| In the progression of globalization, there emerge various means of communication.Meaning is never delivered only through language, but also through the combination of different kinds of semiotic modes, such as images, color, layout, etc. Thus, it is fairly observable that in discourse analysis, research on language mode has been far from enough to meet the requirement of the diversified social practices. Multimodality, which appeared and was developed in 1990 s, has solved the problem above to some extent. In 1996, in the book of Reading Images, Kress & van Leeuwen developed the metafunctions of Halliday’s Systemic Functional Grammar into visual modes, establishing Visual Grammar to analyze visual images. According to Visual Grammar, the visual image consists of three metafunctions,namely, representational, interactive, and compositional meaning, which correspondingly draw a parallel to ideational function, interpersonal function and textual function of Halliday’s Systemic Functional Grammar. Since then, the theory of multimodality began to be concerned.TV advertisement is one of the representatives of multimodal discourse, which normally consists of multi-modes, i.e. images, sounds, colors and flashes etc. However, the preceding research on TV advertisements mostly attached importance to illustrating the linguistic features of the verbal modes, and failed to analyze the functions and stylistic features of visual modes. Therefore, the present study combines the analysis on the features of both verbal modes and visual modes in TV advertisements, attempting to exemplify the features of TV advertising discourse comprehensively. Firstly, the present study analyzes the verbal modes in both Chinese and English TV advertisements from the perspectives of Halliday’s Systemic Functional Grammar(2000), and identifies that how the meaning in verbal modes are realized through three metafunctions, namely ideational function, interpersonal function, and textual function. Secondly, the present study analyzes visual modes in both Chinese and English TV advertisements from the perspective of Kress & van Leeuwen’s Visual Grammar(1996) and illustrates how the meaning of visual modes is realized through three metafuctions, namely representational, interactive, and compositional meaning. Additionally, this thesis explores the similarities and differences between Chinese and English TV advertisements through a comparative study from the perspective of Multimodal Discourse Analysis.Through a comparative study between Chinese and English TV advertisements from the perspective of Multimodal Discourse Analysis, the authors finds there exists big difference in the verbal modes and visual modes between Chinese and English TV advertisements. Firstly,in the Chinese TV advertisements, the language in the verbal text is more formal and complete, and thus the verbal modes construed through ideational, interpersonal and textual functions are more inclusive; however, the means to express the representational, interactive and compositional meaning of visual modes are limited. Secondly, in English TVadvertisements, the language of the verbal text is relatively simple and casual, so the verbal modes realized through ideational, interpersonal and textual functions are incomplete;however, the means to express the representational, interactive and compositional meaning of visual modes are diversified.Meanwhile, the present study has its own importance and value. To begin with, it further denies the traditional limitation of mono-modal research on TV advertisements which only focuses on the analysis of verbal modes through describing how the three metafunctions are achieved by both verbal and visual resources in TV advertisements. Secondly, the present study proves the feasibility and applicability of the framework of Multimodal Discourse Analysis on the study of TV advertisement. Thirdly, the present study improves audiences’ multiliteracy ability, and provides references for the designers of TV advertisement to conduct visual design and arrange different modes.This thesis consists of six chapters. Chapter One introduces the research background,research purpose, research significance, and the structure of the thesis. Chapter Two firstly carries out the literature review on Multimodality, Multimodal Discourse Analysis,advertisement, and on the basis of which it introduces the domestic and foreign current research status of Multimodality, Multimodal Discourse Analysis, and advertisement. Finally,the author concludes the limitations of domestic and foreign research on Multimodal Discourse Analysis as well as advertisement and puts forward the innovation of the present study. Chapter Three is the theoretical framework of the present study, which firstly introduces Halliday’s Systemic Functional Grammar, then introduces Kress and van Leeuwen’s Visual Grammar, and finally proposes the theoretical framework of the present study. Chapter Four is the methodology of the present study, including the research questions,data establishment, and data analysis. Chapter Five is the analytical results and discussions,which firstly presents the analytical results and discussions of Chinese TV advertisement,then presents the analytical results and discussions of English TV advertisement, and finally conducts a comparative study between Chinese and English TV advertisement. Chapter Six concludes the research findings of the present study and at the same time, points out the limitations of present study and provides the suggestions for the future study. |
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