Multimodality in the language classroom can look like a teacher combining different modalities to ensure learning.
Multimodality in the classroom is incredibly important, I hadn't yet think about it in terms of learning language, but it makes sense how important multimodality would be int he classroom for that aspect. This takes me back to my original comment I made that learning (especially new language) should not be done only by lecturing and note taking.
As humans, we have many means to communicate concepts that aren’t limited to language. When we want to communicate a concept, we have a plethora of modalities to choose from such as speech, manual signs, writing, imagery, symbols, physical enactment, and more. For example, think of the concept of a cat. You can communicate this concept to someone else in multiple, complementary ways
It is so fascinating how humans are born to communicate and will find a way. This reminds me of the study where people grew up without learning language. I forget the logistics of this study, but I remember without learning any language, they created their own in order to communicate.
It was through natural interaction.
I took Spanish classes in both middle school and high schools so I had different teachers with very different teaching styles. One teacher focused on notes and lectures for us to learn grammar and vocabulary, and the other had us interact with each other, practice speaking, and learn through talking. Language is something that can be very difficult especially when you are getting little practice and manly focusing on writing, just like the example of your parents teaching you to read through a dictionary.
This is very different from a learner who is intrinsically motivated because an intrinsically motivated learner is much more likely to try harder in classes, study more, or continue taking classes longer than required.
As an aspiring teacher, this is something I have focused on a lot. While teachers can provide extrinsic motivation, intrinsic motivation is what will actually take students far. I believe teaching the difference is important in helping students understand the motivation they must build within themselves. In completely see how this plays into language. While we have our mandatory language classes in high school, most students take their mandatory years and are done. This inartistic motivation is what will take you to the next level.
Many people in Europe, Africa, and Asia speak many languages, typically their native language + their national language + a majoritized language like English, Spanish, or French.
It is so interesting how rare it seems here in America, and how we don't normalize learning more than one language. I believe It says a lot about our culture that we do not have much of a focus on learning other languages.
This implies that the interviewer holds a standard-language ideologyand we can infer that the interviewee’s dialect is considered less prestigious and professional.
This is an incredibly important point to note. I have always found it interesting when people talk down to anyone with broken English or a strong accent because it shows that they at least two languages which is usually more than the person who is judging them. The fact that it is is not from human reasoning and rather is from how people perceive different languages does give me hope that with education it can be changed.
However, one thing that is non-negotiable about human communication is that it is not limited to words, signs, or sounds.
This reminds me a a Linguistics class I took on how babies learn language. A key part in that is that as humans, we are made to communicate and against all odds we will find a way. We are not just limited to words. We can use our hands and different tones to communicate how we feel. Similarly babies will find way to communicate how they feel whether it is crying, pointing/ looking, crawling towards something etc.