A Social Psychology of Bilingualism

The purpose of this research study was to expose EFL learners to the cultural aspects of English-speaking countries through the use of multimodal literacies in order to give them opportunities for increasing their cross-cultural awareness. Cross-cultural skills play a significant role in language learning. Previous research has discovered that including cross-cultural aspects in language teaching contributes to enhancing self-identity, citizenship, and respect for diverse lifestyles. Besides, it has been demonstrated that cultural traits that underlie the English language are associated to the way in which individuals construct meaning, but little attention has been given to the effects of semiotic elements in cross-cultural exposure specifically, through the use of multimodal literacies in contrasting tasks. The present qualitative action research study used questionnaires, journals, artifacts, and reflective logs to collect data for determining the effects of implementing multimodal literacies to enhance cross-cultural awareness in students with A1 level of proficiency according to the CEFR. Data were analyzed using the grounded theory, and it demonstrated that the students gained significant awareness of cultural patterns that are embedded in communicative interactions so that they made connections between foreign and own identities. This lends support to the notion those strategies should be more widely adopted by the educational community.