Journal of Linguistics and Language Teaching
Volume16 (2025) Issue 1
Digital
Storytelling on Social Media for Language Learning: Students’
Experiences and Perceptions
Minjie
Xing (The University of Manchester, UK) & Amily Guenier (Lancaster University, UK)
Abstract (English)
This study investigates the efficacy of digital storytelling, inspired by social media celebrity practices, as a pedagogical approach for language acquisition and intercultural engagement. Language learners developed and disseminated digital stories on social media platforms, resulting in a reach of over 60,000 viewers and facilitating substantial intercultural exchange. Through classroom observations and in-depth interviews, the study identified that the strategic incorporation of linguistic features such as wordplay, accents, dialects, idioms, and double meanings across diverse contexts significantly enhanced student motivation. Furthermore, multimodality emerged as a potent instrument for both language practice and fostering intercultural communication. Students characterised this learning experience as highly autonomous and enriching, attributing these benefits to the practical insights gained into everyday language use and the cultivation of heightened cultural awareness. These findings underline the considerable potential of social media-based digital storytelling as an effective and enjoyable methodology for language learning and intercultural communication, yielding meaningful and impactful outcomes.
Keywords: Social media, digital
storytelling, language learning, intercultural communication
摘要 (中文)：
随着社交媒体在全球范围内的普及，语言学习者开始借鉴社交媒体达人常用的数字叙事方式，尝试通过短视频创作进行语言实践与跨文化交流。本研究旨在探讨短视频创作在语言学习过程中的实际成效，并分析其在促进学习者跨文化意识方面的潜力。本研究采用混合方法，结合课堂观察、学生访谈与视频平台数据分析，对一组高校语言学习者的短视频项目进行追踪研究。结果显示，学生所发布的短视频在社交平台上的总浏览量超过六万次，显示出较高的传播性与受众参与度，客观上增强了学习者与不同文化背景观众之间的互动机会。进一步的课堂观察与访谈数据显示，学生在视频创作过程中，主动运用了双关语、口音、方言、习语及语义双关等语言现象，并能够在不同语境下灵活调整语言策略。这种对语言形式的积极探索显著提升了学习者的表达兴趣与自我效能感，体现出多模态表达对语言能力发展的正向促进作用。学生普遍认为，短视频创作过程提供了高度的自主性与真实性语言应用情境，使其能够在实践中深化对目标语日常用法与文化差异的理解。此外，视频创作所激发的反思性表达，也促使学习者进一步建构起对语言与文化关系的更深层次认知。综上所述，本研究表明，社交媒体短视频不仅是一种富有创意的语言学习方式，也是一种能够有效促进跨文化交际能力形成的教育媒介。其多模态特征与开放传播机制为当代语言教育提供了新的路径与可能。
关键词： 社交媒体；短视频；数字叙事；语言学习；多模态；跨文化交际
1
Introduction
In
the current digital world, technology, innovation, and active
learning are among the top skills increasingly sought after by
employers, as graduates are expected to demonstrate these
competencies (World Economic Forum, 2020). For university students to
become effective contributors in their future careers, it is
essential to develop language, cultural, and technological
competence. Therefore, students need to be trained not only as
language learners but also as language users and social agents. This
shift in focus expands the objectives of language teaching to include
intercultural communication, transitioning from the acquisition of
linguistic knowledge to using language for meaningful intercultural
exchanges.
This
evolution underscores the importance of communicative competence,
which integrates the ability to use the target language effectively
and situates it within an intercultural communicative context. To
achieve this, students need opportunities to actively engage with the
language, participate in diverse communicative scenarios, and work
within authentic and multimodal contexts. By using the language in
real-world settings and interacting with people from different
cultural backgrounds, students develop not only the ability to
communicate effectively in varied contexts but also the skills to
engage meaningfully with people from other cultures.
Digital
platforms have emerged as vital tools to facilitate language practice
and intercultural communication exchanges. O’Dowd & O’Rourke
(2019) insightfully point out that Online Intercultural Exchange
(OIE) is a pedagogical tool that connects people from diverse
cultures, enabling them to exchange information and share common
interests. This conceptualization of foreign language learning as
communication and as a site for intercultural awareness development
has positioned OIE as an appealing strategy in language education.
Moreover, OIE provides a framework for students to develop not only
language and cultural competencies but also a broad array of 21st
century skills – often referred to as non-cognitive
skills,
soft
skills,
transferable
skills,
transversal
competencies,
life
skills
or social-emotional
skills
(GPE, 2020).
Within
this context, this study adopts a Digital Storytelling (DST) approach
on a multimodality platform to explore the aspects of social media
influencers’ OIE that inspire language learning. It further
examines how students’ creation of DST on social media can better
prepare them for the demands of the modern workplace by cultivating
essential 21st-century skills.
2
Literature Review
In
this study, the literature will be reviewed from two aspects: the
influence of social media celebrities on language learning and the
role of DST with multimodality in language practice and intercultural
communication.
2.1
Social Media for Language Learning
Social
media has become an integral part of our lives (Gangwar, 2022), and
social media celebrities – also known as internet influencers,
internet celebrities, web celebrities, microcelebrities – are
gaining significant popularity. Unlike movie stars who perform
scripted roles, social media celebrities present themselves in
natural and conversational ways, making their content relatable and
accessible for language learners. Exposure to their speech patterns
allows students to familiarise themselves with different dialects and
accents, fostering a deeper understanding of the language.
