The term modality is synonymous with category, type, manner or class. Thus, a modality is a variant of something, a peculiar way in which an activity is carried out.
The different modalities of sports and games
There are sports that can be played in various ways and each of them is a specific modality (for example tennis is played individually or in pairs). Something similar happens with soccer, which in its traditional modality is played between two teams of eleven players, but there are other variants (soccer 7 or beach soccer).
There are some games of chance that also have several modalities (dominoes or poker). The same happens with chess, in which it is possible to play types of games with some differences.
The examples mentioned above reveal something in common: a modality is a variant that does not modify the general idea of the activity. This implies that the fundamental rules are the same in the different variants of a game or sport, but each modality presents a specific singularity.
Dialects are modalities of a language
The same language can be spoken in many ways. If we think of the Spanish language, it is evident that Argentines, Bolivians, Ecuadorians and Colombians speak the same language as Spaniards. However, in each country or region they speak with some particularities, which are the dialects. Thus, a dialect is a specific form of a language.
Let us take the case of Colombia as an illustrative example. Colombians speak Spanish (you can also say Castilian) but there are about 10 dialects of Spanish in Colombia, which are grouped into two branches, the Andean dialects and those of the coast.
A reflection on the concept of modality
Each modality of something contributes a singular element and, therefore, the more variants there are of a thing, the more rich there will be. Consequently, it can be affirmed that the modalities manifest richness, plurality and diversity, the opposite of standardization and homogeneity. The uniqueness of each modality expresses a particular vision of something, a way of understanding a reality, be it a game, a sport, a language or any other activity.
On the other hand, the idea of modality reminds us that we usually handle two concepts, the same and the different. In other words, one modality of something has something similar in relation to the others and, in parallel, expresses a specific difference, something that makes it unique.
Photos: iStock - shapecharge / Christopher Futcher
