This paper proposes an ecological methodology in order to re-think the concept of situatedness in ways that can take into account that we live in relation to, and are of, a more-and-other-than-human world. In doing so, the paper proposes that situatedness should be understood in terms of processes of co-invention that, fractally and recursively,…

What are the material-semiotic relationships between a language policy and a table game activity in a bilingual preschool? Using Actor-Network Theory (ANT), the aim of this article is to explore this question, working with both human and nonhuman aspects of the activity, symmetrically, at the same level. The game playing activity takes place at a…

The growing demand for Indigenous language education in the United States often relies on community teachers with widely varying proficiencies as part of local language reclamation efforts. While these English-dominant 'teacher-learners' play a central role in the success of classroom-based K-12 language programs, their classroom experiences and…

Adolescent newcomer students bring a wealth of linguistic and cultural resources to their learning environments--resources that become even more dynamic when combined with those of their peers. While a significant body of research has explored students' deployment of multilingual resources through translanguaging, most of this work does not…

In the United States, children are in front of the "screen" about six hours a day, and because schools are a microcosm of society, educators need to incorporate more screen-oriented activities into the literacy program. Transmediation, based in social semiotics, promotes collaborative conversations, which nurture positive translations…

Research on the nature and impact of book apps or e-reading in general is still limited and informed by diverse assumptions about the nature of these new "texts," the varied forms of engagement and meaning-making associated with them, and their implications for understanding literacy and learning in the digital age. The purpose of this…

In science education research, there is a growing body of studies focusing on the role of multiple representations in pupils' learning. This study is based on a social semiotic perspective and in the analysis, there is a special focus on how the content is conveyed and how relations are created through interaction between teachers/pupils and the…

There is a need to gain insight into the ways technology positively impacts the literacy development of young children learning English as a new language given public scrutiny about the use of technology in early childhood classrooms. When thinking about the future, being multiliterate is important and requires learners to make, remake, and…

In teacher training curricula, books are presented as an ideal material for building and enriching young children's language. Yet, the routine of reading at home with children is hardly ever mentioned. In this chapter, the author proposes analyses of story-reading activities from a usage-based and first language acquisition perspective. The goal…

Semiotics is the scientific field dealing with the meaning making process via signs and symbols. This study primarily aims at investigating the opinions and preferences of English instructors about the usage of semiotic elements such as mimics, gestures, body movements, posture, eye contact, and clothing in language teaching classrooms.…

Early childhood education settings are arguably places of community, togetherness and belonging. But what if they are not? What if individuals' senses of identity, place or reality clash, do not fit or, worse, repel or offend? This article picks up on the largely under-researched area of teachers' belonging and sense of cultural identity in early…

This case study explored the institutional, programmatic, and classroom literacy curricula of a Canadian offshore school in Macau (school pseudonym: MCS). Undergirded by the conceptual tool of cosmopolitan literacies, this study specifically examined the network effects that influenced the forms of cosmopolitan literacies in MCS's three levels of…

This article utilizes an autoethnographic story-telling perspective in which I situate myself as a critical participant observer. Through critiquing the "situatedness of the self and others" in context, I share a selection of narrative snapshots concerning place and positionality as a white male native speaker of English (i.e. an…

In a bilingual school, the linguistic and semiotic resources of students who speak one, two or several languages can be used in classroom discourse in order to embrace and strengthen the multiplicity of voices and languages in teaching and learning. In this article, four English language lessons -- where the medium of instruction mainly oscillates…

Geometry diagrams use the visual features of specific drawn objects to convey meaning about generic mathematical entities. We examine the semiotic structure of these visual features in two parts. One, we conduct a semiotic inquiry to conceptualize geometry diagrams as mathematical texts that comprise choices from different semiotic systems. Two,…