Additionally, these celebrities provide insights into the culture and
lifestyle of the country they represent, making language learning a
more immersive experience. By addressing current and youth-oriented
topics, their content becomes a valuable resource for learners to
engage with language and culture in meaningful ways. Moreover, the
entertaining nature of social media content enhances learners’
enjoyment of the process.
The
interactive nature of social media platforms like TikTok and YouTube
further supports language learners in practising their language
skills while engaging with people from diverse cultural backgrounds.
Ruth Page, the Perkins Prize winner in 2020, emphasises in her new
book Narrative
Online
the significance of influencers’ storytelling as vivid examples of
how social media can impact on everyday life. These stories, often
rooted in personal experiences, enable viewers to relate them to
their own lives, fostering a sense of connection. The interactive
nature of social media, such as like
buttons
and comment sections, contribute to forming DST communities. These
communities function as social groups with shared interests,
fostering contextual affiliations that resonate with audiences.
Similarly,
digital anthropologist and ethnographer Abidin (2018) contextualises
the rise of social media celebrities in contemporary culture. Her
analysis highlights how online fame, driven by participatory culture
and shared identities, enhances audience engagement and the impact of
social media celebrities.
Social
media celebrities can also serve as role models for language
learners. Their stories have great potential to support students'
learning and development by providing an environment in which they
can reflect critically on their experiences and engage in meaningful
dialogue (Chang & Kabilan, 2024).
Influencers’
DTS can act as e-portfolios, enabling learners to practice their
language skills while gaining cultural insights.
Popular
digital platforms like Instagram and Facebook allow social media
celebrities to interact with diverse audiences using multimodal and
multilingual repertoires. Ho, (2022) highlights that such interaction
often leads to spontaneous communication between individuals from
different cultural backgrounds.
Tarigan
et al. (2021) identified Instagram as a highly effective platform for
language learning. Their research demonstrated that Instagram
provides an innovative learning environment where students take
ownership of their learning and ideas. The platform serves as an
effective tool for showcasing learning while fostering creativity and
engagement, and cooperative learning, positively impacting material
exploration, motivation, academic satisfaction, and achievements.
Social
media for language learning has been flourishing, attracting
followers within the vast ecology of internet users. It has, among
others, been used for English language learning, and for in-school
and out-of-school literacy practices (Yeh & Mitric, 2023), and for language learning assessment (Alsaadi, 2021).
However, scarcely any studies have been conducted to analyse the
features of social media celebrities’ DST for learning and
practising Chinese, a language spoken by 1.4 billion people in China,
and this gap warrants investigation.
2.2
DST with Multimodality for Language Practice and for Intercultural Communication
DST,
a multi-media narrative technique, has been identified as a powerful
tool for facilitating meaning-making processes (Rolbiecki et al.,
2025). In language learning, DST integrates multimedia elements such
as audio and video to enhance learners’ comprehension of
vocabulary, phrases, and grammar structures. This method can also
build learners’ confidence in using the language (Tecedor, 2023).
By integrating these elements, DST further supports pronunciation and
intonation. Writing narratives further supports vocabulary and
grammar development, while visual aids like images and videos cater
to diverse learning styles (Abdel et al., 2022).
DST
is widely used in educational settings, from language classrooms to
online and self-directed learning platforms. It promotes
self-discovery and exploration of human experiences often absent in
textbooks (Tecedor, 2023). By providing interactive and immersive
learning experiences, DST serves as a bridge between language
learning and intercultural communication.
Multimodality,
the use of diverse modes – such as speech, writing, images, and
gestures – to convey meaning, is central to DST. As Muntaha et al.,
(2023) explain, multimodal approaches to language teaching
incorporate audio, visual, textual, gestural and spatial resources to
facilitate language learning by fostering creativity and spontaneity.
With the increasing adoption of educational technologies,
multimodality has become a cornerstone of modern language teaching,
enabling students to express themselves through diverse forms of
communication (Dressman, 2020). Xie & Jiang (2024) further
highlight how multimodality facilitates authentic and creative
expressions in language learning.
In
intercultural communication, multimodality enables the
co-construction and negotiation of meanings across different modes of
expression (Adami, 2023). A multimodal approach offers a holistic
view of semiotic practices, illustrating how interlocutors use
various resources to create and interpret meanings.
Although
existing research has explored various multimodal approaches to
intercultural communication, these studies have tended to focus on
specific aspects. For instance, Shang et al. (2024) investigated the
use of drama in developing intercultural communication skills. Other
studies have examined live interpreting via multimedia and multimodal
modes (Gamal, 2023) and written communication in electronic formats
(Guo & Stapa, 2023). However, limited attention has been devoted
to the potential of social media influencers' DST as a medium for
language learning and cultural positioning. Furthermore, there is
little research on students creating their own DST using multimodal
resources. This study aims to address this gap by investigating how
students can achieve cultural positioning and enhance intercultural
communication competence through multimodal and multilingual DST. The
following research questions drive this study:
-
Research Question 1:
What
factors in social media influencers’ DST motivate learners to
practice the language?
