Multimodal Meaning-Making in a Multicultural Picture Book: A Visual Social Semiotics and SFG-Based Analysis

This study examines how the multicultural picture book Fry Bread constructs meaning through the interplay of verbal and visual modes, offering implications for EFL education in Korea. Using a combined approach of SFG-based text analysis and visual semiotic multimodal analysis, it explores how this framework can inform storytelling pedagogy. The analysis focuses on ideational metafunction―particularly relational, material, and mental processes―and their alignment with visual narrative and conceptual structures, while also addressing interpersonal (mood, modality, gaze, angle, color) and textual metafunction (theme, framing, salience). Findings show that material processes often corresponded with narrative visuals using strong vectors, while relational processes reinforcing identity and reflection paired with conceptual imagery; framing and color choices subtly supported themes of community and continuity. Repetition of the phrase “Fry bread is…” created linguistic cohesion and a rhythmic, oral-storytelling flow, mirrored visually through recurring motifs and the central placement of culturally significant elements. Both convergence, where verbal and visual modes aligned, and divergence, where visuals extended or softened the verbal tone, were strategically employed to produce a unified yet layered narrative. The study highlights the pedagogical potential of multicultural picture books for fostering multicultural awareness and critical multimodal literacy in Korean elementary classrooms.