1,721,045 research outputs found
Message and Medium: English Language Practices Across Old and New Media
No full textStudies of digital communication technologies often focus on the apparently unique set of multimodal resources afforded to users and the development of innovative linguistic strategies for performing mediatised identities and maintaining online social networks.
This edited volume interrogates the novelty of such practices by establishing a transhistorical approach to the study of digital communication. The transhistorical approach explores language practices as lived experiences grounded in historical contexts, and aims to identify those elements of human behaviour that transcend historical boundaries, looking beyond specific developments in communication technologies to understand the enduring motivations and social concerns that drive human communication.
The volume reveals long-term patterns in the indexical functions of seemingly innovative written and multimodal resources and the ideologies that underpin them, and shows that methods are not necessarily contingent on their datasets: historical analytic frameworks can be applied to digital data and newer approaches used to understand historical data. These insights present exciting opportunities for English language researchers, both historical and modern
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The sociolinguistics portfolio: integrating students’ language experiences into online applied linguistics modules
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Inclusive and decolonising moves in the English Language curriculum: possibilities and barriers in online distance contexts of teaching
No full textThis chapter reflects on attempts to enact an inclusive, accessible and decolonized curriculum in the area of English language studies in relation to institutional frameworks, namely the Open University’s Inclusive Curriculum Tool (ICT). The discussion focuses on the design and uptake of a language story sharing activity, pointing to key affordances and limitations of online distance learning environments for the (co)creation of inclusive and decolonized learning experiences that can prove useful for educators beyond the context of the Open University (OU)
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Introduction
Get PDFWhen lockdown restrictions were imposed in countries across the world following the Covid-19 outbreak in early 2020, and most universities were compelled to deliver their teaching online (Marinoni et al. 2020), The Open University (OU) found itself – as the UK’s first and largest open distance learning institution – in the enviable position of having a well-established online model in place. The OU model is to produce materials delivered in book and website form, and to combine these with small group provision, enabling students to work with a tutor in a group of approximately 20 students, including the option to attend group sessions online or, pre-pandemic at least, in person. While most materials are provided in written format (print or on screen), audiovisual materials (interviews, talks and short films) are becoming increasingly important.
However, while certainly in a better position than ‘bricks and mortar’ universities, the OU was not immune to the negative impact of the social restrictions imposed as a reaction to the spread of Covid-19. This was in part because, although the OU's teaching model was only minimally disrupted by the pandemic (though face-to-face events of course ceased), the restrictions had an impact on the lives and study/work patterns of its staff and students. A survey by Aristeidou and Cross (2021) of 550 OU undergraduate students across disciplines found – perhaps unsurprisingly – that many reported participating less frequently in online tutorials and forums as a result of Covid, which the researchers attribute to increased caring and employment responsibilities as well as other life difficulties. Interestingly, OU students who interacted less frequently with peers and educators experienced a greater negative impact on their learning. The experience of the OU during the pandemic restrictions highlights the complexity of designing and delivering online education.
The restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic from early 2020 prompted a sector-wide revolution as lecturers moved rapidly to deliver their modules online. This shift was followed by a proliferation of online resources for teachers, including a range of online courses providing ‘quick tips’ and techniques for online teaching. In the long term, the pandemic has accelerated a change already underway in higher education (HE) and one which is particularly felt in Applied Linguistics as changes in ways of communicating affect both the means and object of study. This edited collection steps back from the initial rush to help lecturers consider the implications of shifting teaching online and reflect on the theories and principles that underlie online teaching and learning. All chapters are illustrated with practical examples from applied linguistics courses ranging from first year undergraduate to Masters level, and readers are invited to apply and adapt these ideas to their own educational contexts. Written by university teachers based in the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics at The Open University, with considerable experience in online teaching and learning, the book covers a range of topics including blended learning, online social presence, dialogic learning, critical digital literacies, and the role of English language studies as a vehicle for supporting students’ development as language users in the digital age. Whilst the book aims to be a source of ideas and practical advice for all HE lecturers, it does not assume access to particular technologies or platforms but focuses instead on opening up a space for the discussion and application of general principles of online teaching and learning. The book enables HE teachers in applied linguistics (and related fields) to develop their online learning strategies and reflect on their developing practice in order to fully embrace the affordances of online education
Audience design and language choice in the construction and maintenance of translocal communities on social network sites
No full textAbout the book:
The internet has revolutionised the way we live our lives in untold ways, but the most far-reaching is the impact it is having on the way we communicate. Social media sites in particular allow us to maintain friendships beyond geographical barriers, to build up and exploit networked contacts, and to cultivate a public image. And how we communicate online has a profound and lasting impact on language and society.
This very timely book brings together a broad selection of the exciting and diverse research that is currently being conducted into language on social media sites including Facebook, Twitter, and TripAdvisor. Studies from leading language researchers, and those at the cutting edge of analysis into social media, explore the impact of social media on how we relate to each other, the communities we live in, and the way we manage and present a sense of self in twenty-first century society
Spelling in context: a transhistorical pragmatic perspective on orthographic practices in English
No full textBook review: Caroline Tagg, <i>Exploring Digital Communication: Language in Action</i>
No full textBased on: Tagg Caroline, Exploring Digital Communication: Language in Action, Abingdon and New York: Routledge, 2015; £28.99 (pbk), £ 90.00 (hbk)
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