Research
Question 2:
How
does multimodality contribute to students’ own DST for
practicing the language and facilitating intercultural
communication?
|
3
Methodology
This
empirical study investigates the potential of social media
celebrities’ DST as a tool for enhancing language learning and
intercultural communication skills through the analysis of social
media celebrity videos, students’ DST performances, class
observations, and in-depth interviews.
3.1
Social Media Celebrity Video Selection
Social
media celebrities in this study include macro-influencers with over
100,000 followers (Tables 1 and 4), micro-influencers specialising in
niche expertise with more than 10,000 followers (Table 3),
semi-professional influencers with comparable followers (Table 2),
and ordinary individuals recognised for their specialised knowledge.
These categories allow for a broad exploration of DSTs that foster
intimate and relatable engagement for language learners.
While
follower count served as a selection criterion, the primary goal of
the study was to evaluate the utility of DST for language learning
and intercultural communication. Therefore, the research employed the
three Vs
of communication – verbal, vocal, and visual (Azer, et al., 2022) –
as a framework, encompassing language accuracy, structural clarity,
and physical effects. Detailed criteria include:
Language
appropriateness with content suitable for language learners
Engagement
with stimulating and relatable material
Humorous
style which enhances the enjoyment of learning; and
Popularity
with a substantial viewership (over 10,000 views) to qualify as
‘celebrity’.
DSTs
were excluded if they were advertisements, exhibited strong political
biases, lacked a focus on language or culture, or if they were in
languages other than Chinese.
Two
researchers independently reviewed and rated DSTs on a scale of 1 to
10, based on the following criteria: Those digital stories whose
ratings differed by two points or more (e.g. one was rated 5 and the
other 7) were excluded from further discussion until an agreement was
reached. Selected DSTs are summarised in Table 1, detailing
influencer names, viewer counts, video characteristics, and links:
-
Table 1: Social Media Influencer’ Youtube
Videos
These
DSTs humorously address contemporary social issues, stimulating
audience interest. Subtitles were added to facilitate reflection on
linguistic nuances and cultural humour, particularly for the students
in this study who had recently returned from a year abroad study in
China.
3.2
Participants
Participants
were voluntarily recruited from final-year Chinese-majored students
at a university in the United Kingdom. Ethical approval was obtained
from the university. The cohort consisted of 36 students (21 female
and 15 male students) aged 20-25, with varying Chinese proficiency
levels: two students had passed HSK5 (equivalent to CEFR (European
framework) C1, six students had passed HSK4 (equivalent to CEFR B2),
and the others did not take an international Chinese test.
Students
were informed that social media celebrities’ DSTs would be
incorporated into their learning materials, and that they would
produce their own DST as part of their coursework. Peer and tutor
feedback on DST presentations was encouraged, alongside
self-assessment and commentary on both professional and
student-generated DSTs. At the end of the semester, six students,
whose DST received the most comments, volunteered for follow-up
interviews. To ensure anonymity, the real names of the interviewees
were omitted.
Classes
were automatically video-recorded by the university to accommodate
students who were unable to attend classes and to support those with
special needs.
3.3
Implementation
The
study spanned twelve weeks in the first semester of 2023–2024:
Weeks
1 – 4: Students analysed Internet influencer-generated DSTs,
focusing on language, humour, and cultural relevance.
Weeks
5 – 6: Students created their own DSTs using multimodal formats
(e.g., videos, mini-plays) and uploaded them to social media for
intercultural communication practice.
Weeks
7 – 9: Students presented their DSTs in class, received feedback
from peers and tutor, and incorporated revisions into their final
submissions.
Weeks
10 – 11: Students submitted their DST to the language tutor as
supplementary materials for oral examinations.
Students
had to compose DST in multimodality form and put their DST in social
media to interact with the viewers for intercultural communication.
3.4
Data Collection and Analysis
Permission
was obtained to use classroom recordings for research purposes.
Focus-group interviews were conducted to enable dynamic discussions
and encourage collective commentary on shared experiences. The
semi-structured questions explored the following themes:
Experiences
and benefits of creating DST
Challenges
encountered
Usability
and interactivity of DST
Impact
on linguistic development
Insights
into the target culture; and
Suggestions
for improving DST use in language learning.
The
interviews (30 to 45 minutes) were conducted in English and
transcribed for thematic analysis. Open coding methods were employed
to classify, tabulate, and combine evidence to answer the research
questions. The themes were initially categorised into six areas based
on keywords and the examples associated with them:
Playing
with words making language learning enjoyable
Accents,
dialects, and idioms arousing students’ curiosity
The
function of sounds and gestures in conveying meanings
Double
meanings of the same word used in different contexts
Understanding
cultural differences, and
Intercultural
communication
After
discussions between the researchers and the language tutor, Themes 5
and 6 were merged to avoid overlap. The final coding schema is
detailed in the Appendix.
