Currently, the application of the network resources and various means of teaching such as multimedia into the classroom has led to the demonstration of multimodality in college English teaching. This paper
analyzes the current status of college English teaching and the existing problems, elaborates the research trends of the theory of multimodal discourse analysis, and aims to explore the question as how to construct college English teaching model from the perspective of multimodal discourse. Under the multimodalitybased college English teaching model, teachers should concentrate on cultivating students’ multi-literacy,
coordinating different modalities, to achieve the teaching objectives.
The Role of the Communication Oriented Approach in Teaching EFLYogeshIJTSRD
The aim of the article is to describe the significance of Communication oriented approach in the teaching process of English as a foreign language EFL and review the ways of using this method to improve students’ communicative competence and skills. The article focuses on the relevance of this approach as at present the communicative approach is popular in teaching foreign languages. The promotion of basics of communicative methodology is an urgent need for teaching practice, because it is the communicative methodology that is adequate to such a goal as teaching communication, and the communicative direction has been enriched with new research, that should become the property of the teachers. Also, the paper discusses current studies and ideas related to Communication oriented approach in order to provide a more vivid understanding of its implementation in EFL contexts. The author notes that Communication oriented approach will help to develop students’ progress in multiple skills at the same time. Also, the author puts forward the assumption that lessons based on the communication oriented approach can help to quickly master the skills of communication in the EFL compared to traditional lessons. Eshniyazova Tamara Matenovna "The Role of the Communication- Oriented Approach in Teaching EFL" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-5 | Issue-3 , April 2021, URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd39828.pdf Paper URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/humanities-and-the-arts/english/39828/the-role-of-the-communication-oriented-approach-in-teaching-efl/eshniyazova-tamara-matenovna
Telefun. a pragmatic approach to functional learning materials developmentslidemajal
This paper describes and traces the development of a function-based module, TELEFUN, which the writer produced to teach telephone English to Francophone Public Servants learning English in the language training program of the Canadian Government.
The task-based Language teaching is the teaching theory put forward by foreign language teaching method researchers on the basis of the large quantity of studies and practice in the 1980s. It advocates learning from “doing-it” and the interactive learning styles: learning from experiencing, practicing, participating, communicating and cooperating. The national New Standard for English Curriculum advocates the implementing of TBLT in Junior High School in China. At present, many scholars have investigated the application in terms of teaching of reading, writing and so on, but only a few have involved the study about the application of TBLT in oral English teaching. Through the analysis of the present situation of oral English teaching in Junior High School in China, this thesis aims to solve the teaching problems by applying TBLT to oral English teaching on the basis of the previous study.
The Role of the Communication Oriented Approach in Teaching EFLYogeshIJTSRD
The aim of the article is to describe the significance of Communication oriented approach in the teaching process of English as a foreign language EFL and review the ways of using this method to improve students’ communicative competence and skills. The article focuses on the relevance of this approach as at present the communicative approach is popular in teaching foreign languages. The promotion of basics of communicative methodology is an urgent need for teaching practice, because it is the communicative methodology that is adequate to such a goal as teaching communication, and the communicative direction has been enriched with new research, that should become the property of the teachers. Also, the paper discusses current studies and ideas related to Communication oriented approach in order to provide a more vivid understanding of its implementation in EFL contexts. The author notes that Communication oriented approach will help to develop students’ progress in multiple skills at the same time. Also, the author puts forward the assumption that lessons based on the communication oriented approach can help to quickly master the skills of communication in the EFL compared to traditional lessons. Eshniyazova Tamara Matenovna "The Role of the Communication- Oriented Approach in Teaching EFL" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-5 | Issue-3 , April 2021, URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd39828.pdf Paper URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/humanities-and-the-arts/english/39828/the-role-of-the-communication-oriented-approach-in-teaching-efl/eshniyazova-tamara-matenovna
Telefun. a pragmatic approach to functional learning materials developmentslidemajal
This paper describes and traces the development of a function-based module, TELEFUN, which the writer produced to teach telephone English to Francophone Public Servants learning English in the language training program of the Canadian Government.
The task-based Language teaching is the teaching theory put forward by foreign language teaching method researchers on the basis of the large quantity of studies and practice in the 1980s. It advocates learning from “doing-it” and the interactive learning styles: learning from experiencing, practicing, participating, communicating and cooperating. The national New Standard for English Curriculum advocates the implementing of TBLT in Junior High School in China. At present, many scholars have investigated the application in terms of teaching of reading, writing and so on, but only a few have involved the study about the application of TBLT in oral English teaching. Through the analysis of the present situation of oral English teaching in Junior High School in China, this thesis aims to solve the teaching problems by applying TBLT to oral English teaching on the basis of the previous study.
