From L2 Writing to Multimodal Writing
Edited by TIAN Jie, SHEN Mengmeng, LYU Jiahui, JIA Xingyu
This post is based on On becoming facilitators of multimodal composing and digital design by Diane D. Belcher (2017).
Background
According to Belcher (2017), pedagogical perspectives on L1 and L2 (first and second language) writing are increasingly related. However, multimodal writing largely appears as an activity in L1 writing instructuion, while L2 writing instruction often involves mechanized five-paragraph forms (Casanave, 2017; Hafner, 2014; Zheng & Warschauer, 2017). Belcher further maintains that he multimodal view has the potential to innovate the L2 writing teaching methods. In the following, we will discuss three questions.
(1) Why should writing be re-conceptualized from a multimodal design perspective?
(2) Why should a multimodal design perspective on writing be viewed as especially valuable for language and literacy learners, and L2 writers in particular?
(3) Why is it reasonable to expect writing teachers to become facilitators of multimodal design?
Multimodal design perspective
In her article, Diane Belcher points out that the argument for reconceptualizing writing as multimodal composing and digital design is similar to the argument made by Zamel (1982), in the early days of L2 writing as a field. Zamel argued that writing was more than just a means of encoding speech or reinforcing lessons in the target language. It was a discovery process of ideas and forms, a means of self-expression, and an opportunity for collaboration (Belcher, 2017).
This led to a paradigm shift in the field of L2. Similarly, recent advances in communication technology have opened up new possibilities for writing beyond the materiality of print or online facsimiles of printed text. According to Belcher (2017), writing instruction should be understood as facilitating the composition, creation, and communication of meaning using a wide range of semiotic tools that make use of the complete spectrum of accessible color, sound, still images, and moving images. Students engage in many personally meaningful “discursive practices,” or self-sponsored “composing in new media” through their active “digital underlife”(Muller, 2009, p. 240). However, some L2 writing specialists worry that digital literacies will replace traditional reading and writing, affect students’ capability for serious academic study, and weaken language itself by making “nonstandard” usage commonplace. Belcher considers that, while these concerns are worthy of consideration, they should also be treated as mere concerns.
The affordances of multimodal design
The multimodal design perspective of writing is particularly valuable to language learners recognizing that communication is not merely limited to the written word, but can also integrate speaking, listening, reading, and writing. For example, according to Belcher (2017), TBLT speaking tasks can be transformed into listening and writing, and writing tasks can be conducted through collaborative chatting and wikis.
For L2 learners, using multimodal ways of making meaning can help reduce the cognitive load and make the content easier to understand, including through the use of pictures, videos, and audio recordings. Research has found that all these alternative modes of expression can largely increase L2 learners’ self-efficacy and provide them with a more engaging and immersive experience (Blake, 2016).
Additionally, multimodal practices in the classroom can enhance learners’ information literacy and better equip them for a ‘digitally mediated world’ (Hafner, 2015) with more active participation and digital practices in future careers and workplaces.
Moreover, a multimodal design perspective encourages L2 learners to have more critical thinking about the purpose and target audience and how to use different strategies to achieve their goals and all of this allows them to become more effective communicators.
Why teachers should become facilitators of multimodal design
With the evolution of new technology, the application of digital resources has become the trend. Teachers need to seriously rethink how to “transfer” existing composing knowledge learnt in pedagogy courses to the new digital environment. Also, as the number of digitally-active students is increasing, it seems to be inescapable for teachers to consider making use of materials available from the Internet to prepare lessons.
When talking about students’ needs, teaching in a media environment with multiple digital resources can help students get engaged in the topic discussed. Multimodality, as a new rhetorical choice, is suitable for students to both get immersed and deliver their thoughts freely.
But how can we teachers get started quickly with those resources? Belcher believes that one way to achieve this goal is to learn and get inspiration from some digital pedagogy pioneers. Some project examples to refer to: the digital story from Bloch and Wilkinson (2014), the digital documentary from Hafner (2014). In these projects, we shall not only encourage students to photograph and edit but also remind them how to narrate, expose and argue something through the aesthetic value of the scenes.
