RAE de Macao (China)
In soft CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) contexts, multimodal resources are often used to facilitate students’ learning of the L2 skills and content topics. More recently, multimodal literacy has been incorporated into the curriculum in different parts of the world, which means multimodality is regarded not only as a tool to support learning but also as a learning outcome itself. However, there is a dearth of research bringing together these two perspectives to examine teachers’ perceptions and practices in soft CLIL. Adopting a qualitative multiple-case study approach, this study explores three secondary school teachers’ perceptions, practices, and needs regarding multimodality in soft CLIL contexts. The findings reveal varying ways in which the teachers understood and applied multimodality in their teaching and assessment. Drawing on and extending Lim’s [2024. “Multimodality and Learning: Desiderata for Designing Social Futures.” In Empowering Language Learners in a Changing World through Pedagogies of Multiliteracies, edited by V. Tavares, 21–39. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan] conceptualization of multimodality for/as learning, this paper argues that teachers’ application of multimodality for/as learning can be viewed on a continuum and can be designed and implemented flexibly to suit the curriculum and students’ needs. The paper further suggests theory-informed pedagogical strategies to integrate content, language, and multimodal literacy. These findings and discussion shed new light on the professional development of multimodal literacy for teachers in soft CLIL and hard CLIL contexts.