EFL Learners' Perceptions and Attitudinal Fluctuations Toward Digital Multimodal Composition: A Longitudinal Approach

EFL Learners' Perceptions and Attitudinal Fluctuations Toward Digital Multimodal Composition: A Longitudinal Approach

Assim S. Alrajhi
DOI: 10.4018/IJCALLT.317748
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Abstract

This longitudinal study used a mixed-methods approach to investigate multiple digital multimodal composition (DMC) tasks effect on EFL learners' attitudes toward DMC. The sample consisted of Arabic-speaking students (n = 40), enrolled in an English language program at a Saudi university. Data comprised multiple sources, including five online tasks, five questionnaires, reflections, and focus group discussions. The findings show that students maintained positive attitudes toward DMC, suggesting that such attitudes are not a consequence of the novelty effect, postulated in previous cross-sectional research. Furthermore, there is a significant attitudinal fluctuation observed in attitudes toward how DMC facilitates meaning communication. Meanwhile, major themes emerged that explain positive attitudes, including enjoyability, communication, motivation, Second language and writing development, and satisfaction. Conversely, the availability of nonlinguistic components might pose negative effects on learners. This paper sheds light on pedagogical implications and avenues for future research.
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Literature Review

Theoretical Background

A framework of pertinence to and which guides the present empirical study is the social semiotic theory of multimodality (Kress, 2010). It posits that language is not exclusively the primary resource through which communication can occur, as other available socially based semiotic resources can be tapped into for meaning-making. Miller (2013), accordingly, argued that complex resources for meaning representation are represented by multimodal composition (MMC). According to Smith (2017), “multimodal composition involves the fluid interweaving of visuals, sounds, movement, and text to create synergistic messages” (p. 259). Therefore, DMC tasks in this study are grounded on the multimodality-based perspective of intersemiotic complementarity that refers to producing meaningful MMC through the integration of a variety of semiotic resources that complement and relate to each other (Royce, 2002).

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