Digital Literacies and Multimodality Practices in Spanish Heritage Classrooms

When
3 to 4:30 p.m., Feb. 22, 2019

“Digital Literacies and Multimodality Practices in Spanish Heritage Classrooms” by Idoia Elola - Texas Tech University

Idoia Elola is Professor of Spanish and Applied Linguistics at Texas Tech University. Her research focuses primarily on second language writing, such as collaborative and individual writing using social tools, digital literacies, the use of multimodal texts, the Spanish foreign language and Spanish heritage language learners' writing processes and practices, as well as feedback and revision in a second language. Her work has been published nationally and internationally in journals and edited books.

This presentation will discuss ways that Spanish heritage language learners can express and develop their own sense of identity through digital multimodal texts. To date, there is limited knowledge of how to incorporate digital literacy and digital writing practices into the teaching of languages to multilingual (and translingual) speakers, a gap which indicates an area for future research and the need to develop new guidelines for pedagogical methodology. This presentation will explain how contextual factors (such as linguistic background, dialects, and mixed populations in the same classroom) enrich our writers’ socialization and identity development. It shows how students’ self-perceptions might change from initial feelings of inadequacy as they grow in confidence and discover their own voices as L2 writers. After discussing the value of digital literacies for supporting students’ writing practices, this presentation will examine (1) how our understanding of literacies influences pedagogical and practical considerations (e.g., task design, multimodal feedback and assessment) in educational settings and (2) how digital literacies allow learners a space to explore their digital literacies practices and identity while giving them agency to use their own voices in the creation of a personal and multimodal texts. The presentation will also include some task examples to promote opportunities for the coexistence of linguistic development and identity construction.