Supporting Preservice Teachers' and In-Service Teachers' Sense-Making of Translanguaging Through Semiotic and Visual Learning Experiences

• In Event: 64.086 - MTCC Roundtable Session 27
  In Roundtable Session: 64.086-4 - Voicing Bi/Multilingual Identities

Abstract

This qualitative study integrates translanguaging (Canagarajah, 2013; García and Li, 2014; Pennycook, 2017) and multimodal social semiotics (Kress, 2011; Van Leeuwen, 2008) with Weick’s (1995) theory of sensemaking to consider how semiotic and visual learning experiences in teacher preparation might support pre-service teachers and in-service teachers’ conceptualization of translanguaging. We analyzed linguistic and semiotic learning artifacts from seven focal students enrolled in a course required for TESOL endorsement at a Midwest university. The findings of our study indicate that multimodal learning opportunities seemed to support students’ sensemaking of translanguaging. Findings provide important implications for how teacher educators and researchers can use semiotic resources to support teachers in adopting translanguaging as a more inclusive perspective of learners’ multilingual and multimodal repertoires.

Authors

• Christina M. Ponzio, Michigan State University

• Matthew R Deroo, University of Miami