Debriefing Teaching Strategies and Multimodal Narratives in ESL: Pedagogical Tools for Developing Agency, Making Meaning, and Confronting Racism

Abstract

Over the years, there has been a rising interest in combining debriefing teaching approaches and multimodality in classrooms to promote superior critical thinking, reflective thinking, and comprehension (Reyes-Chua, 2018). Such practices have also been instrumental in facilitating L2 learning and identity development (Johnson & Kendrick, 2017). Although most research has focused on the potential of multimodality in enhancing language learning and identity construction, only a handful of studies have investigated how debriefing teaching strategies and multimodal narrative tactics can empower adult minoritized L2 learners to confront racism and develop agency. Using ethnographic and action-based research data, this study examines the role of debriefing teaching strategies and multimodal narrative practices in developing agency, creating meaning, and addressing linguistic racism. The study took place in an intermediate ESL class in the Mid-South region of the USA. Over a period of ten weeks, students wrote ten multimodal narratives in shared Google Docs about their experiences with the English language. During debriefing sessions, they reflected on the narratives and addressed issues of racism by answering 'what,' 'so what,' and 'now what' questions. This study finds that learners can acquire language, develop agency, and confront linguicism through multimodal narrative practices and debriefing teaching strategies.