Image by Manfred Steger from pixabay.com
Conclusion
As we have seen, Belcher argues that it is important to redefine writing from a multimodal design perspective because most writing is presented in a multimodal way in the digital age. In addition, an approach centered on multimodal design is learner-centric, autonomy-motivating, voice-enhancing and audience-engaging, offering opportunities for L2 authors. Finally, writing teachers are expected to be facilitators of multimodal design. This is because writing teachers can refer to representative teaching methods, lessons and digital project samples. This inclusive and collaborative pedagogy is worth advocating for (Hafner, 2014). But teachers should be vigilant about helping language learners apply technology in a reasonable way to achieve their communication goals.
Please feel free to share your thoughts to this post.
From my perspective, multimodal writing lesson plan would be the new trend as students are more involved in writing activities. Learners are able to experience the authentic context with videos and PowerPoint presentation, and thus write in a way that are more closed to real life of the target language. Teachers are supposed to equipped themselves with new literacies and adopt them into practical teaching process.
Thank you for your comments. I really agree with you that teachers need to be trained professionally to enhance their digital literacy. To be specific, workshops or online courses in digital literacy might be conducted by experts in schools to encourage teachers to do collaborative learning and share information with their colleagues.
I agree that teachers have to think about using resources from the Internet and multimedia to prepare their writing lessons since students nowadays are engaging in digital activities. Teachers can refer to representative teaching methods and digital project samples to become facilitators of multimodal writing. I think this is a quite collaborative pedagogy which is worth advocating.
I am impressed by the description that we need to use writing instruction to facilitate the composition, creation, and communication of meaning, which can be the core support for why the multimodal writing is essenstial. In the digital era, the way of producing and spreading information is increasingly colorful. To keep pace with the era and also to make the most of the era, we need to absorb new concepts and apply them in our study and daily life.
I agree with what you said. Living in the digital age, students are exposed to a more vivid and dynamic world. Multimodal writing can be more creative and engaging. Students can be not only be aware of their identity as writers. They will also have the awareness of how to attract audience or keep close connection or interaction with their reviewers. In addition, multimodal writing can facilitate students’ development of digital literacies since more often they are not simply facing black and white printed texts and writing. They need to deal with multimodal literacy in their study and their future work. Thus, multimodal wiritng can facilitate their development as a competent writer in the new era. Teachers should therefore keep up with the pace and be trained to guide and teach learners with the latest techniques of multimodal writing.
In my opinion, multimodal writing instruction is quite essential for language learners as it recognizes that communication is not only limited to the written words, but can also integrate speaking, listening, reading, and writing. In addition, multimodal writing practices in the classroom can contribute to learners’ digital literacies and better equip them for a digitally mediated world, which is characterized by more active participation and digital practices in workplaces.
In today’s digital age, multimodal writing teaching is a necessaity. In most wirting classroom, many teachers still focus on the traditional wiriting forms, but students have extensive experience in multimodal writing outside the classroom. Therefore, language teaching should apply multimodal composition, which covers a variety of mediums—including web pages that use text and images, videos to present information, or other kinds of multimedia texts as well as photo and video essays. it will arm them with basic language skills and strategies for future work and life in such a digital world.
However, multimodal composition instruction also brings challenges to many instructors.
As language teachers, we should first be familar with different multimedia texts so that we can better give a clear introduction to our students. Then, we can provide the basic framework for sequencing and scaffolding multimodal composition, according to the teaching context, students’ life experience and language proficiency and etc.
Thank you for commenting. I really agree with you that we should view multimodal writing teaching dialectically. To reduce the challenges in multimodal writing, teachers might need to develop their understanding of the purpose by using a consistent structure and organization through teaching. Also, teachers may have to consider before the class using certain kinds of tools and technologies that can help integrate different modes of communication of students.
I think L2 learners can connect their lives to the digital multimodal writing. For example, they can introduce their cities, towns, and local food on an online travel platform and welcome their foreign net-friends to travel in their hometowns. They can learn how to write the genre of a travel script first and then write down on their own what they want to share with global net citizens. When they post their compositions online, they are encouraged to add illustrations or an engaging video related to the content of their travel script on the page.
I like this approach because a project like this positions students as experts who have something valuable to say, including some specialized knowledge that they can share about their home towns with an authentic audience. Then it takes things one step further to condier the multimodal design – that is, how they can go about sharing that knowlege in an effective way.
