Multimodality and literacy practices in English: Exploring the role of multimodal texts in English language teaching in Norway

This article-based doctoral dissertation investigates multimodality in English as a school subject in Norway, more specifically in relation to literacy. Calls for more research on multimodality in English language teaching in Norway motivated this study. Furthermore, the recent curriculum inclusion of multimodal texts in the English subject increases its relevance for both practice and research. The overarching research question addressed is as follows: What role does multimodality play in the literacy practices of the English subject in Norway? Taking its theoretical starting point in a social semiotic multimodal perspective on learning, this dissertation includes three qualitative case studies. The data material consists mainly of texts and observations of literacy events, collected in three different contexts. The main contribution of this dissertation is increased knowledge about multimodality as an inherent, but little researched phenomenon within the field of English subject didactics and English teaching in Norway. Findings indicate that the English subject has a multimodal literacy practice on the input end of teaching. This practice is, however, largely silent and bound to traditions of scaffolding and notions of motivation. The dissertation implies that the production and recognition of multimodal texts as output as well as input is a natural and necessary step forward for English language teaching, especially considering the recent curriculum