In the recent years, many new fields in second language acquisition have emerged. instructed second language acquisition (ISLA) is also among them. ISLA due to Loewen (2015T is an academic subfield that is about learning a language other than the first one. cognitive-inter actionist methods offered efficient features of L2 instruction. This chapter discusses about Loewen definition of ISLA and emphasizes the roles of both native speaker-learner and learner-learner interaction.
Litt 516 - Translating Children's Literature as a Class Activity: Implicati...Bernard Paderes
This is a research primer/proposal for Litt516 (Children and Adolescent Literature). In the paper, I argue that translation could be a good activity for children that will increase their appreciation not only for literary pieces but also the languages that they are using or learning.
Using Music Technologies for Foreign Language Development David Brooks
Using Music Technologies for Foreign Language Development, a paper presented by David L. Brooks, Associate Professor, English Department, Kitasato University, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
Presentation at The Hawaii International Conference on Education from January 4-7, 2018 is pleased to inform you that your submission, “USING MUSIC TECHNOLOGIES FOR FOREIGN LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT”, has been accepted for presentation at the 16th Annual Hawaii International Conference on Education to be held from January 4 to January 7, 2018 in Honolulu, Hawaii. The decision to accept your submission was based on a peer review process.
The exact time and room of your session will be specified in the final program. The final program will be available at http://hiceducation.org/program/ in early December 2017.
The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand how in-service teachers with
3-5 years of experience perceived their pre-service training regarding integration of 21st Century
technology into instruction. Twenty participants from a rural public school system in southeast North
Carolina participated. This study attempted to describe: How do 3rd – 5th year teachers in one public school
district in North Carolina describe college experiences with educational training to integrate 21st Century
technology into their classroom lesson plans? Through interviews and a focus group themes were identified
through the participant’s perceptions of the phenomena of 21st Century technology integration training.
Participants identified these themes: (a) exposure to basic uses of technology, (b) 21st Century technology
assignments were neither purposeful nor rigorous, and (c) the majority of integration of confidence and/or
competence began after field placements. Themes were used in developing a list of best practices as
articulated by the participants.
In the recent years, many new fields in second language acquisition have emerged. instructed second language acquisition (ISLA) is also among them. ISLA due to Loewen (2015T is an academic subfield that is about learning a language other than the first one. cognitive-inter actionist methods offered efficient features of L2 instruction. This chapter discusses about Loewen definition of ISLA and emphasizes the roles of both native speaker-learner and learner-learner interaction.
Litt 516 - Translating Children's Literature as a Class Activity: Implicati...Bernard Paderes
This is a research primer/proposal for Litt516 (Children and Adolescent Literature). In the paper, I argue that translation could be a good activity for children that will increase their appreciation not only for literary pieces but also the languages that they are using or learning.
Using Music Technologies for Foreign Language Development David Brooks
Using Music Technologies for Foreign Language Development, a paper presented by David L. Brooks, Associate Professor, English Department, Kitasato University, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
Presentation at The Hawaii International Conference on Education from January 4-7, 2018 is pleased to inform you that your submission, “USING MUSIC TECHNOLOGIES FOR FOREIGN LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT”, has been accepted for presentation at the 16th Annual Hawaii International Conference on Education to be held from January 4 to January 7, 2018 in Honolulu, Hawaii. The decision to accept your submission was based on a peer review process.
The exact time and room of your session will be specified in the final program. The final program will be available at http://hiceducation.org/program/ in early December 2017.
The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand how in-service teachers with
3-5 years of experience perceived their pre-service training regarding integration of 21st Century
technology into instruction. Twenty participants from a rural public school system in southeast North
Carolina participated. This study attempted to describe: How do 3rd – 5th year teachers in one public school
district in North Carolina describe college experiences with educational training to integrate 21st Century
technology into their classroom lesson plans? Through interviews and a focus group themes were identified
through the participant’s perceptions of the phenomena of 21st Century technology integration training.
Participants identified these themes: (a) exposure to basic uses of technology, (b) 21st Century technology
assignments were neither purposeful nor rigorous, and (c) the majority of integration of confidence and/or
competence began after field placements. Themes were used in developing a list of best practices as
articulated by the participants.
This article introduces a framework for automatically extracting knowledge from student blogs and
injecting it into a shared resource, namely a Wiki. This is motivated by the need to preserve knowledge
generated by students beyond their time of study. The framework is described in the context of the Bachelor
of Creative Technologies degree at the Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand where it is
being deployed alongside an existing blogging and ePortfolio process. The framework uses an extensible,
layered architecture that allows for incremental development of components in the system to enhance the
functionality over time. The current implementation is in beta-testing and uses simple heuristics in the core
components. This article presents a road map for extending the functionality to improve the quality of
knowledge extraction by introducing techniques from the artificial intelligence field.
