Background & Trajectory

My research and scholarly pursuits, spanning over a decade, have been dedicated to second language (L2) education. My academic journey in U.S.-based research commenced back in 2014 during my graduate studies at the University of Arizona, where I conducted an action research project titled "The Dual Coding Theory and Vocabulary Acquisition". Under the supervision of Dr. Robert Ariew, I delved into the fascinating intersection of psycholinguistic theories and the association between cognitive science and language learning. My interest in L2 vocabulary acquisition was sparked during my first year of teaching French from observing challenges in my students' language production due to a vocabulary deficiency. The study, grounded in Paivio’s Dual Coding Theory (1971, 1986), involved 31 students two sections of French 102 classes. Employing both traditional isolated word presentations and a multimodal approach, the results indicated that students performed slightly better and recognized more vocabulary when presented multimodally. This highlighted the effectiveness of multimodal techniques in enhancing vocabulary acquisition among language learners.

Fast-forward to my current research focus, which is now anchored in second language (L2) writing and technology. My work revolves around innovative pedagogical approaches in foreign language education, rooted in two complementary areas: (1) Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, providing the basis for collaborative writing, and (2) Kress and Van Leeuwen’s concept of multimodality, offering theoretical support for multimodal writing. This trajectory culminated in my dissertation study in 2021, where I investigated how French L2 learners harness various resources while collaboratively engaging in multimodal writing projects using Google Docs. The study unfolded across dimensions, exploring collaborative processes, evaluating the quality of finished multimodal products, and capturing learners' perceptions of this new writing pedagogy. The outcomes from this study have been published in both Languages and System journals.

 

Looking forward, my research agenda expands to explore:

1. Students’ development of L2 literacies.

2. Mechanisms and discourses facilitating learning in online writing spaces.

3. Collaborative assessment of digital multimodal composition.

 

I aim to extend this work by investigating the connections between students’ multimodal products and their composing practices. Additionally, I plan to create innovative assessment materials for evaluating students’ multimodal texts, recognizing the evolving landscape of language acquisition and the increasing role of technology in fostering effective learning experiences.