To
ensure consistency, the two researchers coded the transcripts
independently and resolved any discrepancies through discussion with
the language tutor. The rationale behind the coding rested on the
study's exploratory nature and the nuanced, complex phenomena under
investigation. Acknowledging the intrinsic variability in language
learning experiences and outcomes, this research design leveraged the
depth and richness of data gleaned from a carefully curated coding to
facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the utility of DSTs in
this context. The researchers selected students’ comments, the
language tutor’s observation notes, and video recordings related to
research questions. This approach aligned with the principle that the
selection should be intrinsically tied to the study's objectives,
design, methodology, and pragmatic considerations. Indeed, in
exploratory research contexts, well-selected materials for coding
usually yield insightful, meaningful, and statistically significant
outcomes.
The
triangulation of data sources, including video recordings, class
observations, student learning outcomes and interview transcripts,
enhanced the reliability and depth of the analysis. The interview
questions are available upon request.
The
study adhered to strict ethical guidelines, including informed
consent, confidentiality, and voluntary participation. Students’
privacy was protected, and all data were anonymised.
Learning
outcomes were assessed via oral examination scores, measuring
content, structure, vocabulary, grammar, and fluency. Intercultural
communication competency was evaluated during interactive Q&A
sessions with the tutor.
By
triangulating multiple data sources, this study provides a
comprehensive understanding of the role of DST in language learning
and intercultural communication.
4
Results
The
findings are categorised into the following five aspects:
Playing
with words, making language learning more enjoyable
Accents,
dialects, and idioms used for sparking students’ curiosity (It#s
the same here.)
The
role of sounds and gestures in conveying meaning
Double
meanings of the same word in different contexts, and
Understanding
cultural differences for intercultural communication.
Subsections
1 to 3 address Research Question 1. Findings 4 and 5 pertain to
Research Question 2, i.e. how multimodality contributes to students'
digital stories in terms of language and intercultural communication.
4.1
Playing with Words Making Language Learning More Enjoyable
Students
found the playful use of language employed by social media
celebrities in their DSTs engaging and fun. This playful use of
language contrasted with the more traditional, textbook-based
approach to language learning.
For
instance, in the first DST (Table 1), the social media celebrity
cleverly reversed the word order in 记录真实
‘to
record the truth’ and 真实记录
‘to
truthfully record’ to
shift the meaning. In this video, the photographers wanted to make
fun of the celebrity by filming him in an awkward position of getting
into the water in a public bath with the excuse of ‘truthfully
recording’. To avoid embarrassment, the celebrity reversed the word
order, indicating that the photographers did not need to record
everything, on the basis that what is photographed is true, so not
everything that is true needs to be recorded.
This
playful linguistic manipulation led to class discussions, where
students explored other wordplay examples, such as: 朋友圈
(‘a
circle of friends’), 圈朋友
(‘to
gather friends into the circle’), 学生会
(‘student
union’) 会学生
(‘meet
students’), 鸡蛋
(‘egg’)
蛋鸡
(’chicken
that can lay eggs’), 大学生
(‘university
student’) and 升大学
(‘go
up (from middle school) to university’).
Students
also explored humorous
idioms and slang, such as replacing 压力
(‘pressure’)
with 鸭梨
(‘pear’),
which has the same pronunciation, to reduce stress humorously.
Another example was 程序员
(‘programmer’)
transformed into 程序猿
(‘program
monkey’), playfully depicting the work routines of programmers.
Students also found adding new meanings to the existing words
interesting, e.g., to replace 多行不义必自毙
(‘to
do more things but not righteous is equivalent to killing yourself’)
with 多行不疫必自毙
(‘to
go out more during the pandemic is equivalent to killing yourself’).
The former is a well-known idiom, but as the pronunciation of ‘not
righteous’ is the same as ‘pandemic’ and to replace 义
with
疫,
the
idiom becomes more comprehensible and acceptable. As the original
idiom is well known in China, changing one word for another with the
same pronunciation makes everyone aware of the consequences of going
out during the pandemic. Students enjoyed playing with words and they
learned additional meanings associated with the words.
In
the interviews, students highlighted their enjoyment of wordplay.
Examples like 上课
(‘
to attend class’) vs 课上
(‘during
the class’), and 一生爱你
(‘lifelong
love for you’) vs 爱你一生
(‘love
you forever’) sparked discussions about poetic nuances and romantic
expressions in Chinese.
4.2
Accents, Dialects, and Idioms Used for Sparking Students’
Curiosity
Social
media DSTs introduced students to diverse accents, dialects, and
idiomatic expressions, fostering curiosity about regional linguistic
and cultural differences:
In one example (Table 1), the celebrity
demonstrates how difficult it is for people from other cities to find
employment in Shanghai, the largest city in China. He recounts how he
once attended a job interview in Shanghai where he could not
understand the interviewer's accent. He asked if the interviewer
could speak more clearly, suspecting that Shanghainese people
deliberately used their accent to demonstrate their superiority over
those from other regions. However, the interviewer responded, "I
was speaking English", teasing the interviewee for his lack of
English proficiency. The interviewee responded, 'But this is China,'
indicating why he was showing off his English skills to Chinese
people in China. The interviewer responded, 'The interview is to
recruit an interpreter'.
The
students understood the sarcasm in the dialogue and experienced the
power of playing with accents and dialects. This DST sparked class
discussions about regional accents and stereotypes.
