Somayeh Fathali; Mohsen Shirazizadeh; Shiva Rezavand
Abstract
The rapid development of technology and its impact on the creation of images have made it essential to provide students with digital visual literacy (DVL) practices to help them explore ...
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The rapid development of technology and its impact on the creation of images have made it essential to provide students with digital visual literacy (DVL) practices to help them explore and understand the images. More importantly, images have valuable connections to language learning and hold the potential for teaching English effectively. Accordingly, the present study investigated the impact of the DVL-integrated instructions in an English listening-speaking course on EFL learners’ speaking proficiency. The Digital Image Guide (DIG) method was conducted for the DVL instructions. A total of 18 Iranian EFL learners from a national university participated in the study, undergoing ten instructional sessions. Various components such as visual elements in several images, flyers, brochures, memes, and book covers. were introduced to the learners throughout the treatment phase. Using mixed-methods research, quantitative and qualitative data were collected. The quantitative phase employed a pretest-posttest one-group design, and data was collected through the speaking section of the Cambridge English Qualification Test. The qualitative phase collected data on the learners’ attitude toward the course. The data were analyzed using SPSS and content analysis. The findings of a paired-sample t-test examining oral proficiency tests data revealed the effectiveness of the course on the speaking proficiency of the learners. The analysis of the interview data revealed that the students held positive attitude toward the course and the instructions.
