Response to "Composition 2.0: Toward a Multilingual and Multimodal Framework

I can definitely agree for the need to redefine writing for the 21st century. Putting literacy in the global perspective where multilingual writers interact with each other creating a new hybrid style of writing, one that embraces diversity, is a welcome sentiment in the classroom. I feel like students would benefit from this kind of composition that is multi-modal and utilizes the multi-lingual skills of students who bring with them new ways of looking at the world and offer new paradigms for teachers so that they can create adaptable lesson plans. The article itself was very wordy and heavy on jargon, so I felt a little lost trying to keep up with the intellectual discussion that the author is so well versed in. But I like the idea of "code mashing" and think it is a provocative way to engage in a world that is so hyper connected and so readily switching from different forms of communication and social networking mediums like Facebook, Twitter and so on.

The use of an Israeli start-up company was useful because it gave me a good visualization of these different practices and terms that the author uses in a more straightforward way. I can understand the need for start-up companies that are young and more fluid in the discourse and rhetoric of our digitally adept generation. Multi-modal composing seems like a pretty conducive approach for these young start-up tech companies.

While reading this, I was reminded of a friend that lived in South Korea who did part-time work translating animation storyboards for a very well known animated T.V. show, "Family Guy." The animation companies that produce these shows are actually pretty fascinating to observe and is quite germane to the topic that this article addresses. Oftentimes, these companies have a team of animators, storyboard artists, translators and assistants that work in different countries, mostly in Asia where the animation is usually done, and they have to work with and facilitate in two or more languages communicating with each other and making sure the animated show gets produced. This is a very complex process and it was interesting watching my friend translate storyboards in English into Korean so that the Korean animators would be able to work on the storyboards further and finally finish a sketch so that it could get inked and colored. Remembering this exchange of information take place resonated with this article. I feel like this will be the future of many kinds of jobs: multilingual environments.