Multimodality in Proximal Deixis in English as a Foreign Language for Technical Presentation

Abstract

Using verbal and other modes are inevitable when language is functioned as a device for meaning-making both in native and non-native English communication contexts. This study investigates what modes are used by non-native speakers when using English proximal deictic expressions "this/these/here" in presenting the technical process of making a brochure as a promotional tool of an Indonesian state Polytechnic profile. A multimodal discourse analysis was employed in this study. The research data were taken from video-recorded presentations of the students of a multimedia study program at an Indonesian polytechnic and annotated using ELAN software. The participants were chosen based on their score of an English readiness assessment provided by a professional third party. It was found that the speakers used the proximal deixis in together with various movements of body parts like fingers, head, palm, and postures. This study also reveals that the use of various modes in the technical process can function as a sign for locating what has been mentioned through verbal discourses, a clarification of the technicalities in the presentation materials, or compensation for certain vocabularies. The relevance of this study to technical English communication competence for students in vocational education context is also discussed.