Social semiotics and literacy : a case study about the social meanings constructed by ads of a children's magazine

This article aims to contribute to studies on literacy and multimodality from the theoretical perspective of social semiotics and the methodological framework of visual grammar. The objective is to investigate the types of representations, interactions and compositions produced by visual semiotic resources configured by advertising images promoted by Visao Junior, a Portuguese magazine dedicated to children and youth. The results show: a) the promotion of television channels and news publications owned by the media group of which Visao Junior is also part which are aimed at adults; b) the encouragement of reading and the consumption of cultural products and events; c) the association between the consumption of food and sport; d) the introduction of new values in the child's universe, such as the use and consumption of mobile phones, as well as familiarising the child with banks and their possible relationships with money. This case study points to the importance of adopting a visual grammar in educational contexts, in order to analyse and understand the meanings engendered in the process of visual representation and communication in advertising. Children need to be encouraged by teachers to practice reflection on the use and function of visual texts to enable them to understand and interpret the rules and conventions underlying these types of text. [Author abstract, ed]