THE MULTIMODAL APPROACH IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Abstract

The multimodal approach in English Language Teaching (ELT) incorporates linguistics, visual, gesture, auditory, and spatial elements to produce meaning and improve learning. The study attempts to examine the trends and major findings of research on the multimodal approach in ELT. The method was a systematic review, with 27 out of 355 publications published within the last ten years. The databases used were Google Scholar and Open Knowledge Maps, which are indexed by SINTA, ERIC, EBSCO, Springer, Elsevier, Scopus, and Taylor & Francis. The selected articles were analyzed using a content analysis method. The data revealed that the multimodal approach in ELT gained popularity among scholars throughout three years (2019-2021). In addition, the most frequently utilized research methodologies in multimodal ELT studies were quantitative and qualitative, and the university was the most common level of education. Reading and writing skills were the most frequently integrated language learning in the research reviewed. Additional research demonstrated both the benefits and challenges of implementing the multimodal approach in ESL and EFL classrooms. Furthermore, studies examined the efficacy of the multimodal approach in ELT. The review generates several recommendations for teacher educators and future research.