Multimodal Discourse Analysis of Digital Practices: Theories, Methods, and Future Directions for Museum Website Communication

Main Article Content

Qian Li

Keywords

digital communication, multimodal discourse analysis, museum websites, Lingnan culture, visual grammar

Abstract

This article reviews research on computer-mediated communication, Internet-mediated communication, and multimodal discourse analysis, with a particular focus on museum websites as digital cultural interfaces. It argues that museum websites in multimodal environments in which cultural meaning, institutional identity, and user engagement are constructed through the interaction of text, image, colour, layout, and navigation. Drawing on MDA, MCDA, social semiotics, and Visual Grammar, the article identifies key theoretical foundations and highlights major research gaps. Special attention is given to the representation of Lingnan culture in museum websites and to the balance between cultural symbolism, usability, and intercultural accessibility.

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