning used

by the source, as any gaps or problems can undermine the validity of the conclusion.
You may ask: Is the information fair and logical? Check out if key terms were defined,
if the logic flow, and if there are flaws in the reasoning. Likewise, examine if the
information is fair. You have to consider whether the argument is appropriately
balanced, looking at the issue or problem from relevant perspectives. Evaluate if
there are questions that are not answered in the text, if the text is biased, if there are
other perspectives on the issue, and if the text presents a counter argument.

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Every point of the message should follow on from the last point. If there is a gap
between two ideas, this undermines the overall conclusion. Likewise, some readings
are more biased than others. A biased statement is characterized by prejudice,
partiality, or preference for or against a person, an object, or an idea. Biased
information has the following indicators:
a. The language is offensive; expressions might be biased in terms of gender, race,
ethnicity, age, and disability.
b. The message appeals more to the emotion rather than to reason or logic.
c. Ideas are worded with the intent to oversimplify or overgeneralize.
d. The message is one-sided, or it only presents a limited viewpoint.

Analyzing Points of View

All multimodal text messages reflect the culture of their creators—their values,
lifestyles, points of view, preferences, among other things. A rigorous analysis can
tell you about the source’s values and perspectives as well as those that are missing
in the text. The question on points of view should be given importance: What points
of view are shared in the message? Which ones are left out?

Creating Meaning Through Images and Sounds

Multimodal texts like presentations, advertisements, newscasts, videos, broadcasts,

animation, infographics are created beyond words. Visual elements and sound
techniques can affect your interpretation of a message. You may ask: What images
or sounds catch my attention?

Visual elements include lighting, camera angle, composition, and body language.

Visual Elements:

1. Lighting. Low lighting suggests sadness or fear, while bright lighting

conveys happiness or joy. Soft lighting expresses beauty and romance.
Use color and tone to reflect the mood you are trying to create in your
image.

2. Camera Angle. This visual element is used to position the viewers so

that they can understand the relationship between the characters. It is
very important in shaping meaning in film as well as in other visual texts.
A low-angle view makes people or things appear larger than they actually
are, often indicating importance. Conversely, a high angle view makes
people or things appear smaller and less significant.

3. Composition. Visual elements should be arranged in a manner that they

do not affect the viewer’s perception. Arrangements such as, close ups
of a face convey tension or intimacy, wider views showing people or
things and their surroundings usually express significance of the setting.

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4. Body Language. Non-linguistic elements like the body language are

more revealing than words. They seem to be more catchy than the words
provided in the text.

Sound Techniques:

1. Sound Effects. This sound technique that is added after the filming
enhances a scene making it realistic although the effects themselves are
often artificially produced.

2. Music. This is another sound technique that affects the mood and
intensity of a scene. Fast-paced music use rhythm and volume to
heighten drama and often accompany car chases, fight scenes, and
other action-packed scenes. Slower, softer, intentionally expressive
compositions can create tension and foreboding, as in gothic films.

3. Voice-over or Narration. Some videos or films and television shows

use a narrator other than the characters in the story to speak to the
audience. For example, a narrator may be assigned to describe the
series of events portrayed in a video clip that has no subtitle and dialogue
between and among characters.

3. MEDIUM

The medium in transmitting the message may be conventional or digital although they
are often mixed up in a communication situation. Sometimes, print-based communication
needs to be backed up by a digital form in order to achieve a better and faster
communication.

Conventional media are no less than the broadcast and print-based communication,
while digital media include hypertext formats. According to Kitson (2011), hypertext refers
to the structuring of information in blocks of text which are connected by electronic links.
It is structured in a hierarchical manner where the content is organized from more general
concepts to more specific concepts. The reader is allowed to access additional
information to content on the current screen since it has its selection, use, and placement
to hypertext, hyperlinks, frames, windows, and images which may affect readers’ or
listeners’ evaluation of the message. Below are the types of media:

Each form of media has its inherent strengths and limitations. Smart phones, for instance,
are faster forms than print-based texts but messages are very informal and cannot be kept
as an accessible public document. Social media messages are speedy and timesaving but
prone to imprecisions. Generally, technical books are accurate and informative, but they lack
visual appeal, interactive component, and rapid and up-to-date delivery of message. Some
types of media seem to be boring (e.g. letters, books, reports), but are most appropriate for
a particular situation. Conversely, blogs, televisions, radios, music, text messaging, social
networks, among other appealing communication media seem to be inviting and interesting,
but sometimes lack appropriateness for a particular context. Hence, conventional and digital
media compensate in terms of use and are undoubtedly context dependent.

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4. AUDIENCE

The audience in the communication situation refers to the receiver of the message. It may
be a person or a group for whom a message is created. Some texts like a personal email, an
invitation to deliver a talk, or a thank-you note target just one person, but other texts are
meant for larger audiences like research reports, advertisements, signages, books,
brochures, among other communication forms. Two important questions guide audience
adaptation in multimodal communication: (1) Who is the target audience of the text? and (2)
How might other people interpret its message?

Understanding the message of a multimodal text activates personal factors about the
audience such as, culture, values, and life experiences. These factors all play a role in
perceiving the transmitted message. Your evaluation of a message is a reflection of your
upbringing, education, economic status, interest, aspirations, beliefs, and culture.

