Multimodal Narrative Practices in Adult ESL: Negotiating Linguicism and Developing Language

Abstract

Multimodal pedagogies and narrative practices in the language classroom have been found effective in facilitating adult English language learning and the development of learners’ identity (Crandall, 2018). Further, racism and linguicism are aspects of adult learners’ lives that affect learners’ learning trajectories (Corona & Block, 2020).  Few studies, however, examined how multimodal narrative practices in the classroom can allow adult language learners space to negotiate linguicism and become legitimate members of the target community. This study investigated the role of narrative practices in negotiating linguicism and developing language. The study was conducted in a beginning intermediate ESL class in the Mid-south, USA. The class comprised five immigrant women participating in a multimodal narrative-based language teaching approach designed by the instructor. The learners each wrote ten multimodal narratives in a shared Google Docs over the period of 10 weeks about their English-speaking experiences and retold those narratives in the classroom. The findings showed that multimodal narrative practices not only facilitated language development but also helped learners negotiate racism and shape identity.