Abstract
The modern concept of writing has been undergoing major changes these days. This process takes place in response to the changing global context, the ever-shifting fluid perspective of contemporary environment, which is driving away from individualistic to a more networked one.
This inevitable change implies the need to reconfigure the representational and communicational tools the society has have at their disposal (Jewitt, 2008). It presumes that linguistic and purely textual representations and means of expression are gradually becoming insufficient, given the diversity of cultures we have to interact with in the global society.
No doubt, it leads us to the conclusion that the very notion of literacy should be thoroughly reconsidered. However, with all the heads nodding in unison in response to this claim, there are hardly any changes going on in terms of literacy teaching and learning practices.
Schools still 'preach' habitual print literacy, closing their eyes to the pressing social, technological and economic factors. This trend is further exacerbated by the powerful move from 'the medium of book to 'the medium of screen'.
The focal point here is the shifting focus to representations and ways to activate learning potential, which, obviously, resonates with the 'trendy' learner autonomy perspective as well as the focus on out-of-school literacies. These are 206 comprised in the concept of 'multi-literacies' or 'multiple literacies' used to meet the emergent demands of the communicative repertoires of the 21 century.
Simultaneously, it brings in the complex interaction between global and local literacies (Brant&Clinton, 2006) as well as dominant and secondary discourses (Lemke, 2006). The main objective of this paper is to raise awareness of the benefits of multimodal means of representation in order to stop separating linguistic literacy from other literacies, divorcing visual and textual, particularly, in the process of language learning.
Multimodality and multimodal studies could shed certain light onto the issues of 'literacy' and writing, in particular, in ELT classes. Yet, how can the use of purely linguistic tools support the multiplying claims for creativity and boosting learners' confidence? This leads to the conclusion that Multimodality should be applied in the course of developing writing skills, primarily, for a number of reasons: 1.
It is visual and tangible. 2. It facilitates emotional engagement. 3.
It is creative. 4. It is motivational.
Obviously, multimodal perspective will get teachers to reconsider their writing practices in teaching and learning as well as the techniques and approaches they commonly incorporate in their writing classes. WJT Mitchell calls this century the era of 'return to image', which may only partly be true, as this return does not require giving up on textual language, but instead, to explore all possible modalities to their full capacity so as to benefit both teaching and learning.