Abstract:
The study addressed the limited research examining how English teachers
strategically integrate multimodal media into vocabulary instruction and how they
perceive its implementation in elementary EFL classrooms. This study aimed to
investigate an English teacher's strategies in using multimodal media for teaching
vocabulary to young learners and to explore the teacher's perceptions of its
implementation in the classroom. This study employed a qualitative descriptive
design and was conducted at an elementary school in Ciamis Regency, West Java,
Indonesia. The participant was one English teacher selected through purposive
sampling based on teaching experience and the active use of multimodal media in
classroom instruction. Data were collected through non-participant classroom
observations and a semi-structured interview and were analyzed using thematic
analysis to identify recurring themes related to the teacher's instructional strategies
and perceptions. The findings revealed that the teacher integrated various
multimodal resources, including visual, auditory, and kinaesthetic media, to support
vocabulary learning. In addition, instructional strategies such as repetition,
questioning, pronunciation practice, and interactive activities were implemented to
reinforce vocabulary learning. However, several challenges were identified,
particularly related to classroom management, media preparation, and the selection
of appropriate instructional resources. Overall, multimodal media functioned as
valuable pedagogical resources that supported vocabulary learning by promoting
young learners' engagement and active participation. Their effective use depended
on the teacher's ability to strategically select, integrate, and adapt instructional
resources according to classroom needs. These findings highlight the importance of
teachers' pedagogical competence in maximizing the effectiveness of multimodal
media for vocabulary instruction.