Leveraging mobile devices to enhance the performance and ease of programming ...IJITE
Programming simple robots allows teachers to reinforce unified science, technology, engineering, and
math (STEM) concepts. However, for many educators, the cost and computer requirements for robotics kits
are prohibitive. As mobile devices have become increasingly ubiquitous, low cost, and powerful, they may
prove to be an attractive means of coding for, controlling, and enhancing the capabilities of low-cost
mobile robots. This study looks into the viability of using LEGO Mindstorms NXT and Google Android
devices by using Bluetooth to establish a link between the two. This allows for the exchange of live data
remotely for use in various applications with the hope of creating a low-cost mobile programming
environment. The mobile applications developed were able to successfully exchange data with NXT
hardware via Bluetooth and show evidence that mobile devices can be used as a tool to assist in robotic
programming in education.
Compensation still matters: language learning strategies in the third millenn...James Cook University
Digital media play enormous roles in much of the learning, communication, socializing and ways of working of “Net-Generation” learners who are growing up in a wired world. Living in this digital era may require different ways of communicating, thinking, approaching learning, prioritizing strategies, interpersonally communicating, and possibly developing compensatory techniques for information gaps among other categories of Language Learning Strategies. The Net-Geners therefore, need new skills and new strategies to perform successfully as learners and workers. This study uses a mixed-methods approach that includes concurrent quantitative and qualitative data (i) to identify the Net-Generation learner’s strategy preferences based on the “Strategies Inventory for Language Learning” (SILL) categories currently considered the most comprehensive strategy inventory and (ii) to identify possible emergent compensation strategies among Net-Geners as a comprehensive study of the strategies used by the Net-Geners is clearly beyond the scope of this article. The results indicate that compensation strategies have undergone a number of modifications and are used differently by the Net-Geners in order to compensate their knowledge gap and help enhance their ESL learning.
Transcript: Selling digital books in 2024: Insights from industry leaders - T...BookNet Canada
The publishing industry has been selling digital audiobooks and ebooks for over a decade and has found its groove. What’s changed? What has stayed the same? Where do we go from here? Join a group of leading sales peers from across the industry for a conversation about the lessons learned since the popularization of digital books, best practices, digital book supply chain management, and more.
Link to video recording: https://bnctechforum.ca/sessions/selling-digital-books-in-2024-insights-from-industry-leaders/
Presented by BookNet Canada on May 28, 2024, with support from the Department of Canadian Heritage.
Unlocking Productivity: Leveraging the Potential of Copilot in Microsoft 365, a presentation by Christoforos Vlachos, Senior Solutions Manager – Modern Workplace, Uni Systems
In his public lecture, Christian Timmerer provides insights into the fascinating history of video streaming, starting from its humble beginnings before YouTube to the groundbreaking technologies that now dominate platforms like Netflix and ORF ON. Timmerer also presents provocative contributions of his own that have significantly influenced the industry. He concludes by looking at future challenges and invites the audience to join in a discussion.
Generative AI Deep Dive: Advancing from Proof of Concept to ProductionAggregage
Join Maher Hanafi, VP of Engineering at Betterworks, in this new session where he'll share a practical framework to transform Gen AI prototypes into impactful products! He'll delve into the complexities of data collection and management, model selection and optimization, and ensuring security, scalability, and responsible use.
Epistemic Interaction - tuning interfaces to provide information for AI supportAlan Dix
Paper presented at SYNERGY workshop at AVI 2024, Genoa, Italy. 3rd June 2024
https://alandix.com/academic/papers/synergy2024-epistemic/
As machine learning integrates deeper into human-computer interactions, the concept of epistemic interaction emerges, aiming to refine these interactions to enhance system adaptability. This approach encourages minor, intentional adjustments in user behaviour to enrich the data available for system learning. This paper introduces epistemic interaction within the context of human-system communication, illustrating how deliberate interaction design can improve system understanding and adaptation. Through concrete examples, we demonstrate the potential of epistemic interaction to significantly advance human-computer interaction by leveraging intuitive human communication strategies to inform system design and functionality, offering a novel pathway for enriching user-system engagements.
Alt. GDG Cloud Southlake #33: Boule & Rebala: Effective AppSec in SDLC using ...James Anderson
Effective Application Security in Software Delivery lifecycle using Deployment Firewall and DBOM
The modern software delivery process (or the CI/CD process) includes many tools, distributed teams, open-source code, and cloud platforms. Constant focus on speed to release software to market, along with the traditional slow and manual security checks has caused gaps in continuous security as an important piece in the software supply chain. Today organizations feel more susceptible to external and internal cyber threats due to the vast attack surface in their applications supply chain and the lack of end-to-end governance and risk management.
The software team must secure its software delivery process to avoid vulnerability and security breaches. This needs to be achieved with existing tool chains and without extensive rework of the delivery processes. This talk will present strategies and techniques for providing visibility into the true risk of the existing vulnerabilities, preventing the introduction of security issues in the software, resolving vulnerabilities in production environments quickly, and capturing the deployment bill of materials (DBOM).
