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20230720T083020230720T1615Europe/Amsterdam[SYMP12] AILA ReN - Researching Literature in Language Learning and BeyondHybrid Session (onsite/online)AILA 2023 - 20th Anniversary Congress Lyon Editioncellule.congres@ens-lyon.fr
Linkages between literary reading, general aesthetic competence, and literary competence in the EFL classroom
Oral Presentation[SYMP12] AILA ReN - Researching Literature in Language Learning and Beyond08:30 AM - 04:15 PM (Europe/Amsterdam) 2023/07/20 06:30:00 UTC - 2024/07/20 14:15:00 UTC
See Argument.
Developing students' literacy skills alongside their linguistic and intercultural competence via literary works, both textual and multimodal, has become an important component of foreign language (FL) curricula at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels in many countries. The development is predicated on the belief that, among other things, literature increases students' immersion in the target language, boosts their cultural knowledge, creativity, critical thinking skills, vocabulary and grammar knowledge, and enhances their pragmatic competence (Hall, 2015). Yet, to work with literature, students should possess some level of literary competence, that is, "the ability to draw meaning from a literary text by identifying the skills required for the analysis of the text, by applying them accordingly, and by being aware of what can be gained by applying these skills" (Paran et al., 2020, p. 327). In developing such competence, students' progress may be affected by traits like their reading orientation (i.e., how they respond to literature regardless of type or genre), creativity, or aesthetic awareness, among other things. However, research on literature (mostly of the purely textual variety) in language education has primarily explored students' and teachers' beliefs regarding the use of literature as a language resource, approaches to teaching with literature, and its effects on student motivation and achievement (see Paran, 2008). In contrast, few studies have investigated students' literary competence (e.g., Qutub, 2018) and the cognitive, affective, or psychological factors (including traits) that may influence it, especially in relation to both textual and multimodal literary texts. My presentation will report the findings from a 117-item online questionnaire-based study involving 265 university students in France who were studying English as an FL as part of their degree programs. The study explored their literary reading orientation, general aesthetic awareness, their literary competence when reading textual and multimodal literature via an online self-assessment, and the extent to which their general aesthetic awareness and reading orientation predicted their literary competence scores. The study's findings indicated that the participants' reading orientation drew strongly from Story-Driven Reading while their literary competence scores were significantly lower for textual literature than for multimodal literature. Moreover, their literary competence scores were statistically significantly predicted by certain components of their reading orientation and, to some extent, their general aesthetic competence. I will discuss the implications of these findings for teacher education programs and classroom instruction involving the use of literature as a language resource.
References: Hall, G. (2015). Literature in language education. Springer. Paran, A. (2008). The role of literature in instructed foreign language learning and teaching: An evidence-based survey. Language Teaching, 41(4), 465-496. Paran, A., Spöttl, C., Ratheiser, U., & Eberharter, K. (2020). Measuring literary competences in SLA. In P. Winke, & T. Brunfaut (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of second language acquisition and language testing (pp. 326-337). Routledge. Qutub, M. (2018). Assessing literature for the classroom among female learners of English in an EFL context in Saudi Arabia. In S. Hidri (Ed.), Revisiting the assessment of second language abilities: From theory to practice (pp. 217-237). Springer.
Re-thinking Picturebooks for Intermediate and Advanced Learners
Oral Presentation[SYMP12] AILA ReN - Researching Literature in Language Learning and Beyond08:30 AM - 04:15 PM (Europe/Amsterdam) 2023/07/20 06:30:00 UTC - 2024/07/20 14:15:00 UTC
Whereas the potential of picturebooks in primary ELT can be regarded as undisputed, research so far offers few perspectives on their value for intermediate and advanced learners of English. With our presentation, we argue for including picturebooks as a new format of literature in the context of secondary ELT. We aim at initiating a discourse that transcends discursive boundaries which construct the picturebook as a stereotypically childish medium. With this in mind, we seek to show from a conceptual perspective how picturebooks as complex multimodal texts - in the sense of crossover/all age texts - can be legitimized for intermediate and advanced learners. Such a turn in re-thinking picturebooks seems promising because their complex designs, their mediality and multimodality as well as their thematic orientation open up new perspectives for secondary ELT. In embracing these perspectives, we show how picturebooks address complex topics such as global issues, negotiations of cultural identities and diversity, de/colonizing and post-colonial issues, as well as complex competences and literacies such as visual literacy, critical (media) literacy, and multimodal literacy. For all of these topics and teaching objectives, we present empirical pathways into exploring picturebooks with intermediate and advanced learners in secondary ELT classrooms.
