For language learners finding their way in new environments, the deluge of daily media messages—billboards, signs, videos, movies, memes, and advertisements—may be overwhelming. Yet this media provides engaging, accessible opportunities to teach about linguistic features, representations of people, places, and ideas, and social and cultural topics. With an informed, methodical, and purposeful pedagogy, Media Work can help teachers cultivate students’ critical media literacy skills along with language learning.
 
Media Work offers a practical, hands-on approach to illustrate how language, imagery, and media platforms convey meaning. With almost 100 illustrations for use in teaching and many valuable sample lessons, the book brings to life the processes of observing, interrogating, interpreting, reflecting, and responding to a wide variety of media. Drawing upon critical perspectives from applied linguistics, communication, and media studies (e.g., semiotics, critical discourse analysis, media ecology), it develops a conceptual model that can be adapted for a range of ages and contexts. Chamberlin’s approach enables students to investigate the origins, purposes, and implications of messages that surround them in their everyday lives. With sample topics that range from pets and food to identity and discrimination, teachers can give students opportunities to learn more about their own communities and reflect on their reactions to media messages. By addressing the disinformation and propaganda that are prevalent in today’s media, teachers can also help students confront messages about social issues in order to gain knowledge, confidence, and agency.

Carla R. Chamberlin is Professor of Applied Linguistics and Communication Arts & Sciences at The Pennsylvania State University, Abington College.

“This book is a great contribution to the fields of critical media analysis and critical discourse analysis, among others. It offers a much-needed framework for doing media work in the language classroom that could help students develop the necessary skills needed to conduct critical analysis of the media, and, in so doing, become morally conscious beings.”— Lutfi Hussein, Mesa Community College

“Carla Chamberlin provides a compelling rationale for the ways that media literacy and the instructional practices for English language learning have evolved over the past few years to be more culturally responsive. Additionally, she lays a brilliant groundwork for the foundational work of media literacy and its connections to best practices in teaching MLLs. This book is a much-needed exploration of how educators can and should be proactive in understanding media discourse and literacy and the ways to teach it in respectful, creative, and analytical ways. Chamberlin’s work brilliantly gives educators ideas and activities that they can apply immediately.”— Monica Neal, Gifted Education Teacher