Keywords
digital multimodal composing
multimodal feedback
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Abstract
The multimodal turn in second language (L2) writing has fundamentally reshaped how writing and writing instruction are conceptualized in increasingly digitalized environments. This coda synthesizes the conceptual and empirical contributions of the special issue, arguing that they collectively signal the emergence of a new ecology of multimodal L2 writing and L2 learning. It discusses the papers in two complementary sections. The first examines how the special issue reframes the ecology of L2 writing by positioning digital multimodal composing as an integral component of contemporary L2 writing and language learning. The second highlights how the ecology is expanded through the integration of multimodal feedback, assessment, and generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), emphasizing their interconnected roles in supporting multimodal meaning-making and language development. Building on these contributions, the coda identifies several priorities for the next generation of research, with particular attention to sustainable curricular innovation that embeds multimodal composing and multimodal feedback into language education rather than treating them as isolated instructional practices. It argues that the long-term impact of multimodal research will depend not only on technological innovation but also on the development of coherent pedagogical frameworks, valid assessment practices, and teacher expertise capable of supporting multimodal learning in diverse instructional contexts.
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