ABSTRACT
The social semiotic approach to contemporary communication referred to as “multimodality” and initiated by Gunther Kress owes its significance to its complex concept of communication and learning (Kress, 2010b). It differs from many reductionist approaches that single out one aspect of learning for emphasis and derive learning techniques from it. In accordance with my research on pedagogic anthropology (Wulf, 2002, 2005, 2007), Kress’ approach embraces the historical and cultural character of communication and learning without giving it explicit emphasis. The concept of multimodality makes it clear that learning takes place in many modes that must be taken into account. Only when this is successful does learning have lasting effects.
