Sofia Guzzon’s research while affiliated with Ca' Foscari University of Venice and other places

In the face of social inequalities, digital divides, hegemonic power relations, capitalist conflicts of interests, asymmetric gender relations and international border and migration regimes, educational and social actions are becoming more challenging. Mediating these social challenges demands new methods and approaches. Thus, the contributors to this volume use critical pedagogies to reflect on art, literature, storytelling, and digital methods as a means to mediating social challenges in teaching practices. The contributions challenge normative perceptions of identity while also promoting students' multiliteracy skills.

Research has shown that extensive reading (ER) can promote students’ reading skills and motivation to read in an additional language. However, different pedagogical designs exist also including the use of technologies. In this article, we particularly look at the application of Digital Social Reading (DSR) to the extensive reading of Young Adult Literature (YAL) in English as a Foreign Language (FL). In our study, EFL students from Italy and Hungary were engaged in pre‑, during‑, and post‑reading activities based on the preferred novel on two digital platforms, Moodle and Glose for Education. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from the students and the facilitators participating in the project to investigate their perceived affordances and challenges of extensive DSR and mobile digital reading. Results show that DSR can lead to positive gains in terms of motivation to read, comprehension, and deep reading. Furthermore, the study has revealed that mobile reading has both advantages and disadvantages that still need to be fully understood. Hence, pedagogical implications are drawn.