This paper explores graphic novels that address issues of diversity and migration and enhance multiliteracies learning in the German classroom. By adopting a multiliteracies approach, the paper proposes a transformative learning approach that explores these issues within graphic novels. Examples of learning activities from an intermediate course…

Humor can provide a multitude of benefits for language learners, including improvement of classroom atmosphere (Dewaele et al. 2018) and a reduction of anxiety (Tarone 2000). Moreover, the integration of humor into language lessons has been strongly endorsed by both students and instructors (Askildson 2005; Azizinezhad and Hashemi 2011). What is…

This case study examines how translanguaging, reading, and discussing culturally relevant graphic novels written in English, and dialogic interactions can support immigrant youth's self-exploration and English learning, especially within English language teaching (ELT) in South Korea (henceforth, Korea). This study illuminates the case of a weekly…

This study investigated students' perceptions of English reading practice using the LINE Webtoon application. The study employed a quantitative survey research design, involving 65 students of the English Language Education Study Program of Universitas Kristen Indonesia Jakarta. Data were collected in June 2023 using an online questionnaire via…

Internet memes--usually taking the form of an image, GIF, or video with text--have become an important type of semiotic tool for meaning making. Due to the fact that memes can help learners leverage semiotic modes in social contexts, they hold great potential for language education. Integrating ecological social semiotic frameworks, this…

There has been an increased interest in multimodality in the field of both language pedagogy and translation studies. To our knowledge, however, only a few empirical studies have investigated students' perceptions and learning through translation classrooms focusing on multimodality. This paper reports on multimodal translation tasks implemented…

This study examines the reflections of using Pixton, the digital comics Web 2.0 tool, on the basic language skills of international exchange students under the Erasmus+ program. For this purpose, student-made comic strips were used to teach the basic grammar of the language, which resulted in using the language in their daily lives and supporting…

The Topic Hypothesis posits that Chinese language learners progress through a developmental sequence comprising five stages (Gao, 2009; Wang, 2011), which includes the Object-Subject-Verb (OSV) structure at stage 4 and the ba-construct at stage 5. According to this hypothesis, learners typically master the OSV structure before acquiring the…

Due to its accessibility and popularity, anime has been explored as a motivation for learning Japanese and as a pedagogical tool linking Japanese-as-a-foreign-language (JFL) literacy practices inside and outside of the classroom. However, JFL learners' actual practices in anime-mediated self-directed learning have not been fully investigated.…

To date very little research is available that focuses on L2 pragmatics and young learners [cf. Schauer, G.A. 2022a. Teaching pragmatics to young learners: a review study. "Applied Pragmatics." DOI:10.1075/ap.00006.sch]. Recent studies have shown that textbooks for young learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) vary considerably…

Creative use of language is a central tenet of learner-centric pedagogy, and as such has become a big part of today's language classrooms. Students who are allowed to use their creative impulses are often more engaged during in-class activities (Gregory et al., 2013). This is precisely one of the primary motivators for teachers to leverage…

Adopting the methods of multimodal conversation analysis, this study demonstrates that adult second language (L2) users with emergent literacy formulate requests as 'complex multimodal Gestalts' consisting prototypically of deictic or depictive gestures combined with gaze, situationally relevant material, and vocal or linguistic resources. The…

Growing up in the digital era, young children are exposed to numerous educational applications and programs, some with well-designed curricula and others focused more on entertainment or game-like qualities. With the increasing popularity of mobile language-learning applications among young children, this dissertation raises a crucial question: do…

Critical exploration of socio-political issues has been a topic strongly carried out in English classrooms in the last decades. This article is the result of a research study that shows what the use of political cartoons reveals about the promotion of critical reading in an EFL classroom at a private university in Colombia. The study was developed…

The exponential increase of multimodal literacy in language learning in classroom contexts has insisted teachers reconstruct their roles. Teachers should be equipped with a number of different quality and ability to deliver meaningful lessons by incorporating technology and embedding moral education in the learning process. However, there is a…