Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

“Bridging Activities,” New Media Literacies, And Advanced Foreign Language Proficiency, Steven L. Thorne, Jonathon Reinhardt

World Languages and Literatures Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this article we propose the pedagogical model bridging activities to address advanced foreign language proficiency in the context of existing and emerging internet communication and information tools and communities. The article begins by establishing the need for language and genre-focused activities at the advanced level that attend to the shifting social practices and emerging literacies associated with digital media. Grounded in principles of language awareness and the concept of multiliteracies, the bridging activities model centers on guided exploration and analysis of student selected or created digital vernacular texts originating in Web 2.0 and other technologies/practices such as instant messaging …