Chapter 6　Surface Cohesion in the EngIish Learning Advertisements

As argued in previous chapters，discourse comprehension depends on the reader's ability to construct a coherent representation of what（he thinks that）the text is conveying.To do so the reader needs to be able to identify the conceptual relations（he thinks to be）holding between the set of discourse elements.Conceptual relations include the relation with the whole discourse topic—global coherence，and the relations with other elements—local coherence，as discussed in Chapters 4 and 5.These relations are primarily identified on the basis of the content of the related discourse elements.In linear text their identification is facilitated by a number of formal cohesive devices such as anaphors，conjunctions and repetitions.

The passage from linear verbal discourse to multimodal discourse poses the challenge of expressing discourse cohesion in non-linear texts，where linguistic discourse markers no longer work.While the multimodal discourse introduces new possibilities for signification systems and discourse organization，it also requires the use of new devices which can support the expression of cohesion by exploiting the technical characteristics and expressive richness of the medium.In this chapter how cohesion is expressed and organized in complex multimodal discourses such as the English learning advertisements will be analyzed and discussed.In other words，in this chapter we are exploring new possibilities for signaling coherence，both global and local，in non-linear，multimodal documents.

The proposal in this chapter is that in multimodal texts the surface cohesion will take the form of a set of typographical features in the layout.This chapter will focus on these typographical resources and cues as cohesive devices in the multimodal English learning advertisements，or in other words，the devices in the layout that help make the various semiotic elements cohere with each other and with the whole discourse according to their places and relations derived from the global topical structure and local semantic relations.

Section 6.1 will propose a working definition of surface cohesion in the English learning advertisements.The reason for this definition is also provided.The main objective of Section 6.2 is to propose a working framework or model of surface cohesion in the English learning advertisements as a type of complex multimodal discourses.For this end，a review of three existing theoretical frameworks on the analysis of the layout of multimodal documents is provided.Based on the critical evaluation of these existing frameworks my own framework of cohesive resources is put forward with consideration of the features in my corpus of the English learning advertisements.Section 6.3 will apply this framework to the analysis of the cohesive devices in the layout of the English learning advertisements.