Media Culture

At the end of the day, imagery is still universal where all people with different culture would understand. The power of "semiotics". But still, text is also important as well as imagery. As an interactive design student, user experience is always our top priority when it comes to designing a product. Consideration for multilingual users are always important as language is the fundamental of communication. Multilinguals are always easier to resolve language issues than  monolinguals. Multilingual communities are cultural as they consist of their own local language and other language.Thus brings the question, do cultural boundaries cause some imagery to be unrecognizable? It would be most probably not as stated by Arnold in the last entry as he stated that humans are visual creatures (Arnold, 2015). Bibliography: Arnold G. (2015).  5 Reasons Why Images Speak Louder than Words.  [online] LinkedIn. Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/5-reasons-wh...

After studying about the picture superiority effect, it seems that imagery are easier to understand by many people without using any sort of languages. Thus it solves language border and limitation of communication. In my opinion, imagery is the way to communicate with multilingual communities since it do not require any language. Apparently, imagery couldn't render what text can portray. For example, a paragraph of text about "Community Service" cannot be easily portrayed by simple imagery. Therefore, subtle texts are still recommended to support by imagery when it comes to communicating with multilingual communities. Text is still important when giving complicated information but that doesn't mean imagery is not needed. Imagery is best used for simple information such Stop sign, search page and etc while text can be used in giving information which imagery couldn't do. Sometimes I question myself ,how can one understand better? Text, image or both? Coul...

When we read a newspaper, for example, our mind tends to remember visuals more clearly than texts. Apparently, this effect is called "picture superiority effect" where our mind recognize visuals more better than verbal and texts. When it comes to communicating through visuals, texts, icons and pictures are the fundamental feature to send clear information to the audience. According to (L. Childer, T. and J. Houston, M., 1984), imagery allows greater distinctiveness of encoding and more reliable in processing than verbal-only. Therefore, this suggest that imagery and icons are more understandable to the multilingual communities without using text are the medium of communication but rather simple imagery that the communities can understand. "It is doubtful that verbal-only material can achieve the level of  sensory discrimination that pictures allow." -Terry L. and Michael J., 1984 Gabe Arnold stated that humans are visual creatures thus making pictur...

Humans have the ability to visualize something without actually seeing them in person but visualizing with words. Thus, easier to understand visuals and translate that meaning into one own mind.  This semiotic system proved to help must people to understand better if they do not understand them in other words. For example, a person talk to a monolingual about "Stop" in unfamiliar language, the monolingual wouldn't know it and therefore, the person points at the "stop" sign down the road. The monolingual understands. Therefore, it creates the sense of "everyone's language" where everyone understand themselves even they're culturally different. If semiotic system is reliable and relevant to the modern society during their daily life, signs and such can be easily recognized by the monolinguals and there are no needs for texts to communicate but rather icons and visuals.  Bibliography: MEDIATEXTHACK(NA). Semiotics . [online] Medi...

By Posy Simmonds, in The Human Conspiracy Everyone has their own "first language" and most probably inherit from their cultural backgrounds. Mother tongue is not something that an individual would easily forget as it acts like their root of culture. Therefore, it made what Malaysia is today, multilingual communities. Since every communities has their own language, Malaysian multilingual communities doesn't seems to space from other multilingual communities. Apparently, they communicate where both parties are understandable and yet maintaining some of their mother tongue. As a Malaysian, we tend to use the word "Ta Pao", a Chinese word for take-away, when ordering take-aways whether in a Indian stall or Malay stall and they seem to understand it.  According to (Ndaruhutse,2011), mother tongue-based multilingual education is a way to maintain and develop their own cultural roots and languages while promoting skills in the curriculum and dialect l...

As a Malaysian, I can say that multilingual communities within Malaysia itself are is not much of an issue but the real issues are for those who a monolinguals are higher since they have troubles understanding. According to my observation, Chinese-operated market most likely have weak understanding English but they do understand fluently Malay and Chinese language. Therefore, monolinguals, who only understand English, will have some issues communication. As a interactive design student, we have to be more considerate in applying more language so that it's more user-friendly. It also renders a website usable for all users. According to (Vertommen,2015), translation in website for content to be readable for monolingual users. Secondly, presenting language option such as Facebook and presenting country flags, Bibliography : Vertommen K.(2015). Tips for Designing and Building a Multilingual Website. [online] Envatotuts+. Available at : https://webdesign.tutspl...

An individual who speaks multiple different languages is called Multilingualism. According to (Vince, 2016), approximately 60 to 75 percent of the people speaks more than one language and some countries consist of multiple official national languages. (Vince,2016) also stated that multilingualism provides health benefits such as faster recovery for mental illness such as strokes and dementia. It's not possible to decipher the rules of the language in a short period of time and render it understandable. "At the current rate of one a  fortnight, half our languages will be extinct by the end of the century."                                 -Gaia Vince, 2016 In other country especially Britain and US, bilingual, speaking two languages fluently, was harmful to health and to society among children. It stated that bilingual children would have lower intelligence, low self-esteem, behave deviant ways, s...