Dear Colleagues,

Digital technologies have prompted new communicative practices and areas of scholarly inquiry, supporting new instructional formats, increasing opportunities for intercultural engagement, and transforming “the daily communication, and learning practices of both students and teachers” (Thorne, 2020, p. ix). Notions of literacies have also been redefined “as social practices that are fluid, sociocultural, multimodal, and dynamic” (Chen, 2013, p. 143) that are practiced “by individuals as parts of larger groups” (Thorne and Reinhardt, 2008, p. 259). This evolving view of literacies accommodates the newness of digital media and strongly relates to current social practices (Pennycook, 2001). Writing is also understood as composing because of the multimodal nature of the texts currently created using social tools such as blogs, Google Docs, and even Twitter. Therefore, the goal of this Special Issue is to publish articles that focus on second languages (L2s) and heritage languages (HLs) in a wide range of educational contexts. In this Special Issue, we intend to include a range of studies that consider diverse theoretical and instructional practices for L2/HL writing/composing when using technologies, including hybrid instructional platforms and/or the use of social tools. The goal is to explore not only how academic digital writing/composing is approached and practiced but also how multimodal composing practices are transforming L2/HL pedagogy and learners’ experiences and practices.

Given the depth and breadth of the current research conducted in the ESL/EFL context, preference will be given to research investigating L2s other than English. Additionally, we seek contributions that address multiliteracies and multimodality in classroom practices. Specifically, we are looking for reports of empirical studies (e.g., mixed methods, case studies, and qualitative and/or quantitative studies) on multilingual learners (e.g., second, third, foreign, and heritage languages). Topics may include, but are not limited to: 

• Digital multimodal writing/composing;
• Academic literacy/new literacies in digital environments; 
• Theoretical and pedagogical approaches to digital writing;
• Translanguaging practices;
• Collaborative writing/composing;
• Digital feedback;
• Multilingual identities;
• Cultural/intercultural awareness;
• Teacher/graduate student teacher training;
• Curricular innovation and outcomes assessment.

We also welcome conceptual articles that discuss multiple research approaches to investigations of digital writing and examine relevant theoretical frameworks and constructs that guide empirical research and research-informed pedagogies.

We request that interested authors initially submit a proposed title and abstract of 400–600 words summarizing their intended contribution prior to preparing their manuscripts. Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editors for the purposes of ensuring proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue, and then full manuscripts will be solicited. Please send the abstract to either the Guest Editors at [email protected] and [email protected] or to the Languages Editorial Office at [email protected].

The deadline for abstract submission is 30 September 2020.

The notification of abstract acceptance is 1 November 2020.

The deadline for manuscript submission is 1 March 2021.

References

Chen, H. I. (2013). Identity practices of multilingual writers in social networking spaces. Language Learning & Technology, 17(2), 143–170.

Pennycook, A. (2001). Critical applied linguistics: a critical introduction. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

Thorne, S. L. (2020). Foreword. In R. J. Blake and G. Gillén, Brave New Digital Classroom: Technology and Foreign Language Learning (p. ix). Washington D.C.: Georgetown University Press.

Thorne, S. L., and Reinhardt, J. (2008). “Bridging activities,” new media literacies, and advanced foreign language proficiency. CALICO Journal, 25(3), 558–572.

Prof. Dr. Idoia Elola
Prof. Dr. Raychel Vasseur
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Languages is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• L2 digital writing/composing
• multiliteracies
• multimodality
• digital tools
• social writing
• L2/HL writing/composing pedagogy