Several questions arise when carrying out research on multimodality:
Can we defi ne a semiotic system of image or gesture? How do these systems
interact with the system of human language? How do people make meanings
by linking text (both written and oral) with images, graphs, equations,
gestures, facial expressions and gaze in communication instances? What are
the ‘affordances’ of the several modes to contribute meaning? And here we
would add some more: Is it possible to fi nd specifi c combinations of the
several modes with just one meaning in a certain genre (as an aggregated accumulation of many actual multimodal instances)? Moreover, is it possible
to teach combinations of modes, when teaching a genre? These are
some of the questions that will be addressed in the present volume