Speakers:
Bob Boule
Robert Boule is a technology enthusiast with PASSION for technology and making things work along with a knack for helping others understand how things work. He comes with around 20 years of solution engineering experience in application security, software continuous delivery, and SaaS platforms. He is known for his dynamic presentations in CI/CD and application security integrated in software delivery lifecycle.
Gopinath Rebala
Gopinath Rebala is the CTO of OpsMx, where he has overall responsibility for the machine learning and data processing architectures for Secure Software Delivery. Gopi also has a strong connection with our customers, leading design and architecture for strategic implementations. Gopi is a frequent speaker and well-known leader in continuous delivery and integrating security into software delivery.
Pushing the limits of ePRTC: 100ns holdover for 100 daysAdtran
At WSTS 2024, Alon Stern explored the topic of parametric holdover and explained how recent research findings can be implemented in real-world PNT networks to achieve 100 nanoseconds of accuracy for up to 100 days.
Dr. Sean Tan, Head of Data Science, Changi Airport Group
Discover how Changi Airport Group (CAG) leverages graph technologies and generative AI to revolutionize their search capabilities. This session delves into the unique search needs of CAG’s diverse passengers and customers, showcasing how graph data structures enhance the accuracy and relevance of AI-generated search results, mitigating the risk of “hallucinations” and improving the overall customer journey.
GraphRAG is All You need? LLM & Knowledge GraphGuy Korland
Guy Korland, CEO and Co-founder of FalkorDB, will review two articles on the integration of language models with knowledge graphs.
1. Unifying Large Language Models and Knowledge Graphs: A Roadmap.
https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.08302
2. Microsoft Research's GraphRAG paper and a review paper on various uses of knowledge graphs:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/blog/graphrag-unlocking-llm-discovery-on-narrative-private-data/
DevOps and Testing slides at DASA ConnectKari Kakkonen
My and Rik Marselis slides at 30.5.2024 DASA Connect conference. We discuss about what is testing, then what is agile testing and finally what is Testing in DevOps. Finally we had lovely workshop with the participants trying to find out different ways to think about quality and testing in different parts of the DevOps infinity loop.
GraphSummit Singapore | The Future of Agility: Supercharging Digital Transfor...Neo4j
Leonard Jayamohan, Partner & Generative AI Lead, Deloitte
This keynote will reveal how Deloitte leverages Neo4j’s graph power for groundbreaking digital twin solutions, achieving a staggering 100x performance boost. Discover the essential role knowledge graphs play in successful generative AI implementations. Plus, get an exclusive look at an innovative Neo4j + Generative AI solution Deloitte is developing in-house.
Essentials of Automations: The Art of Triggers and Actions in FMESafe Software
In this second installment of our Essentials of Automations webinar series, we’ll explore the landscape of triggers and actions, guiding you through the nuances of authoring and adapting workspaces for seamless automations. Gain an understanding of the full spectrum of triggers and actions available in FME, empowering you to enhance your workspaces for efficient automation.
We’ll kick things off by showcasing the most commonly used event-based triggers, introducing you to various automation workflows like manual triggers, schedules, directory watchers, and more. Plus, see how these elements play out in real scenarios.
Whether you’re tweaking your current setup or building from the ground up, this session will arm you with the tools and insights needed to transform your FME usage into a powerhouse of productivity. Join us to discover effective strategies that simplify complex processes, enhancing your productivity and transforming your data management practices with FME. Let’s turn complexity into clarity and make your workspaces work wonders!
Observability Concepts EVERY Developer Should Know -- DeveloperWeek Europe.pdfPaige Cruz
Monitoring and observability aren’t traditionally found in software curriculums and many of us cobble this knowledge together from whatever vendor or ecosystem we were first introduced to and whatever is a part of your current company’s observability stack.
While the dev and ops silo continues to crumble….many organizations still relegate monitoring & observability as the purview of ops, infra and SRE teams. This is a mistake - achieving a highly observable system requires collaboration up and down the stack.
I, a former op, would like to extend an invitation to all application developers to join the observability party will share these foundational concepts to build on:
Why You Should Replace Windows 11 with Nitrux Linux 3.5.0 for enhanced perfor...SOFTTECHHUB
The choice of an operating system plays a pivotal role in shaping our computing experience. For decades, Microsoft's Windows has dominated the market, offering a familiar and widely adopted platform for personal and professional use. However, as technological advancements continue to push the boundaries of innovation, alternative operating systems have emerged, challenging the status quo and offering users a fresh perspective on computing.
