Possibilities and challenges of learning German in a multimodal environment: A case study

Abstract

Abstract Despite a growing body of research on task-based language learning (TBLT) (Samuda & Bygate, 2008; Ellis, 2003), there is still little information available regarding the pedagogical design behind tasks and how they are implemented (Samuda & Bygate, 2008). Scholars in computer-mediated second language (L2) learning have called for research to fill in this gap by reflecting critically on task design and the subsequent implementation process (Fuchs, Hauck & Müller-Hartmann, 2012; Hampel, 2010; Hampel & Hauck, 2006; Hampel & Plaines, 2013; Hauck, 2010), instead of considering a task an “unproblematic fait accompli” (O’Dowd & Ware, 2009: 174). In response to this charge, the present case study provides a critical analysis of tasks carried out in a first-year German language course built around the weekly TV-series,Rosenheim-Cops(ZDF). These tasks drew from research on multimodality (Kress & van Leeuwen, 2001; Norris & Maier, 2014) providing a framework for understanding how multiple semiotic systems work together to create meaning. The insights provided by this study have relevance for research on multimodal task design (Hampel & Hauck, 2006) through examining the possibilities and limitations of beginner second language (L2) learners’ effective use of authentic resources. The results suggest that the tasks encouraged semiotic awareness, helped activate referential knowledge useful for accessing multimodal resources, and elicited a positive response to authentic L2 use in context. The challenges of implementing these tasks included variation in learners’ engagement with authentic multimedia resources, either due to L2 skills levels or the level of interest in the particular resource used.

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