Gesture and multimodality play an integral role in second language acquisition, and the number of studies which incorporate these features have been increasing (see Stam, 2013; Stam & Buescher, 2018; Stam & Urbanski, 2023). Numerous studies have demonstrated that by looking at both speech and gesture, we have a clearer picture of both learners’ and teachers’ conceptualizations and how teachers’ gestures affect second language learning (for reviews, see, Gullberg 2006; Gullberg & McCafferty, 2008;Gullberg, de Bot & Volterra, 2008; Stam, 2006; Stam, 2013, Stam & McCafferty, 2008; Urbanski & Stam, 2023). Yet, because gesture and multimodality tend to be studied in an interdisciplinary manner in diverse fields such as education, psychology, linguistics, to name a few, there is no specific venue for applied linguists to collaborate on how gestures and multimodality function in SLA and discuss their most recent studies.
The goal of the AILA ReN: Gesture, Multimodality, and SLA is to provide a venue where applied linguists of different backgrounds can share their ongoing studies, get feedback, continue developing their projects, and collaborate on new projects beyond their institutions in order to contribute to the field of SLA.
We have regular Zoom and in person meetings where participants share their ongoing projects, we plan for symposia, and we discuss articles and research questions.
We conducted a gesture coding workshop at AAAL 2021.
We organized two colloquia for AILA 2021: one a gesture coding workshop and the other on “Latest research on gesture and second language acquisition: Production, perception, and classroom
The research guide Gesture and multimodality in second language teaching and learning: A research guide co-edited by Gale Stam and Kimberly Urbanski with chapters by members of the ReN is available from Routledge.
We held six Zoom meetings in 2022: two in February, May, and November: one meeting was with members in North America, Europe and South Africa, and the other one was with members in North America and Asia.
We held four Zoom meetings in 2023: two in April 2023 and two in Fall 2023 (October and November).
We held two Zoom meetings in March 2024 and planning on holding two in Fall 2024.
We gave two colloquia at AAAL 2023 (Portland): "Experimental investigations illuminating gesture's role in L2 acquisition and processing with implications for L2 pedagogy" and "What teachers' and learners' bodies and gestures tell us about language teaching and learning".
We had a members' dinner at AAAL 2023 on March 20 and at AILA 2023 on July 18.
We gave a symposium entitled "Perspectives on gesture in second language teaching and learning" at AILA 2023 (Lyon).
We gave a symposium entitled "The Impact of Teachers’ and Learners’ Gestures on L2 Acquisition" at AILA 2024 (Kuala Lumpur) in July 2024.
The edited volume Multimodality across Epistemologies in Second Language Research co-edited by Amanda Brown and Søren W. Eskildsen with chapters by members of the ReN is available from Routledge.
We presented a symposium entitled "Methodological considerations for gesture selection and coding in L2 acquisition research" at AAAL 2025 (Denver) on March 24.
We had a members' dinner at AAAL 2025 on March 24.
We will present a symposium entitled "Teachers' and Tutors' Gestural Adaptation in L1-L2 Interaction" at ISGS 2025 in Nijmegen.
Our current members include researchers from institutions located in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, and the U.S.
Mourad Abdennebi, Ph.D. Student, Department of Linguistics, University of Arizona
Francisca Aguilo-Mora, PhD, Lecturer in Spanish, Columbia University
Brahim Azaoui, PhD., Associate Professor, School of Education, University of Montpellier, LIRDEF EA3749
Jana Bressem, PhD, Post-Doc (Assistant Professor) in German Linguistics, Semiotics and Multimodal Communication at Chemnitz Technical University
Heather Brookes, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of General Linguistics, Stellenbosch University
Amanda Brown, PhD, Associate Professor of Linguistics, Advisor, M.A. Linguistic Studies, Coordinator, CAS Language Teaching: TESOL/TLOTE, Dept. of Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Syracuse University,
Marco Cappellini, PhD, Professeur des Universités en Didactique des Langues * Université Lyon1 et Laboratoire ICAR (UMR 5191 CNRS)
Søren Wind Eskildsen, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Design and Communication, University of Southern Denmark
Farbod Farahandouz, Adjunct Lecturer, Department of Teaching French as a Foreign Language, Faculty of Language, Literature and Didactics, Université Sorbonne Nouvelle
Marianne Gullberg, PhD, Professor of Psycholinguistics & Director of LU Humanities Lab,
Centre for Languages and Literature, Lund University
Simon Harrison, PhD, Simon Harrison, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of English, City University of Hong Kong
Yukari Hirata, PhD, Professor of Japanese, East Asian Languages and Literatures, Colgate University
Benjamin Holt, PhD., Maître de Conférences, STL – UMR 8163 (CRNS), Université de Lille
Tomoko Hori, Ph.D., Associate Professor, School of Health and Sports Science, Juntendo University
