A multimodalidade dos memes : possibilidades para o ensino-aprendizagem de inglês

Abstract

This study analyzes the potential of memes in relation to the teaching-learning of languages and their influence on the forms of communication and construction of meanings. Based on this premise, this work aims to examine the contributions that these multimodal artifacts offer to the context of the English language classroom. From this perspective, I relied on the writings of Kress (2010) and his studies on multimodality; Shifman (2013), with regard to memes, and on the assumptions of Maciel and Takaki (2012), Dionísio (2014), among others, regarding critical literacies. Thus, the theoretical methodological assumptions of the research were: the use of memes — in photo, video, audio, gif formats — based on powerpoint presentations and questionnaires that were applied to a 3rd grade high school class at a private school in the Sergipe countryside. In addition, the use of a field diary and recordings of synchronous classes developed in February 2021 was considered as a resource for data collection and analysis in order to: a) investigate the way students relate to memes outside the environment school and what are their perceptions; b) analyze the meanings constructed by students in English language classes with a focus on these linguistic artifacts and c) reflect on the use of this resource in the classroom. The research results show that such semiotic entanglement is essential for a critical linguistic education, evidenced by the sociocultural character linked to these resources. Even more, based on multimodality, it was noticed the strong influence of linguistic and gestural representations on other representations contained in memes.