What does multimodality mean for English?: creative tensions in teaching new texts and new literacies

Abstract

The argument for a pedagogy which embraces visual and multimodal representation is well established in academic circles (Kress & Van Leeuwen, 1996; New London Group, 1996; Cope & Kalantzis, 2000) and a plethora of literacies congregate around the ever-expanding subject English as the prime site for innovation and development. This paper will focus on one exploratory case study from the Economic and Social Research Council InterActive Education Project1 to examine how working with multimodal texts creates tensions for English teachers as well as creative opportunities for pupils. Questions around what might be an appropriate pedagogy and metalanguage for the new literacies involved were tested against the models put forward by the New London Group. The process has shown that the development of a viable metalanguage for teaching and assessing multimodal texts is highly problematic and is in need of further empirical study. This cultural work is constrained by the current assessment requirements for English in England and needs to be considered against discussions of what definition of English and literacy we need in the 21st century.