FOCUS BULLETIN
Multiliteracies 1
October 2021
Multiliteracies: A Glimpse into
Language Arts Bilingual Classrooms
Bi/multilingual learners, like many of us, move across
various spaces throughout their daily lives—from online
conversations with friends, to learning in classrooms, to
family discussions around mealtimes. In all these spaces,
students experience different ways of interacting with
others, often using several modalities. Sometimes
they use technology, while other times they speak
and use gestures and facial expressions to enhance
communication. Most often, it is not a single modality
of communication, but rather a combination of many in
simultaneous use.
Now, imagine a teacher working with a small group of
students on a reading task. As a group, the students listen,
speak in pairs, read the text, and then take notes—on
paper, computer, or tablet. When multilingual learners use
all of these resources, including technology, art, music, and text, across all their languages, they
are engaging with multiliteracies. For bi/multilingual learners, the spaces for these varied activities
also promote different ways for using their languages. Bi/multilingual students’ families may
speak multiple languages with each other depending on the situation, and students bring these
language resources to school to engage in various literacy experiences. As educators plan for
teaching and learning, it is essential that they intentionally leverage and expand on bi/multilingual
learners’ multiple ways of interacting with the world to build on their multiliteracy experiences.
Multiliteracies
In 1996, the term multiliteracies was coined by the
New London Group, a group of international literacy
educators, in response to the rapid changes brought
about by globalization, technology, and social diversity.
The multi in multiliteracies refers to the range of literacies
and literacy practices (e.g., reading, writing, nonverbal
language, graphs, art, and digital communication) used
in interaction and meaning-making. The concept of
meaning-making pertains to seeing and understanding
the world through different representations. For bi/
multilingual learners, multiliteracies serve as a tool for meaning-making that embraces their
languages and cultures.
Multiliteracies (as defined in Marco ALE)
Multiliteracies recognize the knowledge, attitude,
and abilities of individuals to access, critically
analyze, interpret and build meaning, and adopt
a diversity of identities through various modalities,
such as reading, writing, and digital media (New
London Group, 1996).
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