It’s All Language: Lessons as Storytelling. How Social Media and Digital Image Formats (GIFs) can enrich student engagement, drive enrollment and transform the classroom experience

Abstract

Foreign language teaching is at a crossroads between traditional classroom-textbook teaching styles and newer digital platforms which provide online and multimedia tools. Often students feel they are straddling the two learning styles yet not able to benefit from either or both. What I propose is a bridge between the two pedagogies: by incorporating social media and digital imaging formats (Instagram, facebook, youtube, GIFs) seamlessly into classroom presentations and discussions, instructors can bridge the gap between textbook and active learning tools, breathing new life into learning modules and helping students pivot to a robust, real-life learning environment.