Rewilding Language Education: Emergent Assemblages and Entangled Actions

Authors

Steven L. Thorne, Portland State UniversityFollow
John Hellermann, Portland State UniversityFollow
Teppo Jakonen, University of Jyväskylä

Published In

Modern Language Journal

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-11-2021

Subjects

Second language acquisition -- Study and teaching, Language teachers -- Professional development

Abstract

Integrating concepts and techniques from ethnomethodology and sociomaterialism, this article investigates the observable material processes involving human action and place-based contexts of language use enabled by locative media. The focal pedagogical intervention utilized mobile augmented reality (AR) activities, the development of which was inspired by research on learning ‘in the wild.’ Applying the principle of reverse engineering, we introduce a pedagogical approach termed ‘rewilding’ for its emphasis on designing supportive conditions for goal-directed interaction outside of classrooms. Three instances of AR materials use are presented from an out-of-class activity associated with university-level language courses involving a quest-type AR game called ChronoOps. Video data of 3-player groups were transcribed using conventions from multimodal conversation analysis. The empirical investigation illustrates meaning making through visible embodied displays, the performance of new actions through incorporation of public semiotic resources, and the contributions of the material surround as actants in the flow of interaction. Analysis illustrates that mobile AR activities enable languaging events among assemblages of environments, mobile devices, and embodied experience. We conclude by outlining the affordances of mobile AR activities as one example of rewilding approaches to creating material conditions for language use and learning

Rights

© 2021 The Authors. The Modern Language Journal published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of National Federation of Modern Language Teachers Associations, Inc.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Locate the Document

https://doi.org/10.1111/modl.12687

DOI

10.1111/modl.12687

Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/36211

Citation Details

Thorne, S. L., Hellermann, J., & Jakonen, T. (2021). Rewilding language education: Emergent assemblages and entangled actions. Modern Language Journal, 105, 106-125.