Designing and Implementing A Multimodal Task Based Module for Teaching Descriptive Language to Young EFL Learners

Abstract

Digital tools have been recently promoted in Viet Nam’s education (VJST, 2025) through various learning management systems, multimedia resources, and interactive platforms. This has created the need for instructional design implementation in the classroom to transform multimodal input into a meaningful and engaging learning experience. The study addresses the demand by designing and evaluating a multimodal task-based module for teaching the topic “Describing People” to young EFL learners in a digital English environment. The module is grounded in task-based language learning (TBLT) and multimodal learning theory, integrating pictures, audio descriptions, digital profile cards, and collaborative information-gap tasks to help students’ understand and produce descriptive language. A design-based research approach is implemented in which the module will be taught in a Grade 6 classroom and examined through class observation, student worksheets, and learner feedback. Early understandings demonstrate that multimodal input develops students' engagement in the lesson, supports the interpretive process, and reinforces learners’ confidence in describing people orally and in writing. Students also put more effort into interacting with peers to negotiate meanings in order to complete information-gap tasks. It helps them strengthen their communicative competencies. The study proposes that multimodal task-based instruction have the potential to become a sustainable and practical approach enhancing English teaching and modernizing classroom practice, aligning with the current digital learning requirements.