"From the Koran and Family Guy": The expression of identities in English Language Learners' digital podcasts

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book Title/Conference

Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy

Volume

55

Issue

5

Publisher

Wiley-Blackwell

Publication Date

2012

First Page

374

Last Page

384

Abstract

Framed in theories of social semiotics, this teacher research describes the implementation of a five-month unit on student identity in an eighth-grade reading/writing class for English learners. After learning about principles for multimodal design, students made their own digital podcasts in response to unit questions such as “Who am I?” and “Where do I come from?” The authors analyzed six students’ podcasts using a multimodal transcription chart, comparing these podcasts to students’ assignments throughout the unit and to student interviews about the podcasts. The authors’ analysis suggests that the podcasts promoted language development and enabled the students to simultaneously use multiple cultural and communicative resources in synergistic ways to express hybrid identities.

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