The Eurovision Song Contest within formal educational learning contexts : a critical multimodal interpretation of possible inter-disciplinary connections

Abstract

The Eurovision Song Contest [ESC] is often viewed by many as pure entertainment followed annually by millions around the globe and by over 95% of the Maltese population. This paper aims to move on to deeper levels and to discuss how the songs of this popular cult can be viewed as interdisciplinary resources which eventually serve as effective pedagogical tools within formal educational contexts and classrooms. Adopting a socio-semiotic multimodal approach, an original multimodal framework1 is presented through which Eurovision songs are analysed before they are connected to these educational contexts to serve as pedagogical tools. Referring to a socio-constructivist epistemology, a practical example taken from the ongoing ‘Learning through the Eurovision: a multimodal research project’2 is discussed where these songs are viewed as inter-disciplinary tools made up of socio-semiotic elements which, when viewed as connected, can facilitate learning and teaching.