REPRESENTATIONAL MEANINGS AND POTENTIAL VISUAL SUPPORT IN ENGLISH FOR NUSANTARA GRADE VII: A MULTIMODAL TEXTBOOK ANALYSIS

Abstract

Visual resources have become an integral component of contemporary English language textbooks, supporting learners beyond their decorative function. As pedagogical scaffolds, visual elements help students interpret textual information, identify contextual cues, and construct meaning during reading. However, limited research has examined how visual representations facilitate reading comprehension in Indonesian EFL textbooks.

This study explores the role of visual elements as scaffolding for reading comprehension in the English for Nusantara Grade VII Student Book. Using a qualitative document analysis, it examines 33 visual elements accompanying 13 reading texts through Kress and van Leeuwen’s (2006) theory of representational meaning. The findings reveal that narrative representations dominate the textbook by depicting everyday actions, social interactions, and communicative events, while conceptual representations organize descriptive and categorical information. Together, these visual structures support learners in identifying participants, interpreting contexts, and integrating verbal and visual information. The study demonstrates that visual elements function as effective scaffolds for reading comprehension and highlights the importance of purposeful visual design in developing multimodal EFL learning materials.