English Teaching: Practice and Critique
Multiliteracies in the secondary English classroom: Becoming literate in the 21st century
Volume 9 Number 3 December 2010
Melanie Shoffner (Purdue University, Indiana, USA)
Luciana C. de Oliveira (Purdue University, Indiana, USA)
Ryan Angus (Purdue University, Indiana, USA)
Conceptions of literacy in the secondary English language arts classroom today have expanded in multiple directions, moving far beyond former emphases on reading comprehension and writing ability. This article presents the efforts of two secondary English language arts teachers in the Midwestern United States to expand the meaning of literacy in their own classrooms. Using a case study approach, the authors examine each teacher's understanding of literacy, views on enacting literacy in the classroom and efforts to engage students in multiliteracies. The authors then discuss the implications of the teachers' literacy work, focusing on the teachers' individual classrooms and the preparation of secondary English teachers.