Another
DST explored idioms (Table 2). The Chinese idiom 吃醋
(‘eat
vinegar’) means ‘jealousy’, which resonated with students’
personal experience:
One student linked this idiom to
the tradition of drinking vinegar in the Shanxi 山西
region. In
the old days, vinegar was more expensive than wine and was stored in
barrels or jars rather than bottles. The number of vinegar barrels or
jars a family had was an indication of their wealth. Even now, locals
drink vinegar instead of soft drinks before meals. The student
recalled that her language partner had taken her to Chinatown, where
they had tasted vinegar in a Chinese restaurant before a meal. She
described the vinegar drink as being a bit sour and a bit sweet, and
said that it was tasty. She explained to the other students that,
because the Chinese word for 'sour' has the same pronunciation as the
word for 'jealousy', 'sour' also means 'jealousy' in Chinese, as well
as meaning 'sour' in terms of taste.
Discussions
expanded to other idioms, as can be seen from the class observations:
A student from Ireland said “I
heard a story that in the old days in China, a woman was having an
affair with a man living at the other end of the village. When her
husband left the village wearing a green hat, the man at the end of
the village knew it was a hint from the woman, so he could come to
the woman’s house. The idiom 戴绿帽子
(‘to wear
a green hat’) means a wife or girlfriend is having an affair. In
response, the student said, “I am Irish. Whenever we have a big
festival, we wear big, green hats.”
Another student recalled that he
had liked eating bean curd since his childhood, but people should not
say eating bean curd because it symbolises the tenderness of a girl’s
breasts, so ‘eat bean curd’ (吃豆腐)
means to take advantage of a girl. When the student used this idiom
in the live show If
You Are the One
(非诚勿扰),
which had 106,000 viewers, the social media comments were “Wow, he
even knows this”. “His Chinese is brilliant”. “His Chinese is
unbelievably good”. The student said that he had never received
comments like this before when using the Chinese he had learnt from
textbooks.
The
idiomatic and colloquial use of language is how people speak in
everyday life, and this cannot be ignored. Once students are
interested, they want to explore the different meanings of words and
the idiomatic use of language. This enhances their language skills
and cultural understanding.
4.3
Double Meanings of the Same Word in Different Contexts
The
DSTs analysed revealed that words can have different meanings in
different contexts, encouraging students to consider the nuances of
language.
One
of the digital stories demonstrated cultural differences in
interpreting the same social phenomena (Table 3). The exaggeration
makes DST entertaining, but once the audience has had a laugh, they
realise that there is an element of truth to it: people from
different cultures might see the same thing, but from different
angles:
The third digital story shows that some
Western people have learnt some classic and popular Chinese four-word
idioms and think they have learnt a lot, but for Chinese people,
there are many more similar idioms with subtle differences that can
be used for precise descriptions.
This
helps students realise that knowing the nuances of a language is
important, as similar-looking words may have completely different
meanings.
Students
discussed contrasts more in-depth, as seen in the class observation
that from some words that Chinese and Western people have different
concepts:
Whether or not to educate preschool
children, parents in both the East and West believe that children
should read before going to sleep. Chinese parents tend to encourage
their children to recognise characters and recite famous poems, while
Western parents might read a story to their children before bedtime
to help them sleep.
In another interview,
a heritage student recalled that, when she was at school, she had to
complete additional homework set by her mother, including reading,
writing, history and geography. In order to complete this homework,
she had to get up ‘early’ (早).
To Chinese people, 'early' means 6 o'clock or before, whereas to her
English peers, 'early' might mean 8 o'clock or later.
During the interviews, another heritage
student recalled a family gathering where they had talked about her
future. She said, “My dream is to become an interpreter in the
United Nations. My grandparents gave me a black look. Later, my
parents told me that a dream in the Chinese context is something
unrealistic that you can never achieve, while in the Western context,
it is a goal, your personal goal that you should follow”. Other
students commented that linguistic and cultural connotations help us
understand how language and culture intertwine.
The
better students understand cultural differences, the better they can
grasp why people speak the language the way they do and the
connotations behind words. This experience emphasised the importance
of understanding the linguistic and cultural nuances of language.
4.4
Understanding Cultural Differences for Intercultural Communication
The
interplay between language and culture was evident in those DSTs,
where words carried different meanings based on the context:
The
word 老
(‘old’)
can mean ‘old and useless’ when referring to iron and steel but
‘long-standing and reliable’ when describing friendships. The
same is true of the word铁
(iron).
In the context of iron and steel, it refers to the physical material
itself. However, when used to refer to friends, it signifies that the
friendship 老铁
(‘old
iron’) is as strong as iron. Therefore, in Chinese culture, when
the two words 老and
铁
are
used together it means that the friendship between old friends is
strong and solid.
The
students went on to discuss other regional expressions, such as '大咖'
(meaning 'big coffee' in the Minnan dialect, spoken by one of the
minority groups in the south), which is used to describe influential
figures. Over time, this term has become popular in formal contexts,
demonstrating how dialectal expressions can evolve into the
mainstream language.
An
interesting phenomenon was highlighted during the interview.
Nowadays, young people often use a mixture of codes when
communicating on social media:
One
student explained that the +
sign means 'add' and U
stands for 'you'. The pronunciation of U
sounds like 油
('petrol')
in Chinese. Combining the two gives 加油
(‘add
petrol’), which means 'cheer up' or 'keep going'. People often feel
encouraged and uplifted after seeing these symbols.
