A Multimodal Lens on Travel Vlogs as a Digital Genre

The 7th International English for Specific Purposes Conference, Ankara, Türkiye, 6 - 07 Kasım 2026, (Yayınlanmadı)

Recently, genre studies have observed a multimodal and interactive shift in investigating the

meaning-making of emerging genres, such as digital genres. They refer to “genres exhibiting the new

media affordances of multimodality, hypertext, and interactivity that are now commonplace”

(Belcher, 2023, p. 33). As a technology-enhanced genre, Travel Vlogs are produced by travel vloggers

whose purposes are threefold: (1) to provide information about a destination, (2) to evaluate their

travel experiences, and (3) to engage with their audiences and encourage interaction. Therefore, travel

vlogs can be considered both digital and hybrid genres. This study aims to unveil their complex genre

features and define the communicative purposes of YouTube travel vlogs through a multimodal

analysis of moves and steps (Swales, 1990). To achieve this aim, multiple modes are investigated

simultaneously using ELAN (Eudico Linguistic Annotator) software (Brugman et al., 2004; Wittenberg

et al., 2006; Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, 2026). All modes contributing to the genre

structure of travel vlogs (i.e., verbal data, on-screen text, camera angle & movement, video editing

features, and audio use) are first aligned in ELAN (version 7.1) and then analyzed simultaneously to

unveil the genre structure of YouTube travel vlogs. In addition, the metadiscourse use of travel

vloggers in selected travel vlogs is scrutinized by adapting Ädel’s (2023) taxonomy of metadiscourse

from a multimodal perspective. The findings are expected to address the gap in genre analysis

identified by Belcher (2025) and expand the scope of metadiscourse studies. Overall, the findings can

provide useful guidelines for both novice travel vloggers seeking assistance and experienced vloggers

aiming to increase views and subscribers. Furthermore, ESP learners can use the outcomes to keep up

with the ever-changing dynamics of online communication and apply them in their personal and

professional lives.