Abstract:

South African higher education, like the rest of the world, is working towards globalization and fourth industrial revolution, where digital information forms part of human life. South Africa is also a multilingual country where most students and learners use second language as language of learning and teaching resulting in high failure rate. Training of pre-service education is the role of higher education institutions that is trying to implement the transformation agenda of democratizing the higher education sector and transforming the curriculum. To make success of this transformation agenda, initial teacher education sector has to take strides in producing digital competent students. It also has to develop curriculum that involves integration of semiotic resources in language teaching. Semiotic resources are meaning-making tools that might be either social, cultural or digital. This particular study will focus only on use of digital semiotics that includes new technologies of online learning and social media platforms such as blogs, wikis, Facebook. The recent global outbreak of COVID 19, which resulted in national lockdown, online learning platforms are the only teaching platforms in education. It is the responsibility of education institutions and educators to ensure that they conduct technology enhanced learning and integrate digital semiotic resources while teaching. Each discipline or subject therefore has be technology-enhanced. Second language teachers have to ensure that learners receive the correct meaning of the learning content. Most students have different learning capabilities, so their learning styles must include semiotic tools. Digital signs and symbols are the modern and interesting way for all learners in enhancing second language learning. The study adopted social semiotic theory as underpinning framework that defines how modes of communication combine in traditional and digital media. Social semiotics theory is a branch of semantics that explains meaning making as a social practice. This theory fits the study since it involves the way human creativity and social identities change patterns of usage and design. Integrating digital signs in language teaching may add socially accepted meanings in second language pedagogy.

This is a qualitative research study with the use of case study design through one-on-one interviews. The study participants included two language lecturers and five final year teacher trainees. The use of case study helped the researcher to get in-depth response about the way they use digital semiotic resources and the type of resources they use in second language learning. Students had varying views and raised a number of challenges, but they echoed the way they enjoy using digital technologies for meaning making in second language teaching. As they were in their final year of teacher training, they also said that they plan to use these semiotic resources in second language teaching. Lecturers confirmed an improved interest among student teachers and that they enjoy interpreting digital semiotics during English language lessons. The class that uses digital semiotic integration becomes more learner centered than teacher centered approach.

Keywords:

Digital semiotics, social semiotics, second language teaching, pre-service teacher training.