Multimodal Elements in the Language Classroom – Shedding Light on What Is Already Invisibly There

Abstract

The keynote will initially introduce the theoretical concept of multimodality (based on Bezemer et al, 2020) but then will link theory to practice through the sharing of real (at times funny but inspiring) examples taken from the ongoing Multimodal encounters research project coordinated by the keynote speaker. Through examples taken from language classrooms in Malta, Sweden, Ukraine, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and the Philippines, the audience will themselves manage to formulate insights through which they critically evaluate the effectiveness of pedagogical multimodal texts designed for the language classroom. In conclusion, the keynote will end with the formulation of 5 practical tips – which the audience will interactively come up with – aimed as practical tips through which language teachers around the globe can feel more informed and confident to design, evaluate and use multimodal text within their particular teaching context.