This paper investigates how multimodality functions within eTwinning projects in Initial Teacher Education

(ITE) and how these practices prepare pre-service English language teachers for digitally connected and

intercultural classrooms. The objectives of the study are to clarify how multimodal meaning-making is enacted

through eTwinning collaboration, to analyze the support that eTwinning ITE Ambassadors and teacher

educators provide, and to propose strategies for embedding multimodal project work into higher education

curricula. This paper follows a conceptual and exploratory research design, drawing on social semiotics,

sociocultural theory, and intercultural communicative competence. Through policy reports, peer reviewed

studies and documented cases from European institutions it identifies patterns, challenges, and opportunities in

benefits, certain challenges do persist, including uneven digital competence, limited institutional support,

superficial uses of multimodality, and restrictive curricula. The paper concludes that eTwinning offers a strong

framework for integrating multimodal, collaborative, and intercultural pedagogy into teacher preparation.

Lasting impact, however, depends on systematic curriculum integration, clear assessment criteria, and

institutional recognition of ITE Ambassador and teacher educator roles. The study outlines future research

needs and provides practical recommendations for strengthening multimodal eTwinning implementation in

ITE.

The integration of digital technologies into teacher education has transformed how pre-service teachers learn,

Against this backdrop, eTwinning, the European Commission’s platform for school networking and

collaborative projects, has emerged as a powerful mechanism for promoting digital collaboration, intercultural

learning, and professional development across Europe. Since its launch in 2005, eTwinning has enabled

teachers and students to participate in cross-border projects, fostering both digital literacy and cultural

awareness (Gilleran 2019). While traditionally associated with primary and secondary schools, its integration

into Initial Teacher Education (ITE) has gained momentum in recent years, aiming to equip pre-service

teachers with the competences required for 21st-century teaching (European Commission 2023b). A central

element of this process is the work of eTwinning ITE Ambassadors, experienced teacher educators and

academics who embed eTwinning in higher education (HE), mentor student teachers, and support teacher

educators in designing eTwinning-based activities. The Ambassadors’ role extends beyond promotion, i.e. they

communicative competence, enhance creativity, and enable learners to express meaning through diverse

representational forms (Kalantzis and Cope 2020; Jewitt 2014). In collaborative environments such as

eTwinning, multimodality is not a supplement but a central practice: projects frequently involve digital

storytelling, collaborative videos, infographics, and virtual exhibitions, among other things, each requiring the

integration of multimodal literacies. Understanding how eTwinning supports such practices in ITE, and how

Ambassadors and teacher educators scaffold them, is therefore crucial for ELT practitioners.

development (Huertas-Abril et al. 2025), its integration into ITE (Napal-Fraile et al. 2024; Tosi 2023), and

multimodality in eTwinning-based ITE, and fewer still analyze the Ambassador’s and teacher educator’s role.

scaffolding multimodal practices in HE; and to propose strategies for embedding multimodal eTwinning

researchers, it highlights an underexplored nexus and future directions for inquiry; for practitioners, it offers a

framework for designing multimodal, collaborative projects that prepare student teachers to create inclusive,

intercultural, and technologically enriched classrooms.

The concept of multimodality has become increasingly central to discussions of pedagogy in the digital age.

Rooted in social semiotics (Kress 2010; Jewitt 2014), multimodality refers to the idea that meaning is

constructed not only through language but also through a range of semiotic resources, including images,

literacy is inherently multimodal, requiring learners to interpret and produce hybrid texts that combine words,

visuals, audio, and interactive features. In this sense, multimodality is not an optional extension but a

fundamental dimension of communicative competence.

In practice, multimodal pedagogy involves the design of tasks and environments in which learners actively

combine modes to construct meaning. Examples include digital storytelling projects that integrate narrative,

images, and music; collaborative infographics that present research visually; or podcasts and video essays that

combine spoken commentary with visual evidence. Such practices resonate strongly with constructivist and

socio-cultural theories of learning, which emphasise active knowledge construction and socially mediated

interaction (Vygotsky 1978). The rise of digital technologies has expanded opportunities for multimodal

meaning-making: online platforms easily allow the integration of text, video, audio, and interactive features,

interactive webpages, that foster proficiency in digital communication, intercultural interaction, and mediation.

