Advancing Translanguaging and Multimodal Pedagogies in Online English Teaching Videos

• In Event: New Pathways in Multimodal and Multilingual Learning: Moving Beyond Normative Practices

Abstract

Purpose
Studies on online English teaching videos have mostly been focusing on understanding them as artifacts to be examined. Some other studies focus on the agency of video-creators in designing different learning possibilities; few studies have paid attention to how online English teaching videos could be designed in a way that embraces multimodality (the use of multiple semiotic resources strategically to make meaning), and translanguaging (the promotion of a socially just pedagogy that embraces learners’ diverse linguistic repertoires). Using an integrated framework of multimodality (Kress, 2010) and translanguaging (Li, 2011; 2018), this study aims to propose a pedagogical framework which can provide some basic design principles for online teachers to help them create teaching videos which promote equality and social justice in line with a translanguaging pedagogy (García & Li, 2014).

Theoretical framework
This paper employs an integrated framework informed by multimodality (Kress, 2010) and translanguaging (Li, 2011; 2018) in understanding the pedagogical design of online teaching materials. Adopting a social semiotic approach to multimodality allows us to recognize the agency of the online teachers as designers of the learning environment, that they are in a position to select ‘apt’ resources to convey meaning in relation to a particular pedagogical goal. Adopting a translanguaging lens offers us a lens into understanding how online teachers make design choices to orchestrate a range of multimodal resources to address issues of standard language ideology and native-speakerism in online video lessons.

Methods and data sources
To understand how online English teaching videos are created based on multimodal and translanguaging pedagogies (or the lack thereof), we conducted multimodal analysis of one popular online English teaching video to account for the multimodal resources used, and a critical analysis of the translanguaging pedagogy used in the video using the framework of García and Li (2014).



Results
Our analysis showed that while multimodal resources are used by the online teacher strategically to fulfill pedagogical goals, such as explaining the context in which an expression is used, and demonstrating pronunciation, the lesson in focus has not fully embraced translanguaging pedagogy in creating an online space whereby learners’ diverse linguistic and cultural experiences are utilized. The critical analysis also reveals an unintended perpetuation of raciolinguistic ideologies (Flores & Rosa, 2015) in the video in question.

Scholarly significance
The study employs an integrated framework of multimodality and translanguaging to examine a new form of online language teaching – online English teaching videos. Our study demonstrates how examining these videos from a dual multimodal and translanguaging perspective can reveal what kind of pedagogical innovations are needed so that these videos can cater to the diverse needs of a global audience with diverse linguacultural backgrounds.

Authors

• Jenifer Ho, City University of Hong Kong
  Presenting Author

• Dezheng (William) Feng, Hong Kong Polytechnic University
  Non-Presenting Author