A Multimodal Discourse Analysis of Local Election Posters in Algeria

Abstract

Multimodal discourse analysis mainly focuses on the study of language in use with others modalities like images, music, and graphs. With the publication of the book‘Reading images,the grammar of visual design’ by Kress and Vanleeuwen (2006[1996]), multimodal discourse analysis has become a research subject for linguists to investigate for the linguistic (verbal) and non- linguistic (visual) semiotic resources.The purpose of this study is to analyze the Algerian electoral posters during the local campaign, in 23november 2017. The researcherfocuses on four posters of the candidates in these elections with exploring the technique thatare used for presenting the candidate appropriately. This study depends onleaders of parties in elections, one candidate is chosen from labor party (LouizaHanoune),another from National Liberation Front(FLN) led by DjamelOueldAbbes. The last one is Naima Salhifrom Equitableness and Manifest party.This study also pinpoints the similarities and differences between each leader. More specifically, the present study examines the main linguistic and visual strategies use to convince the citizens to vote for that party. Besides that, one significant instrument implemented for the analysis of the images is Kress and Vanleeuwen (1996, 2006), which demystify the understanding of how participants are represented in posters. The results obtained show that the electoral posters appeal and persuade the voters depending on the constituent elements of pictures.