
Literacies for LCTLs Workshop Series
The Literacies for LCTLs workshop series touches on two pressing topics in the teaching of LCTLs through multiliteracies pedagogy: implementing multiliteracies pedagogy in introductory LCTL classrooms and developing students’ knowledge of language forms through multiliteracies activities. Each topic is addressed through a two-part workshop series; resources from each of the workshops are provided below.
Facilitators: Yuri Kumagai, Smith College and Borbala Gaspar, University of Arizona
Using Multiliteracies Pedagogy with Novice LCTL Learners
Workshop 1 - A Kaleidoscopic Look at Texts: Engaging Novice LCTL Learners Through Literacies-Informed Teaching
Workshop Description
The term kaleidoscopic implies a wide range of possibilities when it comes to promoting language learning with a variety of multimodal texts. In this workshop, we explored how different textual genres can be used in beginning less commonly taught language (LCTL) classrooms to promote students’ literacies development. Specifically, we focused on the textual types found in linguistic landscapes and social media platforms and discussed texts in relation to research findings to address some of the challenges LCTL language educators face related to literacies-informed teaching practices. Attendees acquired tools to help them select and analyze texts of different genres.
Resources
Using TikTok and Instagram Reels to Support Learning Development and Cultural Awareness in Beginning French Courses: webinar recording & project website
- CARLA’s Social Justice Bibliography
Workshop 2 - Building Our Kaleidoscope: Supporting Novice LCTL Learners to Experience, Conceptualize, Analyze, and Apply Texts
Workshop Description
In this workshop, participants designed activities that support novice LTCL learners as they engage with multimodal target language texts. Activities targeted the four activity types of multiliteracies pedagogy (experiencing, conceptualizing, analyzing, applying), which help learners see texts through different lenses and foster their linguistic competence. In addition, participants explored the possibilities that social media platforms and linguistic landscapes can offer LCTL teachers working with novice learners.
Resources
- Workshop slide deck
- Storyboards:
- City Walks
- Language Teaching in the Linguistic Landscape (Malinowski, Maxim, & Dubreil, 2020)
- CARLA’s Target Language Text Resources
- CARLA’s Social Justice Bibliography
Using Multiliteracies Pedagogy to Focus on Language Forms
Workshop 1 - Teaching Grammar and Vocabulary through Multimodal LCTL Texts: A Prism of Language, Conventions, and Cultural Content
Workshop Description
In this workshop, participants explored how multiliteracies pedagogy can transform the way we teach vocabulary and grammar for less commonly taught language (LCTL) learners. Much like a prism refracts light into a spectrum of colors, multimodal texts can facilitate integration of language, conventions, and cultural elements into a cohesive instructional approach. Through practical examples and hands-on activities, participants applied criteria for selecting appropriate texts to meet learning goals. They also formulated, experimented with, and evaluated ideas for engaging learners with texts, with a special focus on grammar and vocabulary.
Resources
- Workshop slide deck
- Workshop activity: Inductive/deductive lesson comparison
- Text selection
- CARLA’s Target Language Text Resources
- Linguistic landscape as text
- Literacies in Language Education, Chapter 4: Defining, selecting, and evaluating target language texts
- Multilingual Making in a Second-Language Poetry Club: A Resource Guide for Teachers