Multimodal discourse in EFL instruction: Implications for language competence, cognitive engagement, and multimodal literacy

Multimodal discourse has become increasingly relevant in language education. Although conventional texts continue to dominate English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instruction, interest in multimodal forms of communication has grown in recent years. This study systematises the features and functions of multimodal texts and evaluates their pedagogical relevance for language learning. The research combines theoretical analysis with an empirical investigation involving bachelor’s students from non-linguistic majors and English language teachers. Data was collected through a pedagogical experiment, classroom observation, and questionnaire surveys. The study analyses how multimodal texts contribute to the development of students’ language and communicative competence and identifies potential difficulties students may encounter when working with multimodal materials. The findings suggest that multimodal discourse may support the development of language proficiency, communicative competence, and learner motivation in EFL instruction. At the same time, certain challenges related to the interpretation of multiple semiotic resources were identified. Based on these results, the study proposes a structured instructional sequence for working with multimodal texts in the language classroom. The results indicate that multimodal discourse represents a potentially valuable resource for foreign language teaching and may contribute to the development of more effective pedagogical practices in diverse educational settings.