The starting point of our research is the observation that while picturebooks are widely accepted in primary English Language Teaching (ELT), they are hardly ever considered as a promising literary format for intermediate and advanced learners in secondary ELT (cf. Alter/Merse forthcoming). From a conceptual-theoretical perspective, we argue, this uninterrogated field of engagement in research and practice seems remarkable as picturebooks hold in store a wide range of thematic, linguistic, formal, and aesthetic complexities that go beyond their usual construction as a 'childish' text. By extension, these complexities engender a diverse set of possible classroom applications particularly suitable for secondary ELT – albeit largely unearthed so far. We will reflect on the question "Who are picturebooks for?" to deconstruct discursive boundaries that position picturebooks as an exclusive medium for primary ELT, and re-think picturebooks as potential literary formats for intermediate and advanced learners in secondary ELT. This will be coupled with a tour d'horizon of current picturebook research, including our own, and of concrete examples of picturebook texts. These will illustrate the challenging complexity of picturebooks, e.g., in view of notions of dual audience and crossover texts, and how verbal and visual texts work in tandem to create rich narratives (cf., Ommundsen 2018). Such narratives, as we will show, also unfold a broad thematic complexity that move picturebooks toward more advanced audiences while retaining the literary format of the picturebook, e.g., by addressing challenging or even controversial themes including the representation of diverse identities, dysfunctional societies, experiences of colonization, drug abuse, or environmental protection (cf. Ommundsen/Haaland/Kümmerling-Meibauer 2022). These conceptual reflections will lead us to suggesting pathways for empirical research and classroom applications that show how picturebooks can be used in secondary ELT contexts to foster communicative and literary competences alongside visual and multimodal literacies,work on objectives associated with inter- and transcultural learning and cultural diversity, engage with content areas in and beyond ELT curricula, and todevelop critical literacy. What we consider promising here is a connection of analytical and formal approaches (Nikolajeva/Scott 2000) with Reader Response Theory that invites learners to voice their impressions of a picturebook text in terms of its aesthetics, its visual and verbal impact, and its content. We will also discuss a range of research approaches that might lend themselves to exploring picturebooks in secondary ELT, in particular conceptual groundwork, action research, classroom observation, or action- and production-oriented approaches. To conclude with, we will outline suggestions for teacher education that are conducive to preparing teachers for integrating picturebooks into their secondary ELT classrooms. Alter, Grit/Merse, Thorsten (forthcoming, 2022). Re-thinking Picturebooks for Intermediate and Advanced Learners: Perspectives for Secondary English Language Education. Narr Francke Attempto. Nikolajeva, Maria & Scot, Carole (2000). The dynamics of picturebook communication. Children's Literature in Education 31 (4), 225–239. Ommundsen, Åse Marie (2018). Picturebooks for adults. In: Kümmerling-Meibauer, Bettina (ed.). The Routledge Companion to Picturebooks. Routledge, 220-230. Ommundsen, Åse Marie/Haaland, Gunnar/Kümmerling-Meibauer, Bettina (eds.). (2022). Exploring Challenging Picturebooks in Education. International Perspectives on Language and Literature Learning. Routledge.