From my own experience, I believe that multimodal instruction is relatively common at my primary and secondary school levels. Teachers use a lot of pictures, music, and videos in the classroom in order to motivate us to learn. This also allowed us to be more integrated into the class. However, after moving on to undergraduate and postgraduate levels, this pattern seems to be less common. The teacher tends to be more direct with the content, and the slides are very simple, with black text on a white background. I once interviewed a teacher about this, and she felt that using too much of it (picture, video, music ) made the class seem childish. A bit curious about how we can integrate multimodal writing into adult education.
I used to be a trainee teacher in primary school, and I have witnessed how multimodal teaching has gradually developed and become popular English classrooms in primary schools over the years. By now, almost all teachers receive some training on how to use multimodal teaching tools before they start their careers. I personally believe that there are two difficulties when using this type of approach in primary schools. The first thing is that children tend to be distracted by the video or pictures in class. Thus, the teacher needs to be proficient in managing the class effectively. And the teachers also need to be more selective and alerted when choosing multimodal teaching resources to make sure that it is appropriate and accessible.
It’s great to hear that multimodal teaching has become more prevalent in primary schools, as it can be an effective way to engage students and enhance their learning experience. However, as you noted, there are some challenges associated with this approach. So I try to propose some solutions:
One of the main difficulties is managing student attention. With the use of videos and images, students can easily become distracted or disengaged from the lesson. To address this, teachers can use various strategies such as incorporating interactive elements into the lesson or providing opportunities for students to engage with the material in different ways. Additionally, teachers can establish clear expectations for student behavior during multimodal lessons and provide regular reminders throughout the lesson.
Another challenge is choosing appropriate and accessible multimodal resources. Teachers need to be careful in selecting resources that are age-appropriate, culturally sensitive, and accessible to all students, including those with disabilities. Teachers can collaborate with other educators or use reputable sources to find appropriate resources, and they can also adapt resources to make them more accessible if needed.
Overall, multimodal teaching can be a powerful tool in primary education, but it requires careful planning and execution to ensure that it is effective and accessible to all students
Hi Sophia~ I am deeply impressed by your comment and would like to share my thoughts. In terms of the first challenge of multimodal writing you mentioned, I agree that the combination of music, pictures and videos would easily distract students’ attention. However, this is the most attractive and engaging affordance that multimodal provides compared with traditional writing.
By composing such a multimodal writing, students have to think critically and creatively, and they would be aware of the advantages of these tools(music, pictures, subtitles, videos) in helping them expressing their ideas and meaning. Therefore, the approach of multimodal writing requires teachers to be equipped with more updated training so that to help learners notice the differences between traditional writing and multimodal writing.
Secondly, teachers need to provide scaffolding such as how to utilize different software or platforms to present their multimodal writing, paying attention to copyright issues when using others’ pictures or videos, and the shooting techniques etc. Thus, students can learn multiple skills while composing multimodal writing compared with traditional writing.
One of my concerns of multimodal writing is that if it is introduced to the context of mainland China, it might encounter several problems that need to be addressed. First, since the size of a class is usually very big (approximately 50 in middle schools), the arrangement of grouping can be a problem. Teacher needs to consider seriously about the grouping arrangement. Second, since multimodal writing is a project task with clear aims, it is comparatively time-consuming in terms of composing and presenting. Therefore, the final presentation and assessment of their group works is also a challenge. Whether these multimodal writings should be teacher-assessed or peer-assessed or Whether they should be presented one by one or only the best ones be presented deserve careful consideration.
Finally, although implementing multimodal writing may encounter new challenges, it is still of great value for teachers to utilize this new tool help learners experience the affordances it brings about.
I think multimodal writing is a very useful way for teacher to implement in classroom,as it enables students in our classes work on assignments that draw on multiple modes that might include words, images, graphics, animation, sounds, or video. They have opportunities to process information through listening, speaking, reading, writing, and visual representation as well as opportunities to showcase knowledge through oral presentations and videos. They make arguments through text, images, and video, they work on using presentation media effectively, and they participate in class discussions both orally and online.
Through remediation, students transform material that is in one genre or mode to another. They enhance their rhetorical skills and reflect on the process of creating and conveying ideas by preserving the original material, while adapting it to the requirements of the new form. By exposing students to the different ways and forms in which information and ideas can be communicated, our classes build on the language, visual and oral skills, and multicultural backgrounds of our students.
