It has become clearer to me that writing involves much more than simply transcribing spoken words. For an extended period, I believed that any thought I could articulate verbally could also be effectively documented in writing, however, these discussions have made me recognize that oral and written forms of communication are distinct systems with subtle differences. In this manner, a curriculum practice that nicely demonstrates this connection, along with the wider dimensions of multimodal literacy pedagogy, is Oral/Verbal Rehearsal, or what is familiarly called 'Say It First' strategy.

The Oral/Verbal Rehearsal or 'Say It First' strategy verbalizes ideas using sentence frames like "One thing I noticed was..." before we ever touch a pen or keyboard and integrate our thoughts directly into writing. The transition from oral to written communication serves as an example of multimodal literacy pedagogy, particularly highlighting the principle of synesthesia. Synesthesia is defined as the process of representing meaning in one mode and then another. Encouraging a learner to discuss a concept prior to writing enables the teacher to support a cognitive shift, allowing the student to construct meaning more effectively, and it is intriguing to observe that although the topic remains constant, the meaning shifts when we change modes, as each mode possesses its own distinct 'grammar'. Oral rehearsal allows students to use the audio and oral modes—leveraging volume, pitch, and prosody to establish intent—before moving into the more formal, explicit structures of writing. In addition, this practice also addresses the dimension of structure. Oral communication expresses thoughts aloud with hesitations and repetitions that listeners can easily comprehend. However, writing requires a different cognitive structure; it must be explicit because it exists at a distance from the reader and the reader isn't there to ask for clarification. Oral rehearsal reduces the cognitive load of this transition by allowing students to build fluency in their vocabulary and ideas orally before they have to tackle the technical "academic literacy" of formal writing, which is often more objective and abstract.

Ultimately, these practices offer a clear demonstration that literacy pedagogy does not limit itself into a mere notion of 'correctness.’ Instead, it is a process of mode shifting that moves students from the subjective, vernacular world of oral language toward the objective, academic structures required for formal thinking.

Reference

Tppwriterswhocare. (2024, October 2). Using Verbal Rehearsal with Students: A Way to Support Stronger First Drafts. Writers Who Care. https://writerswhocare.wordpress.com/2024/10/02/using-verbal-rehearsal-with-students-a-way-to-support-stronger-first-drafts/

Mode Shifting from Oral to Written: The Power of Verbal Rehearsal in Literacy Instruction