The Effects of Multimodal Teaching on English Vocabulary Knowledge of Thai Primary School Students

Abstract

It is increasingly prevalent in digital learning research to embrace various meanings, spaces, processes and teaching strategies for discerning a global perspective on creating the student learning experience. Multimodality is an emergent phenomenon that may influence how digital learning is designed, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic in which immersive learning environments, such as a virtual learning platform, were employed. This immersive platform may assist learners in engaging in, paying attention to, and reflecting on their learning. This quasi-experimental study examined the effects of multimodal teaching on primary school learners’ English vocabulary and their attitude toward the learning environment. The participants were 59 primary school students in the northeastern part of Thailand. They were divided into two groups: the experimental and the control group. The former consisted of 33 students, while the latter comprised 26. Following Nation’s (2013) word knowledge framework, two tests were developed to measure participants’ receptive and productive knowledge of the words. L2 vocabulary scholars validated the tests, and the reliability of the tests was checked using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. The questionnaire was also developed to explore the participants’ attitudes toward using multimodal teaching methods to improve their vocabulary knowledge. The results showed that although both groups increased their vocabulary knowledge, the statistical analysis revealed that the multimodal teaching technique significantly enhanced participants’ receptive and productive vocabulary knowledge. The results also indicated that primary school participants had a positive attitude toward using multimodal teaching methods to improve their vocabulary knowledge. Overall, the current study suggests that the multimodal teaching method effectively improves Thai primary school learners’ receptive and productive word knowledge and helps them learn new vocabulary. Other relevant contributions and implications for pedagogical practices are also addressed.

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