I see multimodal writing as an effective way for me to learn English while using it and to use it to learn, as we live in a digital area and do multimodal writing on a regular basis. For example, when I write and post sth on social media, I usually connect my daily life experiences, which makes me feel easier to apply my language knowledge in a real spot. Also, I can use not only texts to express myself. I can use images, videos, links, etc. as well. This boosts my learning interest and self-efficacy a lot.
Multimodal design of writing is valuable to language and literacy learners, especially second language learners. Under the background of abundant online resources, second language learners can better learn writing in second language through multimodal tools and modes. For example, by using some of the material on the website and incorporating multimodal writing into the writing process, multimodal writing gives second language learners the opportunity to learn from each other and from excellent writers online, as many of our ideas and communications move online.
As a result of the constant advancement of science and technology，increasing numbers of students are beginning to utilise social media. In this situation, the enhancement of students’ multimodal writing skills is also extremely beneficial for their employment. Multimodal writing can enhance students’ practical writing skills and allow them to interact with other users while writing. I discovered that teachers at City University of Hong Kong have also adopted multimodal writing instruction. For example, our capstone course allows students to submit video papers as their final product, which are also a kind of multimodal writing.
I think it is critical for teachers improve their professional knowledge continuously to enhance their digital literacy. Redefining writing from a multimodal design can motivate
L2 author’s writing interesting and stimulate more ideas.
I agree with your view. I believe that multimodal writing makes the writing class funnier, more exciting and more creative especially for young learners. However, at the same time, multimodal writing may have many disadvantages. For example, from my experience, time could be an issue. , it can be difficult to teach and at the same time use multimodal texts within the time limit of a class (normally 40 minutes)for primary school students.
It reminds me of an experience of creating multimodal writing back in university. Divided into several groups, students were required to select a brand and create a poster with an introduction, slogans and pictures or voice clips. To complete the task successfully, we have to consider the poster’s topic, genre, audience and purpose and work on it with digital tools such as PS, shared documents, etc. We all found it more interesting than traditional writing and have gained a lot.
One of reasons to explain the popularity of the multimodal writing is that the main purpose of it is not to practice or improve writing skills by a lot of output but is to “share”—share the opinions on some specific issue or share daily life clip or share prompt ideas or share knowledge and so on. I think it is important for L2 learners to keep the desire for sharing when multimodal writing lessons are designed. Teachers as facilitator can encourage them to think about their own interests and help them find suitable digital wild or affinity groups to join in. Under such context, students can freely share with high motivation and without pressure.
Multimodal L2 writing is an effective way to develop language proficiency while also promoting creativity and critical thinking. By incorporating a range of modes of expression, students can develop their ability to communicate effectively in a variety of contexts, both in and out of the classroom.
I think it is an effective way for students to learn from multimodal writing instruction. People can make use of multiple resources during this process and grasp many skills except languages. But I want to know if there are some examples or effective ways to conduct multimodal writing instruction.
Multimodal writing is essential for second language teaching; language teaching can not be limited to traditional writing classrooms because the students will be exposed to multimedia outside the class. Teachers should use multimodal instruction to meet students’ increasing learning needs. We can provide our students with various kinds of information for writing and engage them with digital literacies.
Totally agree with you. I think writing should be re-conceptualized from a multimodal design perspective because most writing nowadays in the digital age is presented in a multimodal way. Therefore, writing instruction should be understood as facilitating the composition, creation, and communication of meaning using a wide range of semiotic tools.
The text is ambiguous, so the reader is somehow unable to fully understand the author’s meaning through the text or to imagine exactly the same picture as the author had in mind. The text erects an inevitable barrier between the reader and the writer. However, the advent of multimodal writing has made expression more accurate. By using multimodality, the author can convey the meaning to the reader in a specific and precise way, but this also eliminates the possibility for the reader to rework and recreate in the process of understanding.
I think teachers can adjust their teaching strategies appropriately according to the above characteristics. For example, multimodal writing is useful in expository writing, but perhaps pure text can bring more possibilities to the reader when telling a story.
Also, I think multimodal writing is much an increasingly common practice in everyday life. And the instruction of multimodal composition is morelikely to be process-oritented. So, I’m wondering how can we monitor students’ composition process, and how can we evaluate the whole thing( both the process and the product)?
