The Analysis of the Semantic Weight of Text-image Relation in Selected German Adverts

Abstract

The deployment of different modes (semiotic resources) for communication reveals that meaning can be realized not only through one mode precisely language but also through the combination of a wide range of modes. Little attention has been given to other non-linguistic elements in the process of meaning construction of adverts. This study seeks to apply a cognitive model to examine the interaction of linguistic and non-linguistic modes in adverts. It also evaluates the relative architectural weight of different modes with a view of revealing their contributions in meaning making process of adverts. To achieve this, one hundred adverts purposively selected from four online German magazines (der Spiegel, derStern, das Bild der Frau and die Bunte) published from 1^stJanuary to 30^th June, 2019will be analysed using Cohn 2016 multimodal parallel architecture model to investigate the contribution of different modes in meaning construction of adverts.