37.2021, Calls: Reading in a Foreign Language - "Special Issue: Multimodality and L2 Reading" (Jrnl)

Tue Jun 9 10:05:02 UTC 2026

LINGUIST List: Vol-37-2021. Tue Jun 09 2026. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 37.2021, Calls: Reading in a Foreign Language - "Special Issue: Multimodality and L2 Reading" (Jrnl)

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Date: 07-Jun-2026
From: Reading in a Foreign Language Editors [readfl at hawaii.edu]
Subject: Reading in a Foreign Language - "Special Issue: Multimodality and L2 Reading" (Jrnl)

Journal: Reading in a Foreign Language
Issue: Multimodality and L2 Reading
Call Deadline: 01-Aug-2027

Background:
While multimodal input (e.g., reading accompanied by audio or visual
input) has been used to aid reading for several decades (e.g.,
Schneeberg, 1977), scientific investigation into how the use of
multimodal input affects reading processes is relatively new (e.g.,
Pellicer-Sanchez, 2022). Furthermore, the advance of instructional
technology which enables various multimodal input types and tools
calls for research on how reading-related processes and resources are
used as L2 learners engage in multimodal reading in digital learning
environments. In response, this special issue proposes investigating
the use of multimodality in L2 reading in digital learning
environments. More specifically, this issue aims to achieve the
following goals: (1) to understand the cognitive mechanisms underlying
L2 reading when it is aided by multimodal input or tools in a digital
learning environment; (2) to understand the effectiveness of
multimodal reading in L2 reading comprehension in a digital learning
environment; and (3) to understand the current pedagogical practices
of multimodal L2 reading in a digital learning environment.
Goals:
Multimodality, in the forms such as audio accompanied reading or
visual aids to reading passages, has often been used to aid L2 reading
comprehension in language classrooms (Pellicer-Sánchez, 2022; Tytko et
al., 2026). With the advance of technology, these traditional forms of
multimodality in the context of L2 reading are also evolving;
Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based learning platforms allow immediate
text summaries of video content (e.g., VidReader); AI-generated 3D
holograms now replace illustrations that once accompanied reading
passages. Applications such as Perusal, Book Creator, and Google Docs
make collaborative reading and annotation much easier than before. In
contrast with the fast advancement of multimodal tools in education,
reading researchers are only in the beginning stages of understanding
how multimodality affects L2 reading. At present, most of such
research studies examine readers' cognitive processes while reading
with mostly traditional multimodal input (e.g.,
reading-while-listening, reading with an image) using eye-tracking
methods. In this special issue, we aim to expand our understanding of
how the use of the current multimodal reading tools affect the reading
processes through a series of empirical studies adopting diverse
research methods.
Scope and Information for Authors:
For this special issue, we would like to recruit two different types
of empirical studies; the first group of studies will investigate the
mechanism of multimodal L2 reading. That is, they will investigate the
operations of reading-related processes and the use of cognitive
resources as the L2 reader engages with various types of multimodal
input in a digital learning environment. The method of observation may
vary (e.g., eye-tracking, input-logging, think-aloud, post-task
interview, focus group interview). The purpose of these studies is to
help us gain a closer understanding of how L2 readers utilize
multimodal input and how the use of multimodal input affects their
reading processes; the second type of empirical studies will compare
the effectiveness of traditional, text-only reading instruction and
that of multimodal reading instruction in a digital learning
environment. Candidate studies will use experimental or
quasi-experimental research design to examine the effectiveness of
digitized multimodal L2 reading instruction compared to traditional
methods.
References:
Pellicer-Sánchez, A. (2022). Multimodal reading and second language
learning. ITL – International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 173(1),
2–17. https://doi.org/10.1075/itl.21039.pel
Schneeberg, H. (1977). Listening while reading: A four year study. The
Reading Teacher, 30(6), 629–635.
Tytko, T., & Pandža, N. B. (2026). The effect of multimodal input on
L2 learners' reading comprehension: A preregistered eye-tracking
study. The Modern Language Journal. Advance online publication.
https://doi.org/10.1111/modl.70023
Timeline for the special issue:
First draft: August, 2027
Revision and final draft: December 2027
Publication: First or second issue, 2028
For any enquiry on whether the abstract is suitable for the special
issue or for submission, please contact:
Eun Hee Jeon,  eunhee.jeon at uncp.edu
and Junko Yamashita, yamashita.junko.m7 at f.mail.nagoya-u.ac.jp

Linguistic Field(s): Applied Linguistics

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