Virtual English as a lingua franca, Transmodal, Translingual and transcultural strategies in Twitter

Abstract

Scholars around the world have studied the impact that using social media in formal learning settings can have on students: from improving the understanding of content, to having access to information about current affairs, to fostering the emergence of (online) international communities of practice, and engaging in the practice of other languages. When integrated in formal university curricula, social media can help teachers succeed at specific teaching goals and they can encourage learners to achieve definite learning outcomes. However, the effects of extramural use of institutional social media have been less often explored. The current chapter explores the impact that extramural use of Twitter has had on university students' during the COVID-19 national lockdown in Spain (March- June 2020), by analyzing the University of Malaga's Twitter account for the English Studies degree (@EEII_UMA). The study is divided into two sections: one looking at Twitter interaction during that period, assessing the employment of typically Virtual English as a lingua franca (VELF) strategies such as transmodal, translingual and trans-epistemic practices and a second one, discussing potential applications for teaching in formal academic settings.