Within HE, digital collaborative projects play a powerful role in developing professional skills for pre-service

teachers. They encourage future educators to experience the pedagogical affordances of technology first-hand,

to plan collaboratively, and to reflect critically on intercultural and multimodal communication as this will be

their imminent future. Importantly, the integration of multimodality into ELT cannot be separated from the

background music that reflect cultural values; collaborative infographics require negotiation of both content

and visual form; and videoconferencing demands attention not only to words but also to gesture, tone, and

visual cues.

From a teacher education perspective, exposing pre-service teachers to multimodal and intercultural

collaboration is essential. As Dooly and Sadler (2016) note, future teachers must be prepared to design tasks

that transcend the traditional text-based and teacher-centred classroom and to facilitate learning experiences

that reflect the complex communicative realities of the 21st century. In this sense, multimodality is not merely

a pedagogical trend but a foundational principle for rethinking ELT in HE.

eTwinning provides a unique context in which multimodality and digital collaboration converge. Established in

constructivism emphasises learning as a socially situated activity, in which knowledge is co-constructed

through interaction (Vygotsky 1978). Connectivism, as articulated by Siemens (2005), highlights the role of

networks and digital tools in shaping contemporary learning. eTwinning projects, which depend on

networking, collaboration, and digital production, exemplify both frameworks.

direct experience of digital collaborative pedagogy, allowing them to freely experiment with task design,

assessment, and classroom integration. Second, it fosters the development of multimodal literacies, as projects

routinely require integration of text, visuals, sound, and interactive elements. These experiences not only

enhance digital and intercultural competences but also prepare pre-service teachers to replicate similar

practices in their future classrooms.

The successful integration of eTwinning in ITE does not occur spontaneously, but rather it requires advocacy,

guidance, and professional scaffolding. This is where the role of eTwinning ITE Ambassadors and teacher

educators becomes critical. Ambassadors are experienced teachers or academics in HE who are formally

designated to promote eTwinning within HE institutions, mentor pre-service teachers, and collaborate with

teacher educators to embed eTwinning activities into curricula (European Commission 2023b). They serve as

scaffolding role. While pre-service teachers typically possess basic digital skills, they frequently lack the

pedagogical vision and principled objectives necessary to design tasks that integrate multiple semiotic modes

in meaningful and authentic ways. Ambassadors and teacher educators therefore provide not only technical

training but also opportunities for critical reflection, guiding future teachers to move beyond superficial uses of

visual elements or technology. In doing so, they encourage student teachers to consider how multimodal

designs shape processes of learning, communication, and intercultural understanding. The case of North

Macedonia offers a relevant illustration. Although relatively new to eTwinning in ITE, the two principal state

While the theoretical foundations of multimodality, digital collaboration, and intercultural competence are well

established, their intersection within eTwinning-based ITE remains underexplored. Existing studies highlight

the benefits of eTwinning for teacher education (Napal-Fraile et al. 2024; Tosi 2023) and document

Ambassadors’ contributions to professional development (Belic Malinić 2025; Huertas-Abril et al. 2025),

however, systematic investigation into how multimodality is enacted, scaffolded, and reflected upon within

eTwinning ITE projects is much more limited.

This gap is particularly evident in the ELT field. Although multimodal pedagogy has been widely discussed in

language education (Jewitt 2014; Kalantzis and Cope 2020), little attention has been paid to how ELT pre-

service teachers engage in multimodal collaboration through platforms like eTwinning, and how ITE

Ambassadors and teacher educators guide this engagement. Moreover, the diversity of European contexts, with

smaller states like North Macedonia still emerging in the literature, requires further exploration to understand

how eTwinning practices adapt to different HE environments. This paper positions itself at this intersection,

partnerships into a professional development space for teachers at all career stages. For HE institutions,

eTwinning offers a structured yet flexible way of embedding international collaboration, intercultural dialogue,

and digital pedagogy into curricula.

The European Commission’s 2023 Monitoring Report on the Impact of eTwinning on ITE highlights the scale

of this development. Over 400 HE institutions across Europe have now integrated eTwinning into their teacher

education programmes (European Commission 2023b). The rationale is clear: exposing pre-service teachers to

collaborative, intercultural, and digitally mediated pedagogies better prepares them for the realities of 21st-

century classrooms.

teacher training but warned that sustainability depends solely on embedding it institutionally rather than relying

on individual initiative.

curricular objectives, its impact risks remaining peripheral.