An Examination of ESL Taiwanese University Students' Multimodal Reading Responses

Abstract

This article reports an empirical study conducted in a Taiwanese English as a second language university class. Reader response theory is the theoretical framework guiding the study. Fifty-nine university students were encouraged to collaboratively create multimodal responses to a classic English reading. Taking an aesthetic reading stance, the students used drama, visuals, and music to interpret the text and to construct meanings. Students' “lived through” reading experiences and their perceptions of this approach were examined. The results suggest that employing multimodal reading responses empowered the students, lifting the language limits that might confine them. Multimodal reading responses also sustained students' reading experiences and helped them better comprehend the text. Most importantly, the aesthetic reading experience motivated the students, promising a possibility for them to evolve into autonomous and proficient English readers.