Students
are familiar with the meanings of symbols and often use them on
social media. These examples show how cultural nuances and linguistic
creativity can enhance communication.
4.5
The Role of Sounds and Gestures in Conveying Meaning
Sounds
and gestures are often utilised in DST to enhance communication:
In one digital story, a celebrity mimicked
the sound of a vacuum cleaner to comically depict poor service at a
barbershop. The vacuum cleaner sounds made students feel as though
they could see the barber moving the appliance around a customer’s
head and neck to remove the hair after a haircut.
Students
commented that sounds and gestures can sometimes convey meaning more
effectively than words alone, and they started to incorporate them
into their presentations. Indeed, these additional means enable
students to convey their meaning more quickly, clearly and
powerfully.
Inspired
by this, students incorporated sounds and gestures into their own
DSTs. In one case, a student used a low tone to imitate the drum
rhythms of Shanxi 陕西province,
captivating the class with a local rap performance. In the interview,
he talked about how, when he first heard about it from his Chinese
flatmate, he was fascinated by the local culture. Through social
media, they saw how people live in an area full of bare mountains.
Local people have to walk miles to get to school, the market, their
animals, and so on. On the way, they had nothing else to do but sing
in their local dialect, and their singing travelled far and wide.
These multimodal elements enabled students to express their ideas
more effectively, thereby encouraging creativity and engagement.
4.6
Students’ Own Digital Stories
Encouraged
by social media celebrity DSTs, students created their own digital
stories, incorporating wordplay, dialects, sounds, gestures, and
multimodal elements. They were proud of what they produced, as these
were their own products and thus, they felt they had a sense of
achievement. Examples are shown in Table 2:
 二手生活
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qe54u7M_K8k |  微视界 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKMs1fAnfOw |
 充足电 电充足
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0WIzzoIXWM
|  走吧
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHG-wV8rrLw |
Table: 2 Students’ Own Digital stories
In
the first DST (top left corner), the students explained that buying
second-hand clothes is an eco-friendly choice because it reduces the
demand for new clothing and the amount of waste generated in
factories, thus reducing pollution. It is also cost-effective for
students who want to keep up with the latest fashion trends but can't
afford to buy new clothes all the time. Students enjoyed the
experience of creating this digital story because they could express
their concept of a second-hand sale by acting as models themselves.
They showed their everyday life on campus, including the backgrounds,
scenes, actions and words they spoke. All these elements came
together to create a coherent and harmonious effect, which was just
what they wanted to achieve.
The
strong point in the second digital story (top right corner) is its
clever use of words. The student's message is that VR can be used to
see the world in the current digital context. The first character 微
means
“micro”, the middle word 视
means
‘see’ when used alone, but when used together with the last word
界,
the pronunciation can changes
the meaning to
世界
‘the
world’. Thus, the three characters put together mean ‘to use
micro glasses to see the world’, which is exactly the theme of her
DST.
The
third digital story (bottom left corner) is strengthened by a
combination of graphs and Chinese characters. The student's idea is
that, as people increasingly rely on mobile phones in their daily
lives, a mobile charger has become essential. With a mobile charger,
people no longer need to worry about their phone running out of
battery. They can charge their phones at any time to avoid missing
important calls or messages due to a low battery. This peace of mind
is particularly useful for people who rely on their phones for work
or other important activities. The character 电
looks
like an electrical box with wires. The student connects one end of
the wire to the charger device and the other end of the wire to a
mobile phone. Playing with the word order 充足电
‘to
charge fully’ and 电充足
‘fully
charged’ makes the DST cute, and the combination of the graph and
character perfectly illustrates the function of the charger.
The
fourth video (bottom right corner) is notable for its visual impact.
The mountainous background suggests outdoor activities, and the
footprint indicates that the activity is walking. The characters
walking and carrying a bar illustrate the walking route. People might
have heard of 酒吧
‘pub’,
and 网吧
‘internet
hub’, but the character 吧
refers
to a place where people gather for a 走
‘walk’
and therefore, it is called 走吧
‘a
walking club’. This app shows who is available and the best walking
routes. Click on the app to gather friends and go for a walk, which
is especially useful when under academic pressure.
As a
social phenomenon, language reflects what is happening in society.
Advances in technology bring new words or new meanings to established
words, reflecting new phenomena. It is encouraging to see students
keeping up with technological advances, societal progress and modern
language use.
The
most obvious advantage of digital stories stems from their multimodal
nature. In Digital Story 1, for example, students are shown proudly
displaying their second-hand clothes on campus. By using accents from
the north and south of England, for example, they demonstrate that
people everywhere wear second-hand clothes, making the message much
more vivid and realistic. In Digital Story 2, students used short
videos of various regions of China as backgrounds, showcasing local
cuisine, folk music, ethnic minority attire, and unique dialects.
This combination of visual, verbal, and gestural elements transports
the audience to China. In Digital Story 3, the student uses both
vocal and visual means. As he talks about electricity chargers, he
also shows images, which convey his message more powerfully than
words alone. In Digital Story 4, the student uses images of
footprints against a backdrop of mountains and rivers to suggest
walking outdoors — a concept that is easier to understand and more
appealing.
