MULTIMODAL MECHANISMS TO ENGAGE VIEWERS IN APPRECIATING VIETNAMESE STREET FOOD IN A FOOD REVIEW VIDEO
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63506/jilc.0903.357Keywords:
Multimodal orchestration; verbal; visual; paralanguage; Vietnamese street food; viewer engagementAbstract
This study investigates how verbal, visual and paralinguistic modes orchestrate to engage viewers in appreciating Vietnamese street food in the most-viewed food review video on YouTube about this cuisine. Using a multimodal discourse analytical framework informed by Systemic Functional Linguistics, the analysis reveals that meaning emerges not from any single mode but from flexible multimodal orchestration, operating through both intersemiosis (the integration of meaning across modes) and intrasemiosis (the elaboration of meaning within modes). Five key mechanisms that drive viewer engagement include creating interpersonal closeness, claiming expert authority, explaining food values, using familiar comparisons and constructing sequential narrative progression. These strategies collectively meet the genre demands of food review videos, which balance personal connection, credibility, educational clarity, accessibility and narrative flow. The study contributes theoretically by demonstrating the applicability of SFL-based multimodal analysis to video data, and practically by offering insights for content creators on how deliberate multimodal coordination enhances audience engagement and cultural appreciation.
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