The Use of Image in EFL Classroom: The Perspective of Multimodality

Abstract

The potential effects of multimodality in the classroom have been widely recognized by many researchers. However, a discussion on how teachers explore the use of images as non-verbal modes in the classroom is still limited. Thus, this study aims to explore how images are  used in an English class in one of the senior high schools. The qualitative case study method was chosen with the hope of achieving the objectives of the research. The data were obtained from interviews and observations in one class from one of the upper secondary schools in Garut. The results of the study show that the teacher employed images solely as a tool to attract students' attention and motivation. It indicates that the teacher need to upgrade the knowledge and the competency to benefit the images as a multimodal resource for meaning making process, not merely as the ornaments.