Plant discourse and ecomultimodality

Abstract This article discusses the relevance of multimodal communication for representing embodied interaction as an intrinsic part of ecosystems within a more-than-human and multispecies perspective. The research question focuses on how multimodal affordances can contribute to orienting addressees toward the recognition of plants’ actions and interactions, and raising awareness of plants in texts. Plants are life-sustaining participants for the planet, and yet, especially in industrialised and urbanised societies, they tend to be represented as inert beings, or commodified resources for human needs. The present qualitative study brings together plant discourse studies, multimodal discourse studies, and ecolinguistics. The term “ecomultimodality” is adopted here to highlight the interrelation between ecological discourse and multimodal studies when investigating the influence of human communication on ecosystems. The analysis and discussion of two multimodal texts (a scientific article and an art installation) demonstrate how co-deployed modal affordances can enhance the addressees’ engagement in discourse about plants. Multimodal and multisensory aspects facilitate the perception of plants’ actions and interactions, which generally remain unnoticed by humans. Offering a more equal perspective on diversity, and acknowledging common grounds within the more-than-human context, a focus on multimodal communication can facilitate the recognition of plants’ intrinsic value in discourse and promote ecojustice.