In determining the target audience of a multimodal text, you may examine its content. For
instance, if it is an advertisement, advertisers most often craft messages based on the
audience’s characteristics, such as, age, gender, education, occupation, economic status,
habits and interest, region, and culture. That is why, advertisements in televisions have their
particular time slots in order to suit said advertisement to audiences at a particular time. You
would notice that you can see different advertisements aired during a boxing rematch, a
beauty pageant, and a noontime show like “Eat Bulaga.” This selectiveness in airing or
posting advertisements is intended to filter selective messages to highly targeted audiences

5. CONTEXT

Context in this section includes the purposes and authorship of the text. A text serves at least
one of three purposes: to inform, to entertain, or to persuade. Often, a text fulfills all three
purposes at once. Magazines, for example, may entertain its readers, but it may also inform
and persuade them. Consider and analyze the purpose before sending any messages. The
following are questions that may be used in evaluating context:

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What is the purpose of the message?

1. To inform. The message provides the audience with a clear understanding of the
concept presented by the source. Most of these multimodal texts like books, ebooks,
letters, blogposts, emails, magazines, newspapers, video tutorials, television
newscasts, documentaries, presentations are created for information dissemination.
These multimodal texts were built on society’s interest in learning and keeping us
abreast of what is happening in the world. Messages that are meant to inform or
educate are typically free from biased messages. Those messages that aim to
entertain or persuade readers are more prone to biased language. Therefore, the
audience should be sensitive to any organizational bias that might accompany the
message.

2. To entertain. The message or the text amuses the audience. Some of these
multimodal texts that aim to entertain are television sitcoms or primetime shows,
movies, music, sports and travel broadcasts, social networks, magazines, and
comics. Popular entertainment media are appealing and inviting to advertisers
because they are read and viewed by large audiences who can also be their potential
subscribers or customers.

3. To persuade. The audience is provided with well-argued ideas that can influence
their own beliefs and decisions. Persuasive devices are easy to recognize in
advertisements and commercials, but they are subtle in other media forms. For
instance, a product endorsement may influence you to think one way because the
endorser only talks about the benefits of the product. Media-literate individuals are
able to weigh the pros and cons, the advantages and disadvantages, or the benefits
and harmful effects of a certain product; hence, they make up their minds on an issue
before subscribing or trying it.

Who controls the transmission of the message?

One critical question in evaluating messages is on authorship. The creator of the

message was already identified in the earlier section of this topic, but the question on
ownership is another layer of analysis. The message is created by an author who controls
the distribution or dissemination of the message. The three main categories of ownership
are identified as:

1. Government. Multimodal texts that were created by government offices are state-
owned and must be carefully evaluated for propaganda—publicity, advertising,
marketing, and information dissemination. Most of the texts are available for
references and have their predetermined retention periods. There are countries that
do not allow freedom of the press and have even censored the Internet. However,
other nations restrict independent voices and use the state-owned media as their
mouthpiece.

2. Corporations. Most of the media messages are controlled by private companies.

Different forms of multimodal texts like videos, newspapers, magazines, movies, web
sites are controlled by giant corporations. These media forms are business motivated

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by commercial interests, which are gained through advertising. Audiences, readers

and viewers alike should evaluate the message if it serves their best interests or the
corporation’s interest.

3. Individuals. Personal creations are independent media forms. Texts and other media
forms that are free of government and corporate influences are controlled by
individuals. Digital-based technologies have greatly helped and promoted
independent media voices. Citizen journalism is a practice that has gained momentum
and is now easy for the journalist to report meaningful news to a large audience due
to digital media. Likewise, a widespread of audience has already advancing and
enjoying to spread information through social media. All of these means of technology
have brought an individual source to be capable producer and creator of meaningful,
timely, and interesting messages.

ACTIVITY:
Answer the activity on page 199.

GENERALIZATION:
• Texts offer the means for communicating and form an important part of study in any given
course.
• Evaluating messages and images of different types of texts requires the evaluator to
comprehend the initial textual data that lie on text features. It involves the active
construction of meaning through the interaction of the evaluator who is engaged on
critically reading print-based or multimodal texts.
• Print-based refers to those texts that are prepared in prints while multimodal texts refer to
those types of texts that use a combination of two or more communication modes, for
instance, print, image, and spoken text as in film or computer presentations.
• Semiotics is the study of meaning-making. Two or more of the following semiotic systems
are needed in evaluating a multimodal text: linguistic, visual, audio, gestural, and spatial.
• Multimodal texts necessitate readers and listeners to practice critical reading and listening.
Critical reading is the process of reading that goes beyond comprehension of a text.
Critical Listening, on the other hand, requires active thinking because it goes far beyond
just hearing a speaker’s message. It involves analyzing the information of a speech and
making important decisions about truth, authenticity, and relevance.
• Whenever you evaluate multimodal texts, communication allows you to see more of what
is going on around you, which allows you to participate actively and competently in various
communication in a multicultural setting. Multimodal texts are constructed means such that
they can also be deconstructed or separated into its various parts—source, message,
medium, audience, and context.

EVALUATION:
Answer the questions on pages 199-200.

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