A Multimodal Analysis Of Public Signs In National Parks

Public signs as a particular genre of multimodal texts lack enough attention from linguists and scholars so far.In order to bridge this gap,the present study aims to explore how meanings are realized and construed through images and verbal texts on public signs in national parks by multimodal analysis based on Kress and Van Leeweun’s Visual Grammar,Halliday’s Systemic Functional Grammar and Van Leeweun’s Model of Image-text Relations.Horton Plains National Park in Sri Lanka and Tangwanghe National Park in China are taken as two cases for a comparative study.Hereby the study aims to explore three research questions:(1)How are meanings realized and constructed through images and texts on public signs in the national park of Sri Lanka?(2)How are meanings realized and constructed through images and texts on public signs in the national park of China?(3)What are the similarities and differences in meaning realization through public signs in national parks between Sri Lanka and China?Qualitative and quantitative methods are adopted in this research to analyze how meanings are realized through images and texts in public signs and generalize the features of the two countries.Similarities and Differences between the two countries are discussed on meaning realization through images and texts in 39 operative signs and 26 informative signs.The present study found that in meaning realization through images on operative signs,the two countries share similarities in realizing interactive and compositional meanings.Major differences lie in participants represented and signboard shapes.Operative signs in Sri Lanka are featured by animals and plants;while in China are human figures and graphic symbols.China possesses more signboard shapes than Sri Lanka.The two countries are also found to be very different in process and modality when expressing representational and interactive meanings.In meaning realization through verbal texts on operative signs,the two countries share similarities in constructing ideational and textual meanings.They are found to be very different in establishing social relationships and carrying out commands,with Sri Lanka being more polite and indirect.However,park managements in China show more concerns on visitors’ security.On image-text relations,the two elements are mutually extended in Sri Lanka but elaborated in China.As for informative signs,the biggest difference between the two countries is the absence of images in China.Similarities can be found in realizing ideational meanings and constructing texts.Differences lie mainly in the realization of interpersonal meanings.Compared with China,Sri Lanka tends to build more intimate relationships with visitors and gain more reactions from them by adopting imperatives and interrogatives.It is empirically implicated that both China and Sri Lanka can learn from each other on national park management.China is suggested to be more polite and indirect in carrying out commands so that visitors tend to take the initiative in caring for other creatures and protecting the environment.Moreover,China can provide images on species and sceneries to attract visitors and offer more specific information to better perform the educational role of national parks.Sri Lanka should be more caring for visitors and set up more signs to warn visitors of their safety.