Digital Semiotics and the Construction of Meaning in Technology-Mediated ESL Pedagogy

Abstract

This study examines the role of digital semiotics in the construction of meaning within technology-mediated English as a Second Language (ESL) pedagogy among secondary school learners. Anchored in Social Semiotics and Multimodality Theory. Recent studies have shown that AI tools have become deeply embedded in learners’ writing processes, functioning as virtual tutors that support idea generation, language accuracy, and text production. Despite the growing use of AI technologies in language education, existing studies have largely focused on their pedagogical effectiveness, including improvements in writing performance, language proficiency, and learner engagement, with little attention being paid to the semiotic processes through which learners construct, negotiate, and interpret meaning while interacting with AI-powered tools. The study explores how artificial intelligence (AI) tools reshape meaning-making processes in classroom contexts. A qualitative classroom-based design was adopted, involving a hundred (100) purposively selected students who engaged in structured writing, grammar correction, and translation tasks using AI tools such as ChatGPT, Grammarly and Google Translate. Data were generated from learners’ engagement with these tools, including immediate responses, revised texts, and observational notes. Findings reveal that construction of meaning in AI-mediated ESL classrooms is a co-produced and multimodal process, shaped through interaction between learners and algorithmic systems. Learners demonstrated different degrees of agency, ranging from direct adoption of AI outputs to critical modification and iterative prompting. The study further shows that AI tools function as active semiotic agents, greatly influencing linguistic choices, restructuring classroom authority, and expanding the means through which meaning is negotiated. The study concludes that AI integration represents a significant transformation in ESL pedagogy and recommends the development of critical AI literacy and guided pedagogical frameworks for effective classroom implementation.