THE EFFECTS OF INFOGRAPHICS ON ENHANCING LANGUAGE LEARNING OUTCOMES AND MOTIVATION IN A JAPANESE EFL CONTEXT

Authors

  • Mengjiao Wu Shanghai Maritime University, Shanghai, China
  • Kaoru Kuwajima Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46827/ejfl.v6i4.4515

Keywords:

EFL, motivation, infographics, visualization, teaching techniques

Abstract

The existent research details pedagogical benefits of infographics in enhancing communication, comprehension, learning, and motivation, while more research on the potential educational benefits of using infographics is needed regarding their application in second language acquisition. The aim of this study was specifically to investigate the effects of using infographics as a supplemental teaching tool in EFL classes with a focus on learning outcomes and English learning motivation. The study was conducted in two lower-intermediate English classes at a Japanese university. An infographic of the grammar points of simple past/past continuous was designed and applied as a supplement to the textbook-related content. One class was taught in a textbook-infographic order and the other vice versa. Participants’ understanding of the target grammar points and English learning motivation were measured. The findings suggested that students were able to learn effectively using the provided infographics, but it is more effective to use infographics after the textbook teaching. Students showed higher English language learning motivation after the interventions and a high interest in using infographics in their English language course. Teaching advices on using infographics in EFL classes were discussed.

 

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Author Biographies

  • Mengjiao Wu, Shanghai Maritime University, Shanghai, China

    Mengjiao Wu, Shanghai Maritime University, China. Address: 1550 Haigang Avenue, Shanghai, China, 201306. Mengjiao Wu (PhD in Educational Psychology, Kent State University, USA, 2018) is an assistant professor at the College of Foreign Languages, Shanghai Maritime University, China. Her research focuses on linguistic cognitive development and its application, metacognition, second language acquisition, and EFL teaching methodology. orcid.org/0000-0002-7829-792X

  • Kaoru Kuwajima, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan

    Kaoru Kuwajima, Meijo University, Japan. Address: 1-501 Shiogamaguchi, Tempaku-ku, Nagoya 468-8502, Japan. Kaoru Kuwajima (PhD in Cultural Anthropology, University of Tokyo, Japan, 2012) is an associate professor, and a head of the English Courses of the Faculty of Business & Management at Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan. Her research focuses on communicative English languages and cross-cultural studies. orcid.org/0000-0003-4588-0550.

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Published

2022-11-03

Issue

Vol. 6 No. 4 (2022)

Section

Articles

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