A Socio-Semiotic Multimodal Analysis Of Emojis As Used In Text Messaging

Abstract

The goal of this study was the analysis of emojis using socio semiotic multimodal theory by Kress & Leeuwen (2006). Many studies on emojis have largely specialized in examining them purely on the basis of provision of emotions in computer mediated communication (CMC) more specifically, online writing. This study attempts to investigate their communicative functions in terms of how they have been exploited by users and characterized as a new form of language in the written text by examining their linguistic properties. Semiotics is particularly concerned with how people use signs and symbols to generate meaning and achieve their communicative goals. It lays forth the idea that meaning is no longer a construct of coding and decoding of signs but a product of different semiotic resources. On the other hand, socio semiotic multimodal theory captures the use of combination of different semiotic modes in a social context in order to generate meaning. The study therefore sought to establish the semantic properties and multimodal attributes of these graphic signs as used in the written form. A sample size of 385 respondents was used based on Krecjie and Morgan’s formula for deriving a sample size for large population. A questionnaire was objectively designed to collect data from the respondents in line with the objectives of the research. The results reveal that emojis offer gestural affordances based on their graphics, whereupon users can derive meaning, and that their interpretation is only context specific. This makes them inadequate as a form of written grammar. On the other hand, the findings show that emojis are sufficient in provision of paralinguistic features and serves to aid online written communication