Projecting authenticity through nativeness: a multimodal analysis of microcelebrity English teachers’ Instagram reels
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Erhan Aslan
Erhan Aslan is Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics at the University of Reading. He earned his Ph.D. in Second Language Acquisition and Instructional Technology from the University of South Florida. His research interests broadly cover the multilingual, multicultural, and technologized practices of language and communication in changing societies and pedagogical contexts. His work on digital communication appeared in journals such as
Journal of Sociolinguistics ,Journal of Pragmatics ,System , andLinguistics and Education . He is also a co-author ofLanguage and Media (Routledge, 2020).
and
Wing Yee Jenifer Ho
Wing Yee Jenifer Ho is Associate Professor at the Department of English and Communication, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. She received her PhD in Applied Linguistics from University College London. Her research interests include video-mediated communication, translanguaging, social semiotic multimodality, recreational language learning, and interculturality. Her work appeared in journals such as
System ,ELT Journal ,Learning, Media and Technology , andApplied Linguistics Review .
Abstract
Many language teachers create short, engaging, and accessible English content on social media, accumulating large numbers of followers. Drawing on existing conceptualizations of authenticity and qualities of internet celebrities, this study presents a multimodal analysis of Instagram accounts of two microcelebrity British English language teachers, each with over a million followers. The findings reveal instances where teachers position themselves as the authority for linguistic or non-linguistic knowledge highlighting different forms of cultural capital including ordinary and mundane aspects of their everyday lives. The analysis also reveals exclusive representations of the West (specifically the UK) including vocabulary associated with British culture, idiomatic expressions, and British pronunciation of some words. The study provides novel and critical insights into the emerging forms of language teaching on social media platforms shaped by the neoliberal landscape of education with important implications for English language teaching professionals and teacher education programs.
About the authors
Erhan Aslan is Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics at the University of Reading. He earned his Ph.D. in Second Language Acquisition and Instructional Technology from the University of South Florida. His research interests broadly cover the multilingual, multicultural, and technologized practices of language and communication in changing societies and pedagogical contexts. His work on digital communication appeared in journals such as Journal of Sociolinguistics, Journal of Pragmatics, System, and Linguistics and Education. He is also a co-author of Language and Media (Routledge, 2020).
Wing Yee Jenifer Ho is Associate Professor at the Department of English and Communication, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. She received her PhD in Applied Linguistics from University College London. Her research interests include video-mediated communication, translanguaging, social semiotic multimodality, recreational language learning, and interculturality. Her work appeared in journals such as System, ELT Journal, Learning, Media and Technology, and Applied Linguistics Review.
Appendix: Examples of multimodal transcription
Example 1.
| Time | Speech | Text on screen (subtitles) | Screen-capture | Sound effect | Camera angle | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00:01 | He was so stupid | Kind of British… (preceded by a British flag sticker) He was so stupid |
|
No sound effect | Close up | Gaze: looking at the camera |
| 00:05 | Ah, he was a bloody doughnut! | …very British (preceded by a British flag sticker) He was a bloody doughnut! |
|
No sound effect | Close up | Gaze: looking at the camera |
Example 2.
| Time | Speech | Text on screen (subtitles) | Screen-capture | Sound effect | Camera angle | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00:01 | What’s this | What’s this? |
|
Mellow accordion music in the background | Close up shot | Directly looking at the camera |
| 00:02 | It’s a muffin | It’s a muffin. |
|
Mellow accordion music in the background | Close up shot | Directly looking at the camera |
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