Presenters Grit Alter Professor, University College Of Teacher EducationThorsten Merse Full Professor, Duisburg-Essen
Upon Demand: The use Blackout Poetry in developing Communicative Language Skills in Trainee Teachers
[SYMP12] AILA ReN - Researching Literature in Language Learning and Beyond08:30 AM - 04:15 PM (Europe/Amsterdam) 2023/07/20 06:30:00 UTC - 2024/07/20 14:15:00 UTC
Blackout poetry is a subgenre of found poetry where writers create their own poems by deliberately crossing out unwanted words from a single existing text (Hilbun, 2015; Ladenheim, 2013). As a teacher educator, I illustrate how blackout poetry was introduced to develop coherence and cohesion in writing and tonal inflection in speaking in a B.Ed Communication Skills module for trainee teachers in Mauritius. Data collection tools included a word cloud, an open-ended questionnaire, and a focus group discussion. Findings via thematic analysis reveal that most participants felt and believed that blackout poetry effectively developed their confidence in speaking especially when using natural and artificial intonation to sustain the interest of audiences. Participants also believed that blackout poetry helped them write more coherently and cohesively which had a ripple effect on their functional writing. Results also accentuate that blackout poetry contributed to developing their skills in reading for understanding and appreciation. This study advocates for the use of different literary genres in Communication Skills modules for teacher training, especially in contexts such as Mauritius where exposure to English proficiency is traditionally taught. This study extends the use of the Language-based theory (Lazar, 1993) from pedagogy to andragogy.
Blackout poetry is a popular subgenre of found poetry where writers create their own poems by deliberately crossing out unwanted words from a single existing text (Hilbun, 2015; Ladenheim, 2013). As a teacher educator, I engaged in practitioner research to illustrate how Design Thinking as an andragogical approach helped reconceptualize the teaching and learning trajectory of P.E and Arabic trainee-teachers for a Communication and Soft Skills module for English in a B.Ed programme in Mauritius. Upon demand for more creativity and innovation in the communicative sessions by the trainee-teachers, blackout poetry was introduced to develop coherence and cohesion in writing and tonal inflection in speaking. Data collection tools included a word cloud, an open-ended questionnaire, and a focus group discussion. Findings via thematic analysis reveal that most participants felt and believed that blackout poetry was effective in developing their confidence in speaking especially when using natural and artificial intonation to sustain the interest of audiences. Participants also believed that blackout poetry helped them write more coherently and cohesively which had a ripple effect on their functional writing. Interestingly, findings also accentuate that blackout poetry in the communicative sessions contributed to developing their skills in reading for understanding and appreciation. This study suggests that there is not only a demand but there is scope for the use of different literary genres to be infused in Communication Skills modules for teacher training, especially in contexts such as Mauritius where exposure to English proficiency is taught in traditional ways. This study, therefore, extends the use of the Language-based theory (Lazar, 1993) from pedagogy to its use in andragogical contexts such as teacher education.
Bibliography Hilbun, J., Abbas, J., Koh, K., Irvin, V., Rhinesmith, C., Dettmann, M., & Gavigan, K. (2015). Find Poetry: Using Found Poems in School and Public Libraries to Enhance Student Creativity and Writing. The Journal of Research on Libraries and Young Adults, 6(4) Ladenheim, Melissa, "Engaging Honors Students through Newspaper Blackout Poetry" (2014). Honors in Practice -- Online Archive. 206. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nchchip/206 Lazar, G. (1993). Literature and language teaching: A guide for teachers and trainers. Cambridge University Press.
Literature Class Projects in Chilean teacher training: diagnosing trainees’ classroom interactional competences in collaborative simulated co-teaching sessions
Oral Presentation[SYMP12] AILA ReN - Researching Literature in Language Learning and Beyond08:30 AM - 04:15 PM (Europe/Amsterdam) 2023/07/20 06:30:00 UTC - 2024/07/20 14:15:00 UTC
It is a truth universally acknowledged that teaching EFL in Latin America presents innumerable challenges, such as students' low motivation and alienation towards the English lessons, the lack of resources, low proficiency and a primarily grammar-based approach. To tackle these issues, we propose the "Literature Class Projects" (LCP). These are simulated co-teaching sessions in which trainees use literature as authentic material to teach the target language and culture. LCPs provide them with different tools for teaching, preparing them to incorporate a myriad of resources instead of relying solely on the course textbook. After the performance of the LCP, the students diagnose their classroom interactional competence (CIC). To do so, we have been using the Self-Evaluation-of-Teacher-Talk (SETT) framework to teach them about the use of embodied resources when doing the LCPs, such as hand gestures, manipulation of teaching materials, and gaze shifts to engage learners.