One such alternative that has garnered significant attention and acclaim is Nitrux Linux 3.5.0, a sleek, powerful, and user-friendly Linux distribution that promises to redefine the way we interact with our devices. With its focus on performance, security, and customization, Nitrux Linux presents a compelling case for those seeking to break free from the constraints of proprietary software and embrace the freedom and flexibility of open-source computing.
Why You Should Replace Windows 11 with Nitrux Linux 3.5.0 for enhanced perfor...
Research into the new model of college
1. International Journal on Integrating Technology in Education (IJITE) Vol.4, No.3,September 2015
DOI :10.5121/ijite.2015.4304 31
RESEARCH INTO THE NEW MODEL OF COLLEGE
ENGLISH TEACHING----A MULTIMODALITY
APPROACH
Qian Wang
School of Foreign Languages of Northwestern Polytechnical University
Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
ABSTRACT
Currently, the application of the network resources and various means of teaching such as multimedia into
the classroom has led to the demonstration of multimodality in college English teaching. This paper
analyzes the current status of college English teaching and the existing problems, elaborates the research
trends of the theory of multimodal discourse analysis, and aims to explore the question as how to construct
college English teaching model from the perspective of multimodal discourse. Under the multimodality-
based college English teaching model, teachers should concentrate on cultivating students’ multi-literacy,
coordinating different modalities, to achieve the teaching objectives.
KEYWORDS
Multimodal Discourse, College English teaching, Multi-literacy, Teaching model
1.INTRODUCTION
Over the last few decades, the world we live in has witnessed significant changes both in the way
of communication and in the approach to teaching and learning at colleges, due to the
development of information and communication technologies. Currently, college English
teaching in China uses a teaching mode combining independent study with computer and
multimedia classroom teaching supported by network technology. The constantly increased media
in the classroom makes education present a multimodality trend. The popularization of
multimedia technology and network technology injects vitality into the reform of English
classroom situational teaching. Information transfer mode is no longer confined to a single text.
Instead, it includes multiple modes such as audio frequency, video and three-dimensional
animation. These modern means enrich semantic expression forms, break the oneness of
conventional media and reflects fixed multimodality nature of communication. The ultimate goal
of language teaching is to allow learners to know how to use a language for communication in a
correct language environment, put them in a certain language environment and allow them to
comprehend, practice and use language.
In China, the domestic Scholar Zhang Delu[1] focused on discussing the use of system-functional
linguistic theory to provide theoretical framework for multimodality discourse analysis and
research and providing guidance on selection of effective teaching process and practice for
foreign language teaching practice under the condition of modern media technology. This also
provides possibility for the establishment of college English teaching mode based on
multimodality discourse analysis theory. New College English Course Teaching Requirements
requires colleges and universities to make full use of multimedia and network technologies,
2. International Journal on Integrating Technology in Education (IJITE) Vol.4, No.3,September 2015
32
together with a new teaching mode to improve the traditional classroom teaching mode mainly
involving teachers’ instruction. The establishment of multimodality college English classroom
teaching mode is conducive to training students’ diversified literacy and abilities of listening and
speaking and can effectively realize mutual coordination of different modes and jointly achieve
the goal of college English teaching.
2.THEORETICAL BASIS AND EXPLORATION OF MULTIMODALITY COLLEGE
ENGLISH TEACHING MODE
2.1.Concept and Research Status of Multimodality Discourse
Modality is the abstract language symbol system. Media is the physical device of symbol
distribution and physical tool of expressing information. Media makes the abstract modality
concrete. For example, visions, hearing, touching, smelling and tasting are five modalities, while
eyes, ears, hands, noses and tongues are media. The application of each modality is realized
through the corresponding medium. Multimodality is also called as multi-symbol, including
spoken language, written language, image, diagram, space and various kinds of symbol resources
used to construct meanings. The application of multimodality is a phenomenon of communication
through many kinds of devices and symbol resources. Multimodality is one of the characteristics
of the different discourses in modern society. In the digital information era, these different
modalities function similarly in the level of meaning recurrence.
Multimodality discourse analysis is a new discourse analysis method based on system-functional
linguistic theory emerging in 1990s. This theory puts forward that such symbols as images, colors
and actions considered as paralanguage in traditional habits are no longer in an auxiliary
position in modern social communication but are forming a broader symbolic resource with letter
symbol to jointly participate in meaning construction based on functional grammar of Halliday
mainly from the perspective of social semiotics. Chinese system-functional grammar expert
Professor Hu Zhuanglin [13] has conducted in-depth research on multimodality and translated it
into “多模态化” in Chinese. Zhu Yongsheng [11] considered that modality is a
communication channel and medium, including such symbol systems as language, technology,
image, color and music, and discourses involving two or more modalities are “multimodality
discourse”. Zhang Delu[1] considered that multimodality discourse refers to the phenomenon of
communication through multiple means and symbolic resources such as language, image, voice
and action by using multiple senses such as auditory sense, visual sense and tactile sense. The
author thinks that multimodality discourse refers to texts involving multiple perception modalities
or having common coding of more than one symbol systems to establish the whole meaning and
convey the information. Multimodality teaching can be understood as the way that teachers (or
students) fully use multimodalities in multimedia environment such as video, film editing,
recording, picture, chart, material object and prop to obtain, transmit and receive information.
