Multimodal Literacies MOOC’s Updates

Peer-graded Assignment: Spatial, Tactile, Gestural Meanings

>> Describe and analyze a pedagogical practice that locates linguistic meanings in the context of spatial, tactile, or gestural meanings. Make an update of 300 words or more:

It can be argued that theatre can be easily adopted as a pedagogical practice to connect linguistic meanings with spatial, tactile and gestural meanings.

By getting involved in the preparation for a theatrical performance, young learners in particular become easily exposed to all the aforementioned meanings. First, learning the lines and understanding, engaging with the text in a deeper way - the meanings and connotations of the words through the decoding of the text. Next, preparing to reflect the written meanings through their interactions with space, the sense of touch, and gestures: how a particular character may express the ideas shown on paper, thinking about what gesural meanings would ideally communicate the linguistic meaning. Similarly, what is the young actor's/learner's relation with the space? How should they move in the space of the stage, around other characters, in a way that a specific atmosphere is created, and in a way that the linguistic meanings and connotations of the text are revived this time in a spatial, tactile and gestural way.

For the above reasons, it could be argued that theatre and drama could be a suggestion for an intriguing pedagogical practice for young learners in particular.