Reading comprehension of literary texts using a multimodal language–image approach

Abstract

The importance of multimodal reading comprehension from multiple perspectives is particularly reflected in the theoretical work that has been published in recent times. Expanding the perspectives students use to make sense of these multimodal texts is an important part of comprehension instruction. The study focuses on the textual linking of language and image with the aim of promoting the textual productive and receptive use of images, assigning a relevant meaning to the image in the literary context of use, complementing the literary text with the visual message, integrating language and contextualised images and including them in the process of overall comprehension. The project presented here in the form of an experience report shows the results of and provides suggestions for the procedural application of a multimodal text–image approach to reading comprehension of a literary text. It is based on the reading of F. C. Delius' novel The Walk from Rostock to Syracuse. This text lends itself to being explored in a multimodal way, as it pre-supposes implicit knowledge that includes certain historical and cultural contextual references.

Keywords: Images, intertextuality, literacy, multimodality, reading comprehension