Solène Inceoglu, PhD, Lecturer of French, HDR Convenor for Languages and Linguistics, School of Literature, Languages and Linguistics, The Australian National University
Masaaki Kamiya, Associate Professor and Chair of East Asian Languages and Literatures, Hamilton College
Nobuhiro (Nobi) Kamiya, PhD, Professor, Faculty of International Communication: Gunma Prefectural Women’s University
Hyeonah Kang, PhD candidate, Second Language and Teaching Program, University of Arizona
Spencer Kelly, PhD, Hurley Family Chair of Psychological Science & Neuroscience, Co-Director of the Center for Language and Brain,
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Colgate University
Chelsea Krajcik, PhD, Independent Researcher, Anthropological Linguistics
Silva H. Ladewig, Linguist, Georg-August University of Göttingen
Hunter Langenhorst, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Applied Lingustics and Second Language Acquisition and Teaching, Arizona State University
Maarten Lemmens, PhD, Professor, CNU : Section 07 - Sciences Du Langage: Linguistique et Phonetique Generales, University of Lille
Niina Lilja, PhD, University Lecturer (Finnish as a second language) Faculty of Information Technology and Communication, Tampere University
Yen-Liang (Eric) Lin, PhD, Professor of Applied Linguistics, Department of English, National Taipei University of Technology (Taipei Tech)
Lu Lu, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Modern Languages and Cultures, Virginia Military Institute
Renia Lopez, PhD, Assistant Professor, Programme Leader Minor European Studies, English Department, Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Ana Paula S. Loures-Elias, PhD, The Loures-Elias Educational Psychology Lab, Portugal
Taiane Malabarba, PhD, Lecturer and Researcher, University of Potsdam
Paula Marentette, PhD, Professor of Psychology, University of Alberta–Augustana Campus,
Yumi Matsumoto, PhD, Assistant Professor, Educational Linguistics Division, University of Pennsylvania,
Steven McCafferty, PhD, Professor Emeritus, University of Nevada, Las Vegas,
Francisco Meizoso, PhD, Lecturer, Defense Language Institute
Juan Pablo Mora Gutierrez, PhD, Professor, Department of Spanish Language, Linguistics, and Theory of Literature, Universidad de Sevilla
Laura Morett, PhD, Assistant Professor, Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, University of Missouri
The late Kimi Nakatsukasa, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures, Texas Tech University
Eduardo Negueruela-Azarola, PhD, Lecturer in Spanish and Portuguese, Princeton University
Minh Nghia-Nguyen, PhD Candidate, Applied Linguistics, University of Massachusetts, Boston
Janet L. Nicol, Ph.D. Professor, Depts. of Linguistics and Psychology & Program in Cognitive Science, Faculty Member, Second Language Acquisition and Teaching University of Arizona
Elena Nicoladis, PhD, Department Head, Professor, The University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus
Gabriele de O. Neri da Silva, MA student, Department of Modern Languages at FFLCH/USP, Universidade de São Paulo
Yılmaz Doğukan Özlü, MA, Independent Researcher, Big Data Analytics
Julien Perrez, PhD, Associate Professor, Département de langues et littératures modernes, University of Liège
Christina Piot, MA, German Language and Literatures, PhD candidate, Linguistics, University of Liège
Pilar Prieto Vives, PhD, ICREA Research Professor, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona
Congyi Jo Qu, PhD, Lecturer, Suzhou University of Science and Technology
Alessandro Rosborough, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Teacher Education, Brigham Young University
Kazuki Sekine, PhD, Associate Professor, School of Human Sciences, Waseda University
Tetyana (Tania) Smotrova, PhD, Lecturer, Centre for English Language Communication, National University of Singapore
Gale Stam, PhD, Professor Emerita, Psychology, National Louis University
Marion Tellier, PhD, Professor, Director of Department of FLE, Coordinator of M1 speciality in French as a foreign language, LPL - UMR 7309 (CNRS), Aix-Marseille Université
Mark Tutton, PhD, Senior Lecturer, International Studies and Languages, University of Technology Syndey
Natasha Janzen Ulbricht, English Didactics, Institute for English Philology, Freie Universität Berlin
Kimberly (Buescher) Urbanski, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Applied Linguistics, University of Massachusetts-Boston
Ingrid Vilà-Giménez, PhD, Postdoctoral researcher and teacher, Departament de Didàctiques Especifiques Universitat de Girona
Johannes Wagner, PhD, Professor, Department of Design and Communication, University of Southern Denmark
Benjamin White, PhD, Associate Professor, Applied Linguistics, Chair of Applied Linguistics/TESOL Department, Saint Michael’s College,
Keli Yerian, PhD, Senior Lecturer and Distinguished Teaching Professor, Director of Language Teaching Studies MA Program, University of Oregon,
Keiko Yoshioka, PhD, Senior Lecturer, Director of Japanese Language Program, Institute of Area Studies, Leiden University
Ruonan Zhao, Ph.D. Student, Department of Linguistics and Applied Linguistics, Arizona State University