Multimodal Writing
According to “An Introduction to and and Strategies for Multimodal Composing” by Melanie Gagich, the term “multimodality” refers to the concept of a “text” including multiple forms of communication, such as the five modes of communication identified in “A Pedagogy of Multiliteracies: Designing Social Futures”– linguistic, visual, spatial, gestural, and aural. When it comes to writing, the idea is that there is not only the linguistic mode of communication, but also the visual as well as the spatial. For example, the linguistic aspect of a formal or academic essay is the main focus of communication, but the font, line spacing, and other formatting decisions are based on the visual and spatial modes of communication within the paper.
Multitasking
I found this idea interesting, especially after having read the Forbes article “Multitasking Damages Your Brain And Career, New Studies Suggest” by Travis Bradberry. In this article, Bradberry discusses the recent research into the effects of multitasking on a person’s intelligence, emotions, and their brain structure. According to the article, multitasking is actually not as productive a technique or skill as some of us thought it was. Studies show that even those who claim to be good at multitasking, use it often, and are better off for it, actually score lower than others who choose to focus on one task at a time.
My Experience
I find myself agreeing with both of these readings, but in order to make sense of the first, I think I will have to incorporate the second. Multimodal writing is an important skill and technique to learn and use. I believe that writers should pay attention to the other modes of communication in addition to the linguistic– and I think most, if not all, writers already do even if they do not realize it. I myself choose to write in Times New Roman more often than any other font simply because I think it looks the best professionally, academically, or any other setting; I just think it’s a pretty font– the “black goes with everything” font. However, looking back at my writing process and preferences, I often do not focus on the visual or spatial modes until the linguistic part is at least mostly completed. I never really organize and beautify the things I write as I write them; I prefer to tackle one thing at a time. Therefore, in my own personal experience, it is good to pay attention to the other modes of communication in writing, as long as the writer does not use it as an opportunity to multitask.
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