Fostering Students’ Multiliteracies through Multimodalities Afforded by Emerging Technologies

The transformation of traditional literacy practices toward multiliteracies has become a keen area of research in recent times, as interests in exploring how modalities can support students to enhance their communicative intent. Even though affordances of digital technology in enhancing students’ language learning are extensive, its integration in course design and implementation, particularly in English as a Foreign Language (EFL), is not without difficulties. This is largely due to the fragmental and receptive shortcomings of traditional literacy educational practices, such as drill practices.

This presentation will report on different projects which engaged students in interweaving different modalities to create content via Youtube, AR, VR, or Service Robots, that aims to promote Taiwan, while uplifting their multiliteracies. These projects focused on advanced level undergraduate students taking a one-semester Multimedia English course at a university in Central Taiwan. The project findings illustrated students’ active learning in regenerating knowledge about their culture to both local and foreign audiences with language learning. The pedagogical implications for language teachers will be discussed, based upon how these affordances allowed students to interweave different modalities to advance their digital competencies and multiliteracies.