Abstract
This presentation explores the integration of multimodality and social semiotics within TESOL, shifting the focus from isolated linguistic systems to communication through multiple, combined modes such as visual, spoken, and embodied semiotic resources. It traces the theoretical roots of these concepts, emphasising that each mode and its underlying semiotic resources possess distinct strengths, or "affordances," for meaning-making.
The presentation will demonstrate practical applications across educational contexts: utilising gestures and picture books for scaffolding in elementary education, fostering critical engagement with authentic digital media in higher education, and developing essential workplace digital literacies for adult learners.
Despite its significant potential, there are some notable challenges in taking a multimodal approach to language teaching. Perhaps the most significant is the lack of a unified, agreed-upon multimodal pedagogical framework in TESOL. The context-dependent nature of non-linguistic modes complicates this, the risks of cultural imposition, and ongoing developments in online teaching and learning and digital learning more broadly. This presentation advocates for collaborative communities of practice, reflective experimentation, and sharing experiences among educators to develop robust multimodal teaching strategies that help English language learners build communicative competence across multiple contexts.
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Bio:
Stafford Lumsden PhD SFHEA, is the in-house educational designer at the University of Sydney Law School, where he works with educators in curriculum design, assessment reform, governance and accreditation, and responsible AI integration in legal education. His research sits at the intersection of Applied Linguistics, multimodal social semiotics, TESOL, and online teaching and learning. Stafford's work focuses on improving feedback, assessment quality, AI literacy, and curriculum coherence through utilising multimodal approaches. His most recent work is 'A multimodal social semiotic approach to TESOL educator professional development', in A. Alm, C. Lai, & Q. Ma (Eds.), Transitions in CALL. Castledown.
This is an online event:
Zoom Meeting Participation
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85019329477?pwd=mb3FXc1fb2FR4wXtzCdfzblAVj8FQD.1
Meeting chat link
https://us06web.zoom.us/launch/jc/85019329477
Meeting ID: 850 1932 9477
Password: 448753
