VISUAL AIDS IN ENGLISH VOCABULARY

LEARNING: AN INTERVENTION PROPOSAL

AMONG A2 STUDENTS’ LEVEL IN A HIGH

SCHOOL IN LOJA CITY

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Lilian Jacqueline Chenche Jordan

lilian.chenche@educacion.gob.ec

https://orcid.org/0009-0003-6989-1593

Ministerio de Educación

Ecuador

ABSTRACT

This study aims to determine the effectiveness of visual material in enhancing English vocabulary

the intervention, classroom observation to monitor student engagement, and a student questionnaire to

collect feedback on visual aids in the learning process. Data were analyzed using descriptive and

inferential statistics to assess the effectiveness of the intervention.The results showed a significant

improvement in students’ vocabulary performance, with better retention and use of target words

compared to traditional teaching methods. Furthermore, qualitative data revealed that students

perceived them as highly beneficial to their learning experience, increasing motivation and class

participation. In conclusion, the study demonstrates that visual aids are useful in supporting vocabulary

acquisition for A2-level students. The findings suggest that visual tools should be incorporated more

widely into language teaching strategies to improve learning outcomes and student engagement.

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RESUMEN

Este estudio tiene como objetivo determinar la efectividad del material visual para mejorar el

aprendizaje del vocabulario en inglés entre estudiantes de nivel A2 en una escuela secundaria en la

ciudad de Loja. El estudio se centró en cómo la aplicación de herramientas visuales, como tarjetas

didácticas, carteles, videos e infografías, puede mejorar la retención y el uso del vocabulario en el

proceso de aprendizaje del idioma. La intervención se basó en una serie de lecciones de vocabulario

diseñadas con un fuerte énfasis en el apoyo visual, para facilitar la comprensión y la memorización. Se

vocabulario de los estudiantes, con una mejor retención y uso de las palabras objetivo en comparación

con los métodos de enseñanza tradicionales. Además, los datos cualitativos revelaron que los

estudiantes los percibieron como altamente beneficiosos para su experiencia de aprendizaje,

aumentando la motivación y la participación en clase. En conclusión, el estudio demuestra que las

ayudas visuales son útiles para apoyar la adquisición de vocabulario en los estudiantes de nivel A2. Los

hallazgos sugieren que las herramientas visuales deberían incorporarse más ampliamente en las

estrategias de enseñanza de idiomas para mejorar los resultados de aprendizaje y la participación de los

estudiantes.

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INTRODUCTION

In today's increasingly globalized and connected world, learning and teaching foreign languages has

become a pressing need and, at the same time, a challenge for many professionals. As Richards (2024)

points out, learning English as a foreign language is not a simple task, as it is not just about memorizing

vocabulary and grammar rules, but involves the development of various communicative, cognitive, and

cultural skills. Mastery of English allows students to immerse themselves in a new linguistic reality,

contributing to a more dynamic and effective educational environment, which not only expands

knowledge about the world, but also exposes students to new cultures, traditions, customs, and

disposal of teaching resources and continuous teacher training is essential to identify the strengths and

weaknesses of the English teaching-learning process and recommend its improvement (Konomi, 2024).

In this sense, Sjöberg (2024) argues that teaching resources must be necessary to facilitate and stimulate

this process. Among them, visual aids stand out as a key strategy, since in teaching English as a foreign

language, vocabulary is an essential component for communication and understanding of texts.

