Time matters: a critical multimodal study of an English learning app for children in China

Time and its management, as evident in the scheduling, sequencing and structuring of activities, is important in early childhood education (ECE). While ECE apps have been changing teaching and learning practices for over a decade, research has yet to examine how they represent and manage time. To address this gap, we analysed the representation and management of time in iHuman ABC, a popular English learning app for children in China. Adopting Djonov and Van Leeuwen's (2018) model for analysing semiotic software and Van Leeuwen’s (2008) critical discourse studies framework, we examined temporal features in the app's design and references to these features in promotional materials and user reviews. Findings reveal that iHuman ABC reflects an instructivist ideology which considerably limits children’s ability to organise their time and contradicts research-based recommendations for teaching English. This study contributes to critical multimodal studies of the potential of software to transform educational practices.