This presentation will show two distinctive methods implemented since 2010 in the Anglophone literature subjects in the EFL teacher training programme at Universidad Austral de Chile: the "Literature Class Projects" (LCP), and the diagnosis of trainees' use of language and bodies for teaching (their CIC). LCPs train pre-service teachers to include non-graded literary texts based on learner-centred teaching, literature-based instruction, scaffolding, and communicative, text, task and project-based approaches, among others. In LCPs trainees work in groups (3-4 students[1]) in a series of simulated co-teaching sessions based on one (of the ten) readings that comprise the course which is also built upon a semiotic perspective; therefore, students are provided with texts in different formats: videos, songs, short stories, poems, etc. Thanks to the LCPs, the literature subjects in our training programme changed from lectures to student-teacher collaboration: interpersonal relationships strengthened; grades (from first to the second term) significantly increased; soft skills and pedagogical abilities related to lesson planning, classroom management, assessment and performance in front of an audience bettered; motivation to read and critically analyse the texts improved. By exploring the literary pieces through the eyes of a teacher and finding ways to design their LCPs, they have drawn closer to the target culture, considerably expanding their knowledge and understanding of the anglophone countries. By combining the LCP's methodology and Multimodal Conversation Analysis we study the trainee teachers' verbal and embodied practices. This allows us to reflect on interaction including all bodily resources: voice, body, gestures and gaze. This way, we can diagnose their CIC when performing the LCPs to give them feedback and develop training workshops tailored to their particular needs. In short, throughout the 10 years of LCPs, we have corroborated their validity and reliability as a methodology that can be applied globally regardless of the country, culture, language and modality. References Abrahams, M. J. & Farías, M. (2010). Struggling for Change in Chilean EFL Teacher Education. Colombian Applied Linguistic Journal. 12(2). 110-118 Barahona, M. (2014). Pre-service teachers' beliefs in the activity of learning to teach English in the Chilean context. Cultural-Historical Psychology. 10(2). 116-122 Richard-Amato, P. (2010). Making it Happen, New York, NY: Longman. Paran, A. (2008). The role of literature in instructed foreign language learning and teaching: An evidence-based survey. Language Teaching,41(4), 465-496. doi:10.1017/S026144480800520X Tsang, A. and Paran, A. (2021), Learners' views of literature in EFL education from curricular and assessment perspectives. The Curriculum Journal, 32: 459-474. https://doi.org/10.1002/curj.102 Walsh, S. (2013) Classroom discourse and teacher development. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. [1] We have an average of 30 to 40 students per class.
Promoting viewpoint diversity and critical thinking through literary text-based discussion
Oral Presentation[SYMP12] AILA ReN - Researching Literature in Language Learning and Beyond08:30 AM - 04:15 PM (Europe/Amsterdam) 2023/07/20 06:30:00 UTC - 2024/07/20 14:15:00 UTC
Given the disparity in sociopolitical values, viewpoint diversity is an inescapable feature of any issue which invites collective consideration. Rawls (2005) argues that even on intractably contentious questions such as those around morality and religion, disagreement is not only an inevitable but a reasonable supposition. Indeed, in contemporary multicultural democracies it is typical to have competing, even incompatible, ideas exist side by side as comparatively reasonable propositions. My presentation is based on findings from my doctoral research, which explored the development of critical thinking through the reading and discussion of literary texts in a reading circle. This discussion format afforded students the opportunity to express their views on various-often controversial-issues arising from the texts, without fear of censure or censorship. Discussions often led to what I call a transactional dialectic among participants, a dynamic atmosphere of discursive inquiry characterised by regulated, purposeful, potentially adversarial but ultimately collaborative argumentation. Overall, I will illustrate the potential of using literary texts for critical thinking development in the university classroom. I will also touch on the implications of dialogic talk informed by such texts, with reference to current debates in university education and related contentions in broader society.
