Multimodal Literacy in Teaching Foreign Languages: The Example of Power Point Presentations

Multimodality is a very popular issue that is discussed with reference to various disciplines. The ability to interpret and create multimodal texts is a necessary skill in the contemporary world, where texts in which verbal language is accompanied by images and other modes of expression that convey relevant information dominate. Therefore, it is necessary to equip learners of foreign languages to effectively interact with multimodal texts. The purpose of the paper is to investigate the level of multimodal literacy among L2 users in the academic setting, using the example of PowerPoint presentations, and to point out the advantages of involving multimodality in teaching foreign languages, especially in teaching writing. The results of the study show that the potential of multimodality is often overlooked by teachers and students, who tend to treat visual elements mostly as decoration instead of using them as tools for enhancing successful communication. The investigation may be useful for foreign language teachers, who should focus more on teaching multimodal literacy in their writing courses to prepare students for functioning in the contemporary world. It is also a first step in developing a new methodology for teaching L2 writing.