What are they saying?

In the article by the New London Group I was a little disappointed by the lack of clarification about what, exactly, the authors meant by “multiliteracies”. I understand that it is a “new approach to literacy pedagogy” which they intend to be a way to deal with the “increasing cultural and linguistic diversity in the world today” (1). And I understand how the six major areas (linguistic, visual, audio, gestural, spatial and multimodal design) required for functional grammars are important for explaining patterns of meaning. The authors seem to be intent on creating an educational template which can accommodate and facilitate a vast population of diverse learning habits and educational backgrounds. I think this is a noble and worthwhile endeavor. However, I do have some concerns as a future teacher.

I know that classrooms are overcrowded. How is one teacher supposed to learn and adapt their instruction to meet the specific needs of so many vastly different students? It seems like everyone is crying “unfair” if special needs aren’t met and catered to, lately. I understand, and agree that certain accommodations need to be met. For example: requiring wheel chair access and seating for the handicapped in schools is good. This is providing access for someone who did not have it. But, what if a student doesn’t speak English. Should the school provide an interpreter so that the student will have access to the education? This may seem like an extreme example, but it is how I see some of the approaches suggested by the New London Group.

Another concern, which I think this article is trying to address, is the ambiguity of English, and language itself. We all know that two plus two equals four (yes, I know even math has imaginary numbers, but, for the most part, and especially in elementary and high school, it is relatively concrete). But language is much more complex. A simple word like ‘okay’ can convey so many different ideas and messages. If someone asks how I am doing, I might say ‘okay’. But what am I really saying? Am I saying that my whole life is okay? Am I saying that I am healthy? Or maybe I am just being polite and trying to avoid conversation. This is where audio design and gestural design come in to play. What is the tone of my voice? Was I gruff with my response? Did I smile? Were my arms crossed? The word I said was English. I can teach students what that word means, how to spell it, and how to use it properly in a sentence. But explaining all of the elements of communication that can go along with it seems a bit daunting. Okay?