Given the disparity in sociopolitical values, viewpoint diversity is an inescapable feature of any issue which invites collective consideration. Rawls (2005) argues that even on intractably contentious questions such as those around morality and religion, disagreement is not only an inevitable but a reasonable supposition. Indeed, in contemporary multicultural democracies it is typical to have competing, even incompatible, ideas exist side by side as comparatively reasonable propositions. Two political parties, for instance, can have equally persuasive but diametrically opposed ideologies, yet still both exist in the same society and command similarly enthusiastic support. Yet tensions between increasingly sophisticated and influential channels of communication, most notably social and mainstream news media, routinely magnify ideological differences between individuals and groups to degrees of distortion not previously witnessed (Rauch, 2021). To be able to navigate the exigencies of current sociopolitical diversity and its consequent divisions, students need to develop their critical thinking skills and dispositions. I suggest that literature-based dialogic discussion provides an appropriate context for the expression of divergent perspectives and critical thinking development. It is within the context of dialogic discussion of literary and other texts, where 'wide-angle' education (Widdowson, 1983) comprises multiple voices speaking collaboratively to the same issue and thereby invoking the wisdom of crowds (Surowiecki, 2004), that sociopolitical differences can begin to be constructively addressed. My presentation is based on findings from my recent doctoral research, which took the form of a classroom intervention on a foundation English for Academic Purposes (EAP) course. The study explored the development of critical thinking through the reading and discussion of literary texts in a reading circle. This discussion format afforded students the opportunity to express their views on various-often controversial-issues arising from the texts, without fear of censure or censorship. Discussions often led to what I call a transactional dialectic among participants, a dynamic atmosphere of discursive inquiry characterised by regulated, purposeful, potentially adversarial but ultimately collaborative argumentation. Overall, I will draw on my findings to illustrate the potential of using literary texts for critical thinking development in the university classroom. I will also touch on the implications of dialogic talk informed by such texts, with reference to current debates in university education and related contentions in broader society. References Rauch, J. (2021). The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth. Brookings Institution Press. Rawls, J. (2005). Political Liberalism. Columbia University Press. Surowiecki, J. (2004). The wisdom of crowds. Abacus. Widdowson, H. G. (1983). Learning Purpose and Language Use. Oxford University Press.
Presenters Clifford Kast Lecturer/Student, Roehampton University/UCL Institute Of Education
Literature in Public School English Classes: a case study in the COVID-19 pandemics in Brazil
Oral Presentation[SYMP12] AILA ReN - Researching Literature in Language Learning and Beyond08:30 AM - 04:15 PM (Europe/Amsterdam) 2023/07/20 06:30:00 UTC - 2024/07/20 14:15:00 UTC
This presentation indicates partial results of a research on the impacts of the literary text in English classes of a public high school in the Southern of Brazil. Lessons that have already been developed were built in the light of Vygotsky's Sociocultural Historical Theory (SCHT) and aimed at literary literacy (Cosson 2015). In order to do so, proper strategies were conducted from the choice of text to the activities proposed, taking into consideration the varied levels of proficiency of the students, and the pandemic that led to remote learning. Some partial findings indicate potentialities of working with literature to develop literary literacy - something that is traditionally investigated in the first language - and critical literacy, which is so essential for our society (Solera 2020; Bertonha 2021). A proposal for creative writing inspired by the text that was read points to the relevance of opening more space for written production in another language in a more subjective way. One of the outcomes of the study being developed is to encourage practices with pre-service and in-service teachers so that they get more familiar with the potentialities of the literary text in English.
