THE DISCURSIVE CONSTITUTION OF THE READER-SUBJECT IN DIGITAL ENVIRONMENTS: RESPONSIVITY, LITERACY AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Biblical Hebrew in Action: Developing Confident Reading and Solid Comprehension for Beginners

Abstract:In this article, I discuss the pedagogical considerations involved in restructuring a college-level Biblical Hebrew curriculum at Yale University. The pilot class involved designing the first semester of Biblical Hebrew using approaches drawn from theories and methods of Second Language Acquisition (SLA), commonly used in modern language instruction. These approaches are adapted to the needs and motivations of 21st-century students who wish to confidently read and comprehend ancient texts. The focus is on a revised version of the Grammar-Translation Method, incorporating functional grammar and a flexible pointing system (niqqud), with an emphasis on the systematic acquisition of frequently occurring vocabulary presented in its original biblical context. Oral engagement is incorporated to support listening comprehension, recitation, accurate pronunciation, and basic interaction. A Digital Humanities orientation forms the basis of the Multiliteracies approach, situated within a technological, multichannel learning environment. Community Building and Intercultural Competence are fostered through experiential activities outside the classroom. These methods, which have proven effective in modern language acquisition, are integrated into the teaching of Biblical Hebrew. Students’ performance and feedback attest to the effectiveness of this model.Abstract:במאמר זה אציג שיקולים פדגוגיים שהובילו אותי לעיצוב מחדש של תוכנית לימודים להוראת עברית מקראית לתלמידי תואר ראשון (תלמידי קולג' אמריקאיים) באוניברסיטת ייל. כיתת הניסוי ("פיילוט") כללה בניה מחדש של הסמסטר הראשון של עברית מקראית, על בסיס תאוריות ומתודות הלקוחות מתחום רכישת שפה שניה (SLA) הנפוצות בהוראת שפות מודרניות. גישות אלו הותאמו לצרכים ומוטיבציות של תלמידי המאה ה-21 המעוניינים לקרוא באופן קולח ולהבין טקסטים עתיקים. הפדגוגיה החדשה מדגישה יצירת גרסה מותאמת של שיטת הדקדוק-תרגום (GTM), תוך שימוש בגישת דקדוק פונקציונלי ושיטת ניקוד גמישה, לצד רכישה שיטתית של אוצר המילים השכיח במקרא, המוצג בהקשרו המקורי. אלמנטים אורליים משולבים בכדי לסייע בהבנת הנשמע, בהגיה נכונה, ובאינטרקציה בסיסית. הפדגוגיה החדשה מובנית לתוך עידן מדעי הרוח הדיגיטליים (Digital Humanities), ונשענת על גישת הרב-אורייניות (Multiliteracies), תוך שימוש בטכנולוגיה רב-ערוצית. פעילויות לימודיות חוויתיות מחוץ לכיתה תומכות במטרות הפדגוגיות של יצירת קהילת לומדים ופיתוח יכולת הבנה בין-תרבותית. גישות אלה, שיעילותן הוכחה ברכישת שפות מודרניות, נשזרו לתוך תוכנית הלימודים של הקניית העברית המקראית. השגי התלמידים כמו גם המשובים שלהם מעידים על יעילותו של מודל זה.

Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching

The Transformation of Narrative in the Digital Age: Focusing on Hypertext and Interactive Fiction

This paper examines how literature, games, and film influence one another and reshape narrative form in the digital media environment. Classical narratology presupposes a linear text read from beginning to end in a single order, and therefore has inherent limitations in accounting for digital narratives that branch into multiple paths depending on the reader's choices. To address this, the paper synthesizes Manovich's theory of the database, Aarseth's concept of cybertext, Ryan's possible-worlds theory, and Juul's notion of games as “half-real” objects, constructing a theoretical framework for understanding interactive narrative. Building on this framework, the paper analyzes three cases: the hypertext novel Afternoon, a story(Joyce, 1987), the interactive fiction game 80 Days (Inkle, 2014), and the Netflix interactive film Bandersnatch(Slade, 2018). Afternoon maximizes interpretive indeterminacy through a structure of concealed links, redefining the reader as a “pathfinder.” 80 Days assigns systemic weight to choice through a multi-resource management system involving funds, time, and health. Bandersnatch interweaves the immersive conventions of conventional film(immediacy) with self-referential devices that deliberately betray those conventions(hypermediacy). These differences show that interactive narrative cannot be reduced to a single model; rather, each medium offers a distinct solution to the shared problem of interactivity, shaped by its own material conditions. Through these three cases, the paper argues that digital narrative does not replace literary narrative but broadens what narrative can do, by redefining readers, players, and viewers from passive recipients into agents who actively participate in completing the narrative. The paper further indicates how these theoretical insights can be applied to digital literacy curriculum design and to the planning and authoring of interactive content, thereby articulating the paper's practical relevance from an applied-humanities perspective. The paper further discusses the emotional investment and questions of responsibility that arise in interactive narrative, as well as the implications of these shifts for the concept of reading competence in literary education, and proposes an integrated framework for understanding narrative change in the digital age.

Literacy acquisition and literacy practices: Connections and possibilities in liquid times

This study aims to discuss the importance of integrating the alphabetic writing system with social practices of reading and writing in the early years of schooling, understanding these dimensions as distinct yet interdependent processes in children’s education. To achieve this objective, a qualitative bibliographic study was conducted, focusing on the analysis of the meanings and uses of written language in different contexts of social participation. The theoretical framework is primarily grounded in Bauman’s contributions (2001, 2007, 2009) concerning Liquid Modernity, a perspective that enables an understanding of the educational challenges posed by a society characterized by constant change, instability, and the rapid circulation of information. The results indicate that children may acquire encoding and decoding skills without simultaneously developing the ability to use writing meaningfully. However, separating literacy acquisition from literacy practices limits a critical understanding of reality and reduces opportunities for conscious participation in social practices. Disregarding students’ historical, cultural, and social circumstances restricts their access to knowledge that is essential for understanding their role in collective life. It is concluded that the integration of literacy acquisition and literacy practices promotes the development of autonomous, participatory, critical, and reflective individuals. Therefore, education must extend beyond the conventional teaching of reading and writing, ensuring that these practices acquire meaning, functionality, and social relevance in children’s lives.

Digital Technologies and Practices as an Object of Humor on the Web: Some Examples, Some Considerations

ABSTRACT How to approach the convergence between digital and humor? From this general problem and based on the French Discourse Analysis, we seek, in this article, to analyze some examples and make some considerations in this regard. We selected 12 examples of humorous texts published on the web, selected between October 2024 and January 2025, and which have digital technologies and practices as their theme. We observe that humorous techniques are traditional, just as positions on the topic are divergent, which is typical of the field. Thus, although the computational and technological dimension enables new forms of production and dissemination, the humorous constitution basically takes into account the same linguistic-discursive procedures (incongruity, parody, exaggeration, stereotype, irony, for example) that are recurrent in non-digital humorous texts.

Designing with Notebooklm: An Autoethnographic Discourse Analysis of Human-AI Curriculum Design

The findings suggest that Generative AI can become a substantive curriculum-design resource without displacing educators’ role as designers and reinforce the need for continued professional judgment in Generative AI-supported curriculum design.