A Comprehensive Report on Semiotic Systems and Multi-Modal Texts

This report provides a comprehensive overview of semiotic systems and intersemiosis, focusing on how signs and symbols create meaning in various contexts. It begins by defining semiotics and its significance, followed by an in-depth examination of five key semiotic systems: linguistic, visual, audio, gestural, and spatial. The report explores the features and applications of each system, illustrating their roles in communication and cultural understanding. The core of the report focuses on intersemiosis, the process of translating meaning between different modes of texts. It discusses the challenges and considerations involved in interpreting multi-modal texts, emphasizing the importance of a multi-modal social approach based on Michael Halliday's systematic functional theory. The report provides examples of how semiotic resources are used to convey meaning, addressing issues of meaning retention and conceptualization across different semiotic resources. It concludes by highlighting the significance of intersemiosis in creating effective and influential multi-modal texts, emphasizing the need for a proper combination of different semiotic systems and the use of appropriate communication technologies to reach the intended audience.

SEMIOTIC SYSTEM

TABLE OF CONTENTS
ASSESSMENT 2.............................................................................................................................3
Meaning of term Semiotic...........................................................................................................3
Five semiotic systems .................................................................................................................3
INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................4
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

ASSESSMENT 2
Meaning of term Semiotic
Semiotics simply means studying of sign system and explores how signs and words make
meaning, in this system sign is every thing which stands for something than it self. Semiotics is
also referred as semiology which is the study of signs and symbols, how they are used and what
they mean. Some common examples of semiotics are emojis, emoticons, and traffic signs which
are use din electronic communication, brands and logos which are commonly used by
multinational companies in order to market the things (Rotman, 2016.). Semiotics has proven to
be useful in many areas for example it has been useful in examining the cultural signs as well as
theatre conventions in various societies. It is also vital in mass media as it helps in analyse and
decode non-verbal and verbal communication at different levels. A person who practices or
studies semiotics is called semiotician and it is key study in knowing about the evolution of
human consciousness.
Five semiotic systems
Five semiotic systems and there features are as follows:
1. Linguistic: Linguistic sign included generic structure, vocabulary as well as grammar of oral
and written language. Linguistic signs are bilateral which consists of signifiers which are made
of different speech sounds like phonemes.
2. Visual: It includes the aspects like colour, viewpoints, vectors in still as well as moving
images. It is the sub-domain of semiotic which analyses different ways through which visual
images communicate a particular message (Schleifer, 2016). Meanings from visual objects can
be examined and evaluated with the help of semiotics in which images mean everything without
using language codes.
3. Audio: Audio semiotic consists of various aspects like pitch, volume, rhythm and even sound
effects. Audio semiotics are not fully discovered and sound designing is very complex process,
for any audio semiotics, various components like pitch, volume, sound effects should be
perfectly designed in order to develop proper audio semiotics which does not involve any
visuals.
4. Gestural: Various aspects of gestural semiotics consists of speed, movements as well as
stillness body language and facial expressions (Ostwald, 2019). It is hardest part and it includes

the way people make contact through touch, how they maintain space between, how do they
appear, what there facial expressions is, etc.
5. Spatial: It includes the aspects like direction, proximity, position of organisation and layout of
objects present in space. Spatial is the core concept which is referred as amalgamation of
different sub-skills which are in relation to geometric reasoning. Spatial design is new concept
which focuses on flow of people on different areas of exterior and interior environments and
delivers the understanding and value in spaces of both public and private realm.
INTRODUCTION
Intersemiosis is a process which is used to describe a wide variety of phenomena and it is
the act of translating from one language to another which may involve cultural, politically
embedded process which can have impact on receiving and originating cultures. In the process of
intersomiosis one mode of text is transferred into another mode by using pure verbal means. In
narrow terms it is used to describe the interaction of particular type of semiosis, for example
various type of semiosis can be between visual, verbal and musical systems.
MAIN BODY
Semiotic systems in the multi-mode texts should be in such a way that it should be able to
make proper interactions and the detail analysis of it can be provided through the process of
intersemiosis. By the process of intersemiosis one can be able to derive the meanings from multi-
mode texts as intersemiotic translations is taken as a basis for cultural communications as ideas
are transferred and explained through it (Zecca, 2017). These ideas are circulated, explained and
translated by using images, language and various semiotic resources which can help in deriving
the meaning. There are various issues which can be faced in deriving the meaning from multi-
mode texts is that:
 What meanings should be retained and what meanings should be changed as per the
result of re-semiotisation.
 How should be shifts of meaning be conceptualised across the various semiotic resources
that are fundamentally different in nature and,
 How could be such meaning be modelled theoretically and can be tracked analytically.
In order to overcome these issue and to derive exact meaning from multi-mode texts, it is
important that multi-modal social approach which is used in the semiotic systems should be
based on Michael Halliday's systematic functional theory. Within this approach, different