The objective of this presentation is to indicate partial results of a research in Applied Linguistics, which investigates the impacts of the literary text in English classes of a public high school in the Southern region of Brazil. Amongst the reasons for this research focus, we point to the lack of encouragement for the use of literature in English classes in the new national curricular base for basic education (Brasil, 2018), together with heterogeneous levels of language proficiency and few weekly hours for the subject, which lead to the avoidance of the literary text by many teachers, who are also unfamiliar with strategies to work with it (Santos 2015; Cardoso 2021). Due to this, there are still sparse studies developed on this subject in the public high school context in Brazil (Garcia 2017; Viana and Zyngier 2020). For this investigation, lessons were built in the light of Sociocultural Historical Theory (SCHT) and aimed at inspiring literary literacy (Cosson 2015) - that is, the literary text is presented not as an item to be analysed and studied in terms of vocabulary and grammar, but as a literary artifact that provokes fruition. In order to do so, proper strategies were conducted from the choice of text to the activities proposed, taking into consideration the school context that is described above, in addition to the synchronous format imposed by Covid-19 pandemics. This demanded a necessary integration of mediation strategies to the on-line format, promoting new experiments on pre, during, and post-reading practices through different applications. Some partial findings from classes taught in 2021 indicate potentialities of working with literature as a means to lead students to literary literacy - a concept that is traditionally investigated in the first language - and critical literacy, which is so essential for our society (Solera 2020; Bertonha 2021). The partial analysis of productions written by students, derived from a proposal for writing inspired by the text that was read, demonstrates the relevance of opening more space for written production in foreign language in a more subjective way, providing access to what was called by Vygotsky as perezhivanie: a "lived experience", which can be more freely brought up by a second language (Lantolf and Swain 2019). It also dialogues with Kozulin's concept (1998) of life as authoring. One of the outcomes of the study being developed is to encourage practices with pre-service and in-service teachers so that they get more familiar with the potentialities of the literary text in English. ish.
Presenters Elisa Seerig PhD Candidate, Universidade Do Vale Do Rio Dos Sinos / Università Degli Studi Di Padova Co-authors
Fostering SLA through literary texts by women writers of migrant origin and digital storytelling. A case study on Italian as a FL teachers in Argentina.
Oral Presentation[SYMP12] AILA ReN - Researching Literature in Language Learning and Beyond08:30 AM - 04:15 PM (Europe/Amsterdam) 2023/07/20 06:30:00 UTC - 2024/07/20 14:15:00 UTC
Several studies have explored the linguistic, intercultural, and digital benefits of using literature and digital storytelling in the FL classroom (Hetland, 2016; Trimboli, 2020). Moreover, literary texts by women writers of migrant origin have proved to challenge stereotypes, show the intersections between gender, ethnicity, and discrimination, and portray the plurilingual and multicultural identity of contemporary societies (Kiemle, 2011; Spaliviero, 2022). Nevertheless, as regards the teaching of Italian as a FL, studies concerning the employ of literature by women writers of migrant origin and digital storytelling from in-service teachers' perspectives are still lacking. Investigations examined both the potential of literature in the FL classroom (Paran, 2008; Diamantidaki, 2018) and teachers' beliefs in this field (Xerri, 2017; Calafato & Paran, 2019), but empirical research on Italian as a FL teacher education connected to the above-mentioned corpus and tools remains underexplored. The presentation deals with a case study of Italian as a FL teachers' professional development through literary texts by women writers of migrant origin and izi.TRAVEL (a website of city audio guides). The research involved 25 teachers of different Dante Alighieri Societies in Argentina, which is the sixth country in the world for number of students of Italian and the first in South America (MAECI, 2019). The presentation will first consider teachers' beliefs, practices, and needs regarding the use of literature and digital resources in the FL classroom. Next it will describe the main features of a training course concerning the teaching of Italian as a FL through literary texts by women writers of migrant origin and izi.TRAVEL. Finally, it will analyse the impact of course participation on teachers' professional development. Data were collected through questionnaires, teachers' diaries, and teaching materials. The purpose was to contribute to developing didactic practices aimed at promoting students' linguistic, literary, intercultural, and digital skills, starting from teacher training in these issues. Calafato, R., & Paran, A. (2019). Age as a Factor in Russian EFL Teacher Attitudes towards Literature in Language Education. Teaching and Teacher Education, 79, 28–37. Diamantidaki, F. (Ed.) (2018). Teaching Literature in Modern Foreign Languages. New York: Bloomsbury. Hetland, T. (Eds.) (2016). Teaching Literature with Digital Technology. Boston-New York: Bedford/St. Martin's. Kiemle, C. (2011). Ways of out Babel. Linguistic and Cultural Diversity in Contemporary Literature in Italy. Exploring Multilingualism and the Works of Immigrated Writers. Berlin: Trier. MAECI (2019). L'italiano nel mondo che cambia. https://www.sitocgie.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Rapporto-diffusione-italiano-2019.pdf Paran, A. (2008). The Role of Literature in Instructed Foreign Language Learning and Teaching: An Evidence-Based Survey. Language Teaching, 41(4), 465–496. Spaliviero, C. (2022). Teaching Italian as an L2/FL through Contemporary Italian Literature by Women Writers of Migrant Origin. A Conversation with Sumaya Abdel Qader about Quello che abbiamo in testa. Annali di Ca' Foscari. Serie occidentale, 56, 1–20. Trimboli, D. (2020). Mediating Multiculturalism. Digital Storytelling and the Everyday Ethnic. London-New York: Anthem. Xerri, D. (2017). Teachers' Beliefs and Literature Teaching: The Case of Poetry. In B. Schaff, J. Schlegel & C. Surkamp (Eds.), The Institution of English literature: Formation and Mediation. Göttingen: V&R, 207–229.
