The chapter illustrates the rationale and main findings of the research project
MACHETE (Cutting Edge: Multiliteracy Advances and Challenges in Hypermedia
English Teaching Environments), which aims to foster intersemiotic awareness,
identify strategies and spread best practices in EFL teaching/learning
environments. Closely related to these objectives, and probably even more
crucial in terms of professional engagement, is the effort to empower students,
so that they can avoid some of the risks encountered in digital environments,
including hegemonic or biased representations of reality, imposition of cultural
stereotypes (about gender, social class, race, nationality, profession, and so on),
and marginalization/silencing of minority voices.