semiotic resources should be conceptualised according to system of meaning which will help in
deriving the proper meaning from multi-modal texts to structure the experience and make logical
connections within the real world and also to organise such meaning into multi-modal messages
(Petrilli and Ponzio, 2017). From multi-modal approach towards the intersemiotic translations
can be illustrated trough various examples which can help in exploring the shifts or multi-modal
text meaning.
Semiotic resources is normally viewed as having the potential meaning which can be
described as interconnected systems of meaning. A systematic functional approach towards the
multi-modal texts is concerned with the gramatics of semiotic resources of the texts which
involves the formulation of systems of meaning that arise when various semiotic choices
combine with multi-modal phenomena over time and space. Meaning of multi-modal texts and
processes are characterised in terms of options that are selected from the systems that realise the
meta-functions which included interpersonal, textual and ideation. Also SF-MDA approach of
intersemiotic translations can be demonstrated by analysing the meanings that may arise from
various reports with linguistic photographs, texts, mathematical graph and infographic videos. In
such case intersemiotic translations can be explored by using the concepts of meta-functionally
organised systems of genre, meaning and register. Intersemiotic translation works as a predictive
tool which anticipates new as well as surprising patterns of various semiotic events and helps in
keeping the emergence of new patterns in control. Process of intersemiotic keeps the verbal
domain within the system of signs as well in proper meaning and also helps in carrying the
source text across the sign system which helps in creating a connection between different media
and cultures. This process is typically facilitated with the perception and experiencing the non-
verbal modes of text through auditory, visual and other sensory channels like through sculpture
and dance. Translators instead of focusing on the translation of meanings or sense, translators
acts as mediator within the experimental process which will allow the recipients like listeners,
readers, viewers or participants to recreate the sense or semios for them.
A multi-modal texts which has been developed is suitable for deriving a suitable
meanings as it is according the multi-modal approach which has been used for the models is
based on Michael Halliday's systematic functional theory (Creating multimodal texts, 2019).
Which has made the multi-modal text more understandable for viewers, readers, participants, etc.
The text which is been developed relates a proper connection between media and the culture. It

contains the proper semiotic systems and is well designed to put influence of the recipients. It is
able to present the interconnected systems of meanings with proper grammar and also has the
features of an ideal semiotic system. There are also some issue with text which needs to be
addressed in order to improve it (Machado, 2016). To build an effective multi-modal texts there
should be proper combination of two or more modes of like spoken language, visuals whether
still or moving, spatial, audio and gestural meaning. Also, for developing the texts and deriving
the proper meaning proper communication technologies should be used which have a huge
influence on the recipients. Multi-modal texts should be created in such a way that it should be
able to satisfy the purpose for which it as been created with fluency, accuracy and high level of
imagination. Also, translators should know how a meaning should be conveyed through different
modes which are used in text and should also know how to make multiple modes work together.
Developing such skills and knowledge can increase the quality of the text and help in reaching to
right audience. Also, one should know how purposefully and creatively to choose different mode
that might convey particular meaning at number of times within the text and also should know
how to manipulate different modes across the entire text in order to tell the story in effective
manner.
CONCLUSION
It can be concluded from the above report that intersemiosis is the best way of describing
the different ranges of phenomena in a meaningful manner. Intersemiosis can be used to derive
the meanings form multi-modal texts and it should be based on the multi-modal social approach
which helps in proper use of semiotic resources within the texts in order to make it effective. It
can be also concluded that in multi-modal texts there should be proper combination of different
semiotic systems which can help in making the text more effective and influencing for the
recipients.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Rotman, B., 2016. Signifying nothing: The semiotics of zero. Springer.
Schleifer, R., 2016. AJ Greimas and the nature of meaning: linguistics, semiotics and discourse
theory. Routledge.
Ostwald, P. F., 2019. The semiotics of human sound. (Vol. 36). Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co
KG.
Zecca, F., 2017. COMICS IN MOTION: THE INTERSEMIOTIC TRANSLATION OF
COMICS INTO FILM. TICS. p.929.
Petrilli, S. and Ponzio, A., 2017. INTERPRETATION AND ICONICITY IN THE
TRANSLATION PROCESS. TICS, p.1201.
Machado, G. P., 2016, June. Translate Spaces: Heurist and Intersemiotic Approach on
Architecture’s Creative Process. In Conference Proceedings. The Future of Education.
(p. 466). libreriauniversitaria. it Edizioni.
Online
Creating multimodal texts. 2019. [Online]. Available Through:
<https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/teachingresources/discipline/
english/literacy/multimodal/Pages/createmultimodal.aspx>.