Discourse analysis of Chinese vocational universities based on multimodal framework of social semiotics

Due to the development of higher-education marketization, colleges and universities in China's provinces, cities, and regions are facing fierce competition and significant challenges, and vocational universities are no exception. In order to further enhance their visibility and social recognition, vocational universities have adopted various publicity strategies, especially utilizing social media platforms such as WeChat, Weibo, TikTok, and XiaoHongShu. Using the framework of visual grammar analysis, this paper investigates the identity construction in the discourse of vocational universities on social media by analyzing images posted on social media platforms by 33 vocational universities in China. The research findings show that vocational universities use visual content on social media to construct their identities as being skilled, service-oriented, regional, international, employment practice-oriented higher-education institutions that are equal to those in general higher education. This reflects the value of vocational education in today's Chinese society and the realistic difficulties and development challenges faced by higher-vocational colleges and universities.