Freedom and constraints: English learners’ investment in writing through digital multimodal composing

IF 5.6 1区文学 Q1 EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH System Pub Date : 2024-10-01 Epub Date: 2024-08-30 DOI:10.1016/j.system.2024.103456

Yanhong Zuo

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Abstract

In the field of teaching English as an Additional Language (EAL), digital multimodal composing (DMC) has been increasingly used as a pedagogical approach to support students' writing. While literature highlights DMC has the potential to encourage EAL learners' investment in writing afforded by digital tools, few studies have explored what contextual factors may shape EAL learners' identities in DMC and how they can impact their investment in English writing. This article reports on a qualitative study that investigates the contextual factors that come into play in EAL students' social identity and investment in English writing through DMC in an academic literacy course in China. Through thematic analysis, this study identifies that students' investment in English writing through the DMC project interacted with two major forces in the literacy classroom setting contextualized in the Chinese education system: freedom and constraints. Under such influence, students took on two conflicting identities: free composers and disciplined language learners. Further, I argue that they experienced tensions in these identities. However, the negotiation of the tensions tended to be productive in terms of students’ investment in English writing, which ultimately fostered an enriched understanding of writing.

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自由与约束：英语学习者通过数字多模态写作进行写作投资

在英语作为附加语言（EAL）的教学领域，数字多模态写作（DMC）已被越来越多地用作支持学生写作的一种教学方法。虽然有文献强调 DMC 有可能鼓励 EAL 学习者利用数字工具进行写作投资，但很少有研究探讨在 DMC 中，哪些背景因素可能会影响 EAL 学习者的身份，以及这些因素会如何影响他们对英语写作的投资。本文报告了一项定性研究，该研究调查了在中国的一门学术扫盲课程中，EAL 学生的社会身份和通过 DMC 进行英语写作投资的背景因素。通过主题分析，本研究发现，学生通过 DMC 项目对英语写作的投入与中国教育系统背景下的扫盲课堂环境中的两种主要力量相互作用：自由和约束。在这种影响下，学生们拥有了两种相互冲突的身份：自由的创作者和严谨的语言学习者。此外，我认为他们在这两种身份中经历了紧张关系。然而，就学生对英语写作的投入而言，这种紧张关系的谈判往往是富有成效的，最终促进了他们对写作的丰富理解。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

System Multiple-

CiteScore

8.80

自引率

8.30%

发文量

202

审稿时长

64 days

期刊介绍： This international journal is devoted to the applications of educational technology and applied linguistics to problems of foreign language teaching and learning. Attention is paid to all languages and to problems associated with the study and teaching of English as a second or foreign language. The journal serves as a vehicle of expression for colleagues in developing countries. System prefers its contributors to provide articles which have a sound theoretical base with a visible practical application which can be generalized. The review section may take up works of a more theoretical nature to broaden the background.