In recent decade, the analysis and application of multimodality in teaching is one of the hot topics
in America and Europe. R. Barthes, one of the earliest researchers in multimodality, issued the
paper Rhetoric of the Image in 1977, during which he explored the interaction between the
expression of image and language. New London Group [7] was the first applying multimodality
to language teaching. They thought the training of the students’ multi-literacy was the main task
of language teaching. From then on, the researches concerning multimodality and language
teaching began to prevail. Kress, G.& van Leeuwen, T. [5] studied the relationship between
modality and media, and put forward the schemes and application principles of training multi-
literacy under the setting of multimodality. Royce, T. [10] researched the complementary of
different symbols in multimodal discourse and the collaboration of multimodality in second
3. International Journal on Integrating Technology in Education (IJITE) Vol.4, No.3,September 2015
33
language teaching. Guichon & McLornan [3] probed into the effects of multimodality on second
language learners, and put forward the designation principles and ways of the curriculums of
computer assisted teaching. Many scholars pay attention to the study of PPT demonstration in
class. Fisher [2] posed some questions of the application of PPT in class. Nouri & Shahidy [9]
made an empirical study and explored the relativity between the students’ attitudes and
memorization when teaching the knowledge of theories. Compared with what has been achieved
in the West, the study of multimodal discourse in China is at its infancy. The earliest study
concerning relationship between multimodality and foreign language teaching are Gu Yueguo and
Hu Zhuanglin. Gu Yueguo [12] distinguished between the two concepts of multimedia study and
multimodality study, and constructed a model used to analyze the two kinds of studies. Hu
Zhuanglin[13] discussed the differences between multimodality semiotics and multimedia
semiotics, and introduced computer semiotics with double characteristics of media and modality.
Li Zhanzi [14] studied multimodal discourse theory by using the linguistic theory of systematic
function. Zhu Yongsheng [11] explored the implications of multimodality to teaching reform in
China. Zhang Delu[1] established a comprehensive frame for the analysis of multimodal
discourse. He pointed out that the study of multimodality in China was at its initial stage, and
especially there were fewer researches on the most frequently used PPT in class. PPT, as a form
of multimodality, plays an important role in foreign language teaching and Chinese students’
English learning. The study of PPT can support the theory and practice of foreign language
teaching in China, and accelerate the process of foreign language teaching reform, enrich the
theories of multimodal discourse analysis.
2.2.Theoretical Basis and Exploration of Multimodality College English Teaching
Mode
From what has been discussed, multimodality discourse theory could work well for establishing
Multimodality college English teaching practice. Modern college English class has widely used
PPT software for multimedia teaching. The use of multimodality discourse theory has provided
scientific methods for rational analysis on classroom teaching quality. In this paper, the
comprehensive framework of multimodality discourse analysis of Martin [8] and Zhang Delu [1]
is adopted as the theoretical basis of multimodality college English teaching mode. Zhu
Yongsheng [11] and Zhang Delu [1] described in detail that system-functional linguistic theory
has opened new perspectives for multimodality discourse research. According to the research of
Martin [8] on multimodality discourse, the theoretical framework of multimodality discourse
analysis is mainly composed of basic factors and conditions of system and selection at five levels,
i.e. culture, context, meaning, form and media (see table 1).
Table 1. Theoretical Framework of Multimodality Discourse Analysis (Martin, 1992)
4. International Journal on Integrating Technology in Education (IJITE) Vol.4, No.3,September 2015
34
Zhang Delu[1] conducted a systematic research on multimodality discourse analysis according to
Halliday’s system-functional linguistic theory and put forward the theoretical framework of
comprehensive analysis on multimodality discourse (see fig.1). According to the figure, this
framework is divided into four levels: culture, context, content and expression. Content level
integrates meaning and form levels of theoretical framework of multimodality discourse analysis
put forward by Martin [8] and highlights correlation of formal characteristics of different
modalities. It’s worth noting that each level of the comprehensive framework of multimodality
discourse analysis has coordinated, correlated and complementary relations. Currently,
multimodality discourse research still focuses on formal characteristics of different modalities and
their relation. This paper attempts to establish multimodality college English teaching mode
according to the comprehensive framework of multimodality discourse analysis of Martin [8] and
Zhang Delu [1], discusses how to realize mutual coordination and harmonic unification of
teachers and students in college English classroom and culture, situation, content and expression
levels, effectively train students’ diversified literacy and abilities of listening and speaking and
jointly improve teaching efficiency.