The
dynamic interaction facilitated by multimodality was a key feature of
the students' digital stories. The advent of multimedia, digital and
communication technologies has ushered in a new era in terms of
where, how and what stories are presented. Digital technology,
particularly social media, has transformed how indigenous media is
created, performed, experienced, distributed and received. The
multimodal nature of students' digital stories provides a dynamic
platform for language practice and intercultural communication,
showcasing the transformative power of integrating digital tools into
language learning.
5
Discussion
In
answer to Research Question 1, which asks what motivates learners to
practise language in the DSTs of social media influencers, our
findings reveal that wordplay, accents, dialects and idioms play a
pivotal role in sparking students’ curiosity and making language
learning enjoyable. The multimodal nature of social media platforms,
where influencer DSTs are delivered, also enhances engagement and
interaction, as discussed in Section 4.5.
5.1
Stimulating Factors to Boost Learners’ Interest
Of
the factors identified, wordplay
was
found to be the most engaging for students. It sparked lively
discussions and drew attention to linguistic and cultural nuances.
Students noted that puns, rhymes and alliteration made vocabulary
more memorable. Wordplay also aligns with Speech Act Theory (Ashraf
et al., 2025), which emphasises engaging audiences through the use of
language, humour, and performance. This theory highlights the dual
purpose of language as a form of entertainment and a means of
reflection. Consequently, wordplay emerges as a valuable tool for
language tutors seeking to create engaging and memorable learning
experiences.
Accents
and dialects further
enhance students’ understanding of the linguistic diversity and
regional variations of Chinese. Northern accents, characterised by a
strong 'er' sound, and southern accents, which often struggle with
retroflex sounds such as 'zh' (知),
'ch' (吃)
and 'sh' (诗),
provide opportunities for exploration. During class presentations,
students exaggerated these features, blending humour with
sociolinguistic insight. This deepened their understanding of accents
and sparked discussion about the social identities and cultural
contexts associated with language use, as emphasised by Muqowwam et
al. (2025). Language tutors can use these insights to facilitate
discussions about the sociolinguistic dimensions of accents and
dialects, helping students to connect linguistic features with
broader cultural and societal identities: “Language is not merely a
tool for communication; it is a reflection of complex social
identities and cultural contexts” (Muqowwam et al., 2025: 513).
5.2
The Contribution of Multimodality to Students’ own Digital
Storytelling
In
response to Research Question 2, asking about the potential
contribution of multimodality to students' DST when practising
language and facilitating intercultural communication, the findings
suggest that multimodal communication, incorporating visual,
auditory, textual and kinaesthetic elements, fosters an enriching and
engaging learning environment.
Students
discovered that incorporating the three Vs
of communication (verbal, vocal, and visual) into their digital
stories added depth and creativity. For instance, the use of
homophones and numeric substitutions, such as ‘888’ (fortune,
fortune, fortune) and ‘518’ (I will make a fortune), not only
entertained viewers but also provided cultural insights into Chinese
linguistic traditions. These playful elements encouraged students to
explore language in a low-pressure, dynamic manner, fostering
creativity and engagement.
Double
meanings in different contexts also reveal cultural nuances.
Understanding cultural context can deepen students’ engagement with
language as they learn to navigate these subtle differences. Creating
presentations that take these factors into account fosters
creativity, making learning feel less mechanical and more dynamic.
Language tutors can give students creative tasks, such as inventing
DST, which take these factors into account.
As
noted by Kress & van Leeuwen (2010), multimodality integrates
linguistic, auditory, visual and kinaesthetic resources to convey
information. This approach considers the various modes through which
people communicate and express themselves. In language education, it
refers to the practice of using multiple modes of communication —
such as visuals, audio, gestures, text and spatial elements — to
enhance language acquisition. This is achieved by engaging learners
through different sensory channels and learning styles, thereby
creating a richer, more dynamic learning environment.
In
language education, multimodality includes a verbal system comprising
linguistic codes such as the printed word and speech, as well as a
non-verbal system encapsulating the non-linguistic world of images,
pictures, concrete objects or events. These systems symbolise the
structural and functional properties of language and the
non-linguistic world, respectively. As Guenier (2022) points out, a
representation in one system can activate an associated link or
connection in the other. The utilisation of a multimodal approach
empowers educators to connect the various meanings of linguistic
terms to specific contexts by structuring learning activities. This
context-driven understanding can have a lasting impact on students,
enhancing their comprehension through interactions involving multiple
modes of communication and extending learning to other educational
settings with a wider array of multimodal pedagogical tools,
including films, TV series and Tmall (天猫)
shopping Platform websites.
Rohi
& Nurhayati (2024) also embraced this mode of learning, finding
that it enhanced students' understanding and improved their retention
of information. It also encouraged participation and motivation, and
accommodated different learning styles. By broadening the options
within a learning environment, multimodality enables students to
share knowledge and experiences through multiple modes. Unlike
learning a language through texts alone, multimodality integrates
various resources to provide students with more opportunities to
understand texts and express themselves. Visual aids can enhance
understanding (Lim & Kessler, 2024), auditory activities with
immersive language experiences can improve auditory competency (Harsa
et al., 2020) and kinaesthetic activities involving gestures and
physical movement can significantly enhance language learning
(González-Carriedo et al., 2020).
