Ana Oskoz

Digital stories: Bringing multimodal texts to the Spanish writing classroom

Despite the availability and growing use of digital story software for authoring and instructional purposes, little is known about learners’ perceptions on its integration in the foreign language writing class. Following both a social semiotics approach and activity theory, this study focuses on six advanced Spanish learners’ perceptions about the production of a digital story in which they integrated a variety of modes (written, oral, images, sounds) and manipulated the semiotic resources within each mode (size, color, lines in the image mode), to convey meaning. Analyzing participants’ reflections, questionnaires, and online journals, results highlight learners’ (a) interpretation of the tools and artifacts and their effect on their understanding of a final product, (b) connections between short-term goal-oriented actions and the longer-term object-oriented activity of developing a multimodal text, and (c) linguistic reorientations when creating a digital story.

Book review: Chapelle, C. A., and Douglas, D. (2006). Assessing language through computer technology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 138 pp. ISBN 0 521 54949 3 (paperback)

involved. The organization of content and the breadth of the discussion in this book reflect a dedicated professional’s concern for thoroughness and completeness of coverage; the practitioner-oriented perspective signals the concerns of a committed teacher educator. In many ways the chapters can be read as independent units for those who are in haste; readers can return to the book time and again to look up specific themes or issues. The references are comprehensive and supportive of further research. L2 language assessment specialists will find this a valuable teaching text for advanced postgraduate diploma and masters level language assessment courses. L2 practitioners interested in assessment will find a good deal of informed advice as well as background information to enrich their understanding of what lies behind recommended principles. Student teachers will find plenty in this book to help them understand some of the pedagogic and assessment principles and the research base upon which these principles are built. In a fundamental sense this book is as much about L2 language assessment as it is about L2 education. And it has more than succeeded in showing us the importance of embracing both.