Towards A Presentation Model Of Multimodal Definitions In Contemporary Advanced Learner's Dictioaries

In recent 10 years,against the backdrop of considerable social changes in contemporary global,fluid and networked society,a large number of researches related to multimodality has emerged across various disciplines,such as psychology,sociology,anthropology,language studies,social semiotics researches,discourse analysis,new media studies,corpora studies and visual studies,etc.From the synchronic and diachronic perspectives,the compilation process of Advanced Learners' Dictionaries(ALDs)also presents a trend of"multimodalization".Because of the diversification and multimediatization of the publication,lexical definition does not purely refer to verbal(textual)definition.It also contains other types of non-verbal ones,such as visual,acoustic and tactile modalities of definitionsThe present research is a systematic and comprehensive study,which is based on traditional lexicographical verbal and image studies and a host of theoretical and methodological insights from the Systemic Functional Linguistics(SFL),visual grammar,sound grammar and new-born technology.To be more specific,it is a theoretical study on the inter-relationship among different modalities of ALD definitions,such as verbal,visual(static,dynamic and verbal-visual),acoustic and tactile modalities of definitions.This dissertation employs a mixed methodology of data-driven and corpus-assisted approach,with a combination of literature review,qualitative and quantitative methods.It is designed to answer the following four research questions:(1)What are the major modalities applied in contemporary ALD definitions?(2)What kind of headwords desires multimodal definitions(MDs)in contemporary ALDs?(3)How can metafunctions be realized in ALD MDs?(4)How MDs realize intersemiotic complementarity and intermodal synergy?The differences between PALDs and EALDs in those four perspectives are discussed as well.The objective of this study is to propose two tentative ALD(PALD and EALD)MD presentation models,which will hopefully meet the consultation needs of advanced learners.Furthermore,this thesis will also serve as a pilot for future exploration in ALD MDs and provide compilers and researchers with a new paradigm to conduct further relevant multimodal lexicographical studies.Although numerous conventional lexicographers have devoted to the necessity,classifications,functions of static visuals(pictorial illustrations),literature review demonstrates that very few of them have realized that different semiotic modes(multimodalities)of communication can offer various meaning potential.Based on the multimodal characteristics of the representative ALDs(PALDs and EALDs)in the Chinese market and statistics from two MD corpora built in the research,a systematic study has been carried out to identify,count,classify and scrutinize major modalities of definitions applied in contemporary ALDs.Three metafunctions(representational,interactive and compositional)realized by visual(static,dynamic and verbal-visual)and acoustic modalities of definitions in PALDs and EALDs are studied respectively in full scale.Furthermore,the tactile modality,which interlinks the other modalities of definitions is carefully discussed.The inter-relationship among these modalities of definitions in PALDs and EALDs is compared as well.Regarding the significance of this research,five points can be concluded as follows:1.The present research is a systematic and comprehensive study on ALD MDs.The similarities as well as differences on choosing various(verbal,visual,acoustic and tactile)modalities of definitions between PALDs and EALDs have been pointed out.2.The panorama of visual definitions in ALDs(PALDs and EALDs)is demonstrated.A comprehensive investigation about the total number of headwords defined by static visuals,dynamic visuals and verbal-visual definitions in representative ALDs has been conducted.Their parts of speech as well as major contents are studied.Furthermore,five major typologies of visual definitions(video-clips,photographs.drawings.conceptual maps and diagrams)have been detected,which form a continuum ranging from the most realistic to the most abstract.3.The present research views contemporary ALD definition as a holistic MD ecosystem,which means that different modalities of definitions are not only interdependent on each other,but also interrelated with each other.Therefore,three metafunctions realized by static visuals(photographs,drawings,conceptual maps and diagrams),dynamic visuals(video-clips),verbal-visual and acoustic definitions are studied in accordance with the theoretical and analytical framework.Besides,this is the first attempt to do the research on the interactive and compositional meanings of dynamic visual definitions.Tactile modality,which interlinks other modalities of definitions in EALDs,is also studied comprehensively.4.The compilation of MDs is a systematic project that requires joint efforts and cooperation from dictionary compilers,linguists,translators,computer engineers and technicians.Electronic dictionary is the future trend of learners' dictionaries.The technically-driven features of EALDs enable them to possess more multimodal and multimedia functions than traditional PALDs.Therefore,two tentative ALD MD presentation models corresponding to PALDs and EALDs are constructed respectively.5.Since multimodalization and multi-literacy have become new trends of reading habits and human communication,the present research on configuration among different ALD MDs will provide dictionary compilers and researchers with a new angle to do further lexicographical studies.The present study,taking a comprehensive viewpoint,reveals that the MDs are the development trend of contemporary ALDs.The research findings of this dissertation are expected to bring theoretical as well as empirical enlightments on lexicographical studies and other academic fields.