Remaking Signs Across Modes: Potentials for Learning in Multimodal Composing

Language learners are exposed to multimodal texts in their everyday lives, and increasingly in the language classroom, through multimodal composing activities (Takayoshi & Selfe, 2007). However, despite increased interest in the multiliteracies perspective in language learning (Lim, Toh, & Nguyen, 2022), we do not yet have an in-depth understanding of potentials for learning (Bezemer & Kress, 2016) that emerge during multimodal composing activities. To address this gap, we investigate multimodal composing activities of 25 undergraduate students in one EFL classroom in Thailand, who designed digital posters of an innovative product in small groups and delivered in-class oral presentations. Through social semiotic analysis of the posters and video recordings of the oral presentations by two groups, and drawing on the notion of ‘writing as design’ (The New London Group, 2000), we examine specific changes in meaning representation (gains and losses) during multimodal composing. Our findings reveal that remaking signs across different modes shaped not only what became available for students to learn, but also how to learn it. Our conclusion highlights the need for teachers to make full use of modes available in all learning environments in a way that is most conducive for students to achieve their learning objectives.