Furthermore,
students' DST on social media fosters multiple literacies, including
not only academic and linguistic literacy, but also technological and
media literacy (Cheung & Shi, 2025), cultural awareness (Shi &
Cheung, 2024) and a 'third space' in which students can share their
stories, identities and cultures (Guenier & Ge, 2022). In this
study, students' DST becomes a medium of self-expression and a means
of communicating a human experience that is rarely portrayed in
textbooks and other mainstream instructional materials. Moreover,
producing their own DST helps students bridge the gap between
university classes and their future professions, equipping them with
the skills required in the digital era.
Social
media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and YouTube offered
students the ideal opportunity to share their digital stories and
receive real-time feedback from viewers around the world. Interacting
with diverse audiences in this way enriched students’ intercultural
communication skills. This aligns with Tecedor's (2023) findings that
DST is an effective way to engage viewers with content. Designing and
developing DST requires many of the skills needed by 21st-century
citizens, making it a significant instructional tool for
incorporating a multiliteracies pedagogy into the classroom. Indeed,
language learners need technology-enabled learning activities for
real-life communication rather than for accessing learning materials
in the form of a transition from paper to digital resources online. Therefore, the focus of language teaching needs to shift beyond linguistic ability towards literacy practices based in the workplace and academia that integrate digital, visual and multimodal information. Students need self-presentation skills and practices that include
discursive competence and content production, as well as the ability
to engage audiences through creativity and effectiveness. Content
creators must build and nurture social relationships to foster a
sense of friendship with their audience, making them appear sociable.
The
students' own digital stories incorporated elements of multimodality,
such as videos, images, audio, voices and gestures, into their
mini-talks, making the learning experience more engaging and
memorable. By juxtaposing different dialects, accents, discourses,
styles and approaches, students substantially improved their
metacognitive and metalinguistic abilities, as well as their ability
to critically reflect on complex systems and their interactions. This
suggests that multimodality can be a powerful tool for facilitating
DST-based language learning.
The
study results also emphasise the important role that social media
plays in making language learning enjoyable. Students' use of social
media encourages exploration not just of language, but also of the
subtle cultural elements that shape communication. This finding is
consistent with Abidin's (2020) concept that the current social media
ecosystem is key to understanding communicative and visual practices,
reflecting today's digital social media cultures.
Language
tutors can encourage their students to use social media for language
practice, leveraging it as a learning resource. Page's (2020)
insights into shared stories emphasise the influence of social media
on daily life, underlining its potential as a platform for
interactive and meaningful language learning.
One
practical implication of this study is that students are already
familiar with social media in their daily lives. Leveraging this
familiarity for language learning provides access to dynamic,
up-to-date resources. Furthermore, interacting with a global audience
provides invaluable opportunities for real-life intercultural
communication. For instance, one participant's digital stories
received over 60,000 views, showcasing the potential of DST to enrich
language learning experiences and promote intercultural
communication.
6
Limitations of the Study
This
study was conducted with advanced students who had recently returned
from studying abroad in China, giving them substantial cultural
knowledge and experience. Future research could explore whether
DST-based methods are equally effective for students with lower
language proficiency. If successful, this approach could benefit a
wider range of learners.
Another
limitation of this study is that it is restricted to the Chinese
language. It would be interesting to compare it with a Western
language to see if the findings are similar. If not, it would be
interesting to see in what ways the results differ.
Also,
this study did not examine the use of artificial intelligence (AI)
tools. Students may have used such tools; however, the researchers
did not consider this aspect as it would have widened the scope of
the study and distracted from its main focus. Yet, it would be useful
for future studies to explore which AI tools students find useful for
creating digital stories.
7
Conclusions
This
study investigated the factors influencing students’ language
learning in social media celebrities’ digital stories and explored
the role of multimodality in students’ own digital stories for
language practice and intercultural communication. The findings
highlight the significant contribution of elements such as wordplay,
accents, dialects and idioms to students’ motivation to learn,
practise and enjoy the language.
This
study investigated the factors influencing students’ language
learning through the DST of social media celebrities and explored the
role of multimodality in students’ own DST for language practice
and intercultural communication. The findings emphasise the important
role that elements such as wordplay, accents, dialects and idioms
play in motivating students to learn, practise and enjoy the
language.
These
findings address a gap in previous research by providing empirical
evidence of the advantages for students of creating their own DST on
social media. The study highlights how this approach allows students
to develop and hone the essential multimodal skills required for
effective communication in today's increasingly interconnected
digital world.
Future
research could explore integrating AI into DST to investigate its
potential to enhance language practice and intercultural
communication competence further. This approach offers exciting
opportunities to leverage emerging technologies and enhance the
impact of DST in language education.
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Authors:
Dr
Minjie Xing
The
University of Manchester
Senior
Lecturer in Chinese Studies
Manchester
United
Kingdom
Email:
Minjie.Xing@manchester.ac.uk
ORCID:
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8600-5405
Dr
Amily Guenier
Lancaster
University
Lecturer
in Chinese Studies
Lancaster
United
Kingdom
Email:
a.guenier@lancaster.ac.uk
ORCID:
0000-0001-5583-944
