Recently, scholars in rhetoric and composition and digital rhetoric have been paying increased attention to the connections between multilingualism and multimodality. For example, at the 2014 Conference of College Composition and Communication, Min-Zhan Lu, Anis Bawarshi, Nancy Bou Ayash, Juan Guerra, Bruce Horner, and Cynthia Selfe situated the future of writing instruction in translingual, multimodal practices and pedagogies. In this panel, Selfe and Horner highlighted the importance of moving beyond a “single language/single modality” approach to writing instruction, to account for “the increasing, and increasingly undeniable, traffic among peoples and languages” reflected in our classrooms.
Scholars have also theorized a code-meshing approach to language difference in writing (Canagarajah; Guerra; Young and Martinez). This approach acknowledges the intricate “shuttling” between languages, cultures, and modalities that takes place in contemporary classrooms. Important conversations stemming from this work are reflected in both the NCTE Position Statement on Multimodal Literacies and the Students’ Rights to their Own Language Resolution. Pedagogies that push writing beyond a single language/single mode, and that acknowledge the historical and cultural foundations of linguistic diversity, help students develop rhetorical dexterity to successfully communicate across a wide range of contexts.
This DRC blog carnival seeks to highlight the benefits of moving beyond and across modes and languages to create meaning. We invite blog posts that discuss the affordances of linguistic diversity, multimodality, translingualism, and the connections between multimodality and language. Blog posts may be collaborative, vary in format, length, and language, and can reflect pedagogical and theoretical contributions to varying degrees. We also encourage contributions and reflections from students and faculty at various stages in their careers.
Topics and questions discussed in your blog posts may include (but are not limited to) the following:
- How can multimodality be incorporated into a multilingual curriculum?
- How have you moved beyond a single language/single modality perspective as a student or as an instructor?
- How do multilingual learners approach multimodality, either in the writing classroom or in other contexts?
- What can we learn from the experiences of multilingual writers in the writing classroom?
- What are the connections between translingual and multimodal pedagogies?
- How can multimodality/multimodal pedagogies disturb any stereotypes/stigma about multilingual writers?
- What strengths do linguistic diversity and multimodality bring into our curricula?
Blog posts may discuss writing curricula in first-year composition, but we are also very interested in work that extends to professional and technical communication as well as cultural rhetorics. For some ideas on what blog carnival posts have entailed in the past, click here.
If you are interested in contributing to this blog carnival to be published on the DRC site, please send a 150-200 word description of your idea to Laura Gonzales at gonzlaur@gmail.com by Tuesday, September 16th. You may also send questions or request more information. All responses will be sent by September 23rd, and the blog posts will be published throughout October.
Looking forward to hearing from you and engaging in this important conversation!
