Questions to ask when assessing a website's Mode

From Studyplace

Mode of discourse

Guiding Questions

The textual/semiotic material available on the site itself:

• Code: What languages? What varieties (dialects)? If there is a mixture of languages or dialects, is the mix appropriate for the goals of the site?

• Channel: Spoken, written, signs/images? The relationship between text and images?

• Register or registers? (Vocabulary is a clue and so is the nature of the social activity.)

• Discourse structure: How are the words are woven together? (see Halliday’s comments on cohesion and coherence.) Does the structure predict the content (think of “Once upon a time…”) Is the structure reflective of the activity? (scientific, imaginative, dialogic, etc.)

• Is the discourse style consistent? (technical vs informal?)

• Is the discourse level appropriate for the target users? Can a language learner make sense of the text?

User construction or interpretation of text/images on or through the site:

• Can the user construct discourse? (e.g., write fiction, biography, poetry)

• Participate in a simulated spoken interaction?

• Send email or post messages or images to a forum? Connect with other users? To the web host?

• Is the site meant to be an informational resource only? (reading/interpreting/downloading/taking notes on material)