However, its teaching is often limited to memorizing lists of words without context, which reduces its

effectiveness. To address this problem, it is necessary to use visual resources that facilitate the retention

and use of vocabulary in real situations. Yasin and Mohamad (2024) stated that these resources can

include images, graphs, diagrams, and concept maps, which not only associate words with their

meaning, pronunciation, spelling, and grammatical category but, stimulate students' attention,

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that improve communication in the foreign language. On the other hand, vocabulary learning is a main

component of the English acquisition process. In the words of Zerzová (2024) "Vocabulary learning is

one of the essential elements that help the user to master English; without vocabulary, the language user

has a poor performance in the language skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing." However,

according to Wei-Xun and Jia-Ying (2024), there are still difficulties in understanding vocabulary

learning, due to monotonous classes, lack of interest, and unawareness. Given this context, the research

question arises: How do visual aids improve English vocabulary learning? From this general question,

This research adopted a mixed-methods approach to determine the effectiveness of visual aids on

English vocabulary learning among A2-level students in a high school in Loja City. The study combined

qualitative and quantitative methods to gather comprehensive data on the effectiveness of visual aids in

vocabulary improvement, especially on their main elements such as meaning, pronunciation, spelling,

and context (Molina, 2016).

First, a quantitative approach was employed to measure the students' vocabulary improvement. A pre-

test and post-test were designed to assess the students’ vocabulary knowledge before and after the

intervention plan using visual aids. A pretest is an accurate instrument that allows to diagnose the

students' vocabulary skills. (Gul Malik & Alam, 2019).The test consisted of vocabulary items aligned

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to gather insights into how students perceive visual aids in helping them learn and retain new

vocabulary. Following Darnton (2023), the questionnaire based on the Likert Scale includes 4 items

such as strongly agree, agree, strongly disagree, and disagree facilitating the information analysis and

interpretation. This qualitative data provided a deeper understanding of how visual aids contribute to

their motivation, engagement, and overall learning experience (Taherdoost, 2022).

The intervention was about applying visual aids such as images, diagrams, videos, and flashcards into

the English lessons over seven weeks. These visual materials were used to introduce, practice, and

conducted on the qualitative data obtained from the questionnaire which allowed the description of the

student’s perceptions and experiences with visual aids (Kuphanga, 2024).

Finally, the quantitative and qualitative data were triangulated to provide a deep understanding of how

visual aids improve English vocabulary learning among A2 students level in this high school (Gul Malik

& Alam, 2019). The findings allowed researchers to suggest recommendations for incorporating visual

aids into English language teaching at the A2 students level, to improve vocabulary retention and

engagement in the learning process.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

This research study aims to determine the effectiveness of the visual aids in English vocabulary learning

among A2 students’ level at a high school in Loja City, during the school year 2023-2024, as well as,

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Author: Researchers

The pre-test and post-test results comparison demonstrated a clear improvement in students' English

vocabulary after using visual aids. Before the intervention, students' vocabulary knowledge was

relatively limited, as reflected in their lower pre-test scores. After integrating visual aids such as images,

flashcards, and videos into vocabulary lessons, the post-test scores showed a significant improvement

in vocabulary retention and understanding. Statistical analysis confirmed this improvement was

relevant, with the average post-test scores being considerably higher than the pre-test scores (p-value <

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indicate that teachers should continue incorporating visual aids into their lessons, as these tools do not

only enhance learning but also, create a more inclusive and supportive environment for A2-level

learners. Through using of visual aids, teachers can foster better vocabulary acquisition and promote

more meaningful learning experiences in the classroom.

The use of visual aids in English vocabulary learning among A2-level students in a high school in Loja

City has been confirmed to be an effective strategy for enhancing vocabulary acquisition. The

learning needs of A2-level students. Students expressed positive perceptions of the use of visual aids,

noting that they found the materials helpful in making difficult words more comprehensible and in

maintaining their interest throughout the lessons. The integration of visual resources into vocabulary

instruction provided students with a more immersive and enjoyable learning experience, allowing them

to relate new vocabulary to real-life contexts, which in turn promoted better retention and application

of the language.

In conclusion, visual aids are a valuable resource for improving vocabulary learning among A2-level

students. Their strategic use not only supports the acquisition of new vocabulary but also contributes to

a more dynamic and motivating classroom environment. Teachers in Loja City and beyond should

consider incorporating visual aids into their lessons to facilitate better understanding and retention of