Presenters Camilla Spaliviero Post-doc Research Fellow In Educational Linguistics, Ca' Foscari University Of Venice, University Of Bologna
Using digital social reading to promote understanding of global issues and development of multiliteracies skills through YAL in the EFL classroom
Oral Presentation[SYMP12] AILA ReN - Researching Literature in Language Learning and Beyond08:30 AM - 04:15 PM (Europe/Amsterdam) 2023/07/20 06:30:00 UTC - 2024/07/20 14:15:00 UTC
It is now widely recognised that language teachers have a responsibility to help students develop the skills necessary to read the world and not just the word (Alvermann 2004, viii) and to progress towards becoming designers of meaning across proficiencies (Kern 2000; Allen & Paesani 2010) and across languages. One way to achieve this is by engaging students in participatory and interactive learning experiences which aim at critically discussing taboo and controversial topics (Boyd & Darragh 2019; Dail, Witte, & Bickmore 2018) through combining the power of Young Adult Literature (YAL) with that of digital tools. In this context, digital social reading, which is "the act of sharing one's thoughts about a text with the help of tools such as social media networks and collaborative annotation" (Blyth 2014, 205) has gained momentum as the new literacy practice able to bridge the gap between print and digital cultures. However, research on digital social reading in second language learning contexts is still scarce. Starting from these premises and with a view to contribute to the field, we investigated the results of a digital social reading project carried out during the wider Erasmus + project "DigLit - Lit. Up Your Phones: A Digital Toolkit for ESL / EFL Classroom to Combat Social Inequalities in Times of Covid19 Crises", which has involved three universities and three upper secondary schools across Austria, Italy, and Hungary in the period 2021-2023. The project aimed at providing EFL teachers with the tools necessary to promote awareness of global challenges (racism, gender issues, mental health, etc.) through the use of young adult literature in combination with mobile apps. In this talk, we will present the pedagogical design of the digital social reading project showing how the affordances of the social reading mobile app chosen were exploited to encourage students to empathise with the characters, understand the plot, and share their views and interpretations of the text with other readers. We will also share some of the most interesting findings by discussing to what extent digital social reading fostered students' deep understanding of taboo/controversial topics, their development of EFL multiliteracies skills, and their desire to read.
References Alvermann, D.E. (2002), Preface. In Bigum, C., Alvermann, D. E., Knobel, M., Lankshear, C., & Peters, M. A. (eds). Adolescents and literacies in a digital world. New York: Peter Lang. Boyd, A. S., & Darragh, J. J. (2019). Reading for action: Engaging youth in social justice through young adult literature. London: Rowman & Littlefield. Dail, J. S., Witte, S., & Bickmore, S. T. (Eds.). (2018). Young adult literature and the digital world: Textual engagement through visual literacy. New York: Rowman & Littlefield. Kern, R. (2000). Literacy and language teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Willis Allen, H., & Paesani, K. (2010). Exploring the feasibility of a pedagogy of multiliteracies in introductory foreign language courses. L2 Journal, 2(1), 119-142.
Presenters Fabiana Fazzi PostDoc Research Fellow, Ca' Foscari University (Venice)MARCELLA MENEGALE Researcher, Ca' Foscari University Of Venice
Grit Alter
Thorsten Merse
Clifford Kast
Elisa Seerig
Camilla Spaliviero
Fabiana Fazzi
MARCELLA MENEGALE
