ELAN-based multimodal discourse analysis of the interactive meanings and persuasive methods in criminal trials

Abstract

Courtroom interaction is a distinct form of communication. It entails verbal and visual resources and abilities to express meaning, negotiate, and, hence, persuade. The discourse within criminal trials holds particular significance in determining the paradigm chosen by legal practitioners. The systemic-functional (SF) approach to multimodal discourse analysis explores meaning arises from the use of various semiotic systems in discourse. Primarily based on Systemic Functional Theory (SFT), and with an application of Aristotle’s three standards of persuasion: Ethos, Pathos, and Logos, this study proposes a multimodal persuasive approach to investigate the intersemiotic structures and systems of meaning and persuasive tactics that emerge when vocal and visual resources combine in a criminal courtroom trial. This entails looking at the various language manifestations as persuasive semiosis of useful oratory choice systems. For the goal of a deep, dynamic multimodal persuasion, this study employs ELAN, an interactive, cross-platform multimodal discourse analysis software. With the help of ELAN, annotations of videos and specifications of linguistic types and tiers can be achieved. The analysis reveals that legal discourse in courtrooms is constructed through “choices” made from within and outside linguistic confines. The resulting complex interactions between semiotic modes and material sources demonstrate the need for a multimodal approach to persuasion within the courtroom context.