Fig. 1. Comprehensive framework of multimodality discourse analysis (Zhang Delu, 2009)
3.ESTABLISH MULTIMODALITY COLLEGE ENGLISH TEACHING MODE
3.1.Concept of Multimodality College English Teaching Mode
Multimodality college English teaching means that teachers start from the perspective of
multimodality discourse analysis, fully understand students’ cognitive psychology and their role
in class, select teaching situation in the form of face to face teaching in class and students’ self-
study guidance, construct meaning with the help of multimodality symbolic resources,
appropriately handle the coordination of multiple modalities at culture, situation, content and
expression levels, integrate their speech, posture and multimodality classroom teaching
environment presented by multimedia and finally realize harmony among teachers, students and
multimedia in college English classroom under the guidance of comprehensive framework of
multimodality discourse analysis of Martin[8] and Zhang Delu [1] according to the situation of
multimodality trend presented in teaching classroom. Teachers should focus on training students’
diversified literacy and ability of comprehensive language application, pay attention to mutual
coordination of different modalities and complementation of different teaching means in the
process of teaching practice and jointly improve the quality of college English teaching.
5. International Journal on Integrating Technology in Education (IJITE) Vol.4, No.3,September 2015
35
3.2.Requirements of Multimodality College English Teaching Mode
In Curriculum Requirements issued by Chinese Ministry of Education in 2009, it is pointed out
that as a systematic whole, College English takes as its main components knowledge and practical
skills of the English language, learning strategies and intercultural communication; it takes
theories of foreign language teaching as its guidance and incorporates different teaching models
and approaches. The objective of College English is to develop students’ ability to use English in
an all-round way, especially in listening and speaking, so that in their future work and social
interactions they will be able to exchange information effectively through both spoken and
written channels, and at the same time they will be able to enhance their ability to study
independently and improve their cultural quality so as to meet the needs of China’s social
development and international exchanges.
In order to achieve the objective, we should make use of the technology of multimedia and
network, adopt the new teaching model of multimodality, and improve the previous
monomodality teaching model in which the teaching dominates. The multimedia network offers
large amount of language learning materials for teachers and students. The choice of
multimodality provides different kinds of expressions for communication, deepens understanding
and memorizing.
In the teaching process, teachers should select the meaning to be expressed according to specific
situational context, including conceptual, interpersonal and textual meanings and help students to
construct language discourse ability. To express appropriate meaning, teachers should learn to
select the use of each expression level of multiple modalities. In college English teaching,
teachers should appropriately use the complementary relationship among discourse scope (fields
involved in the teaching content), discourse tenor (state of teaching objects and relationship
between teaching objects and instructor) and discourse mode (teaching conditions and site etc.) at
the situation level of multiple modalities, because multimodality college English teaching mode
involves the coordination of internal media of modalities. In teaching reading and writing,
teachers generally use the method of explanation, explain the meaning of discourse clearly and
then use living examples for further explanation. Forms of media include book, PPT, oral
teaching and question answering, etc. Modalities involved are visual sense (book and PPT) and
auditory sense (oral teaching and question answering). For example, in the explanation of words
in English teaching, the meaning of words in context can help students make clear the use
method of this vocabulary. In listening and speaking teaching, teachers should make full use of
resources provided by multiple modalities at culture, content and expression levels, put real
communicative context in class and use images, video and sound provided by auditory sense and
visual sense modalities as the actual learning environment, teaching form combining language
and non-language use and role play to improve students’ ability of using communicative
strategies in a real context.
In multimodality college English teaching mode, classroom effect depends on the coordination of
internal media of modalities to a great extent. Language and image modalities are two favorable
methods of teachers and students for constructing meaning. Giving a lesson is the coordination of
visual sense modality and auditory sense modality. In multimodality discourse theory, language,
auditory sense, visual sense and tactile sense are social symbols with their own meaning potential.
They should be important modalities for constructing meaning. Teachers should guide students to
use multimedia network resources to realize their understanding of knowledge and construction
of meaning and meanwhile improve their mastery of language knowledge and ability of
constructing language discourse. Teachers should appropriately use PPT resources and
multimodality symbols to provide teaching situation, convenience and supplementary conditions
for foreign language teaching in situational context in class so as to improve teaching efficiency.
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For PPT resources wisely used under multimedia, Hu Zhuanglin [13] divided various discourses
of PPT categories into four types: prompt type, intuitive type, analysis type and persuasion type
and divided modalities used in PPT discourse into visual sense modality and auditory sense
modality. Multimodality college English mode requires the use of multiple modalities in class to
enrich the classroom content. Background music can rapidly color the atmosphere; images can
intuitively attract the attention of students; text explanation can help students understand the
knowledge content. Teachers’ body language and infectious explanations accompanied can
improve teaching quality. Hu Zhuanglin [13] also considered, “traditional literacy mainly
focusing on reading and writing is not enough in multimedia era”. Today, with the integration,
diversification and technicalization of the current world, it is not only required to train students’
reading and writing abilities. More importantly, it is required to train their diversified literacy.