Multimodal texts are a product of technological developments and the popularity of social media. Introducing multimodal writing into the language classroom can prepare students for real-world needs. DMC involves not only language procifiency and writing skills, but also requires other skills, including technical skills and the ability to organize and integrate various modalities. It is definitely motivating and interesting for students. Moreover, assessing these DMC tasks may be challenging for teachers. More pedagogical framework for assessment need to be studied, thus, teachers can give more helpful feedback to their students.
Multimodal writing, a combination of writing skills and other digital literacies, is meaningful and demanding for learners and teachers. The success of multimodal writing tasks needs well-rounded skills, comprehensive and systemic instructions, and reasonable assessments. Students require enough scaffolding, while teachers need targeted training and complete preparation.
In my opinion, with the development of technology, multimodal composition has become indispensable and unstoppable. Introducing multimodal writing into the language teaching classroom is undoubtedly beneficial, both for teachers and students. Because, in addition to the traditional expression in words, people can use pictures, audio, video, hyperlinks or pop-up windows to express their opinions more completely and in detail, and it can also make it easier for others to understand what they express. This is more in line with the needs of today’s real life. But this requires both teachers and students to master and use digital literacy skills to a certain extent.
However, introducing multimodal writing to language classrooms in Mainland China requires consideration of many issues. For example, whether the size of the class allows the writing teaching to be carried out smoothly. The second is whether students have the opportunity to use electronic devices such as mobile phones and tablets (especially for primary and secondary school students). Furthermore, how can teachers guide students to use these electronic devices correctly instead of playing games, binge watching videos, etc.
The development of technology has brought writing into a new era, which puts a higher demand on both teachers and learners. I really agree that teachers should be facilitators of multimodal design. Integrating multimodal composition into learning helps students develop the necessary skills for multimodal design which may be beneficial for their further careers, as well as improve their critical thinking and creativity. However, as mentioned in previous comments, teachers need to consider whether it is feasible to carry out multimodal writing tasks in their teaching contexts. They should also carefully design the activities and prepare for the possible challenges that may appear in multimodal writing tasks.
I agree with you. The multimodal writing task is meaningful, which integrates listening, speaking, reading, and writing. They also exercise students’ critical thinking and creativity, which is beneficial for students’ future careers. But they have higher requirements for teachers and students. While teachers can take inspiration from some of the pioneers of digital teaching, teachers also face a lot of practical problems. For example, how to design and implement multimodal writing tasks, how to manage the multimodal writing classroom and so on.
In the digital age, more and more people will express their opinions and share their lives on social media. Digital tools play an essential role in both L1 and L2 writing. Therefore, English teachers must integrate digital literacy into writing teaching. I agree that this teaching practice can encourage students to be active participants in their digital life, engage in meaningful discursive practices, and make them more effective communicators. However, this is hard to achieve in primary and secondary schools in mainland China. One of the crucial reasons is that students learn English only to cope with exams and do not realize that English can be used for cross-cultural communication, such as sharing knowledge, expressing themselves, giving opinions, etc. Moreover, English teaching is exam-oriented. And examinations barely involve multimodal practices. If teachers are to become facilitators of multimodal writing, they must first develop their awareness of digital literacies. They should understand that the application of digital resources greatly motivates students to learn English and participate in the digitally mediated world.
Multimodal writing is a very effective way to improve leaners’ abilities of using language in authentic language environment and orchestrating various semiotic resources for meaning making. It is very necessary to introduce it into traditional classroom teaching. However, as it is a newly-emerged language learning activity, corresponding teaching strategies are not mature. Thus, I think specialized training should be carried out to enhance teachers’ teaching abilities.
With the advent of technology and the Internet, the emergence and advancement of multimodal writing have opened up new possibilities for L2 learning and teaching. However, this also places new demands on second language learners and educators. First, they need to have a high level of digital literacy and a deep understanding of it in order to use it in their daily teaching and learning. Second, the Internet is deceptive and indirect, so students and teachers need to be able to distinguish the authenticity of writing resources on the Internet. At the same time, multimodal writing requires a high degree of autonomy and prohibits plagiarism. It also challenges teachers to identify whether students’ works are original or not.