web genres; genre analysis; multimodal discourse analysis; heteroglossia; polyphony; mode; non-verbal modes; layout; genre hybridisation; embedded genres

The study focuses on the multimodal complexity of the generic structure of the websites, which gives rise to their heteroglossic nature. Whereas the verbal components of the home page and prospective students? web pages are largely monoglossic, heteroglossia and polyphony are brought into play through the distinctive affordances of non-verbal modes and their mutual interplay. In addition to this, the many-voicedness of the genre is supported by the use of embedded genres such as blogs, vlogs and interviews. The images as well as the layout build a picture of the university, construct its identity and its relationship with the receivers, and organise the structure of the website either in parallel or in a complementary relation with the verbal mode.

The study focuses on the multimodal complexity of the generic structure of the websites, which gives rise to their heteroglossic nature. Whereas the verbal components of the home page and prospective students? web pages are largely monoglossic, heteroglossia and polyphony are brought into play through the distinctive affordances of non-verbal modes and their mutual interplay. In addition to this, the many-voicedness of the genre is supported by the use of embedded genres such as blogs, vlogs and interviews. The images as well as the layout build a picture of the university, construct its identity and its relationship with the receivers, and organise the structure of the website either in parallel or in a complementary relation with the verbal mode.