For example, the goal of integrated course is to pass on knowledge, introducing culture and
training language skills. Teachers will explain the content intensively, and students will do large
amount of exercises to consolidate or digest what they are supposed to command. Usually,
students are the center of the class and the main media ways are textbooks, multimedia
courseware, teachers’ teaching activities, students’ question-answering activities, so the main
form of modalities are vision and hearing. This kind of teaching pattern involves the collaboration
between media inside the modality. Courseware shows the important information by using the
vivid pictures and the different typefaces. Textbooks act as the supplement by providing the
specific information. In the process of teaching, teachers will raise some questions for students to
answer. The application of hearing modality needs vision to cooperate. Teachers can judge
whether students understand the materials they are studying according to the students’ reaction.
Therefore, in this kind of teaching model, over two modalities are applied, which accelerates the
conveyance of information, and changes the previous unitary teacher-centered pattern of language
teaching with the help of multimedia. The new teaching pattern is free from the constraints of the
time and places, which embodies the central role of students and the interaction of learning.
One teaching case could be raised to illustrate the importance of multimodal discourse employed
in class. In the Text A, Book One of twenty-first century College English, the topic is
Conversational Ballgames. In class, the teacher explains the different ballgames by demonstrating
some pictures and background information via PPT, and compares them to Japanese-style
conversation and English-style conversation. By discussing the different rules of the ballgames,
the teacher elaborates the different language styles under the different cultural backgrounds and
how the differences lead to a series of interesting results in the interaction between people.
Through the demonstration of PPT, the students learn different styles and rules of conversation.
Then the teacher divides the students into some group and asks them to discuss the different
conversation styles and summarize the corresponding conversational rules and characteristics.
After that, the teacher plays a piece of video in which an actress acts as people from different
countries speaking different styles of English. The actress speaks with obvious characteristics of
different countries and the students can identify the different styles easily. They are American,
African, Chinese and Indian. Finally, the teacher poses a question: besides language, what other
factors cause to form the conversational style? With the help of the previous video, the students
list a series of factors, such as facial expression, body language, way of thinking, clothes and so
on. Through the discussion and guidance above, the students understand that language reflects
culture, so learning a language, one must learn the culture. Students should develop a right
attitude toward language learning. In the process of learning, the students have a good command
of this unit under the setting of multimodality.
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4.CONCLUSIONS
This paper attempts to establish multimodality college English teaching mode based on the
comprehensive framework of multimodality discourse analysis of Martin (1992) and Zhang Delu
(2009). The research finds that the meaning of multimodality college English teaching mode is
that it can integrate language and other relevant meaning resources. We can see not only the role
of language system in the meaning exchange process, but also the effect of other symbol systems
such as auditory sense, visual sense, picture and tactile sense modalities in this process, thus
making the interpretation of discourse meaning more comprehensive and accurate and providing
convenience for the realization of teaching situations in foreign language teaching. Research also
finds that multimodality college English teaching can allow teachers and students to obtain
information through multiple channels and jointly construct the meaning to be expressed by
teachers and the meaning to be mastered by students and is conducive to obtaining the optimal
effect of teaching. On one hand, multimodal discourse analysis offers a new perspective for
college English teaching. On the other hand, it supplies a solution for some teaching problems.
Multimodal discourse analysis enriches the theoretical framework of college English teaching,
optimizes the college English teaching system and helps students develop individual
sustainability. Teachers combine it with the one’s own personality by integrating some suitable
modes to better facilitate the teaching process and during the teaching process. The establishment
of multimodality college English teaching mode cannot be accomplished in an action. It should be
tested and improved constantly in the practice of college English teaching.
Besides, We have to be fully aware that though the new network environment provides students
with wider space of study and communication in the course of transformation from single
modality to double modality and even to multimodality, through which they will exchange their
feelings, ideas, interests and hobbies in the setting of the network, students’ autonomous learning
becomes more complicated in this kind of environment, so it becomes more difficult to monitor
their autonomous learning process effectively. With the complexity of the multimodality setting,
the diversification of the interactive modality, the socialization of the students’ communication,
the learning process of the students must be guided and monitored properly with better improved
monitoring model. Therefore, this research aims at throwing a sprat, from which college English
teaching practice could be more inspired. Undoubtedly, it needs more researches to guide the
learners to study independently under the setting of multimodality.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This study is supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities under
grant No. 3102014RW0023 and Higher Education Research Fund under grant No. 2014GJY09
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Author
Qian Wang(1981-), MA., Assistant Professor in School of Foreign Lan guages of
Northwestern Polytechnical University in China.