Visual Literacy in EFL: A Suggested Pedagogical Framework for Secondary Education in Spain

Enfoque

Literacy in the 21^st century is inherently visual. In our digitally mediated world, communication rarely relies solely on linguistic semiotic resources to convey meaning. Instead, images, both static and dynamic, collaborate with language to make meaning. Consequently, the concept of literacy, alongside global literacy curricula, is expanding to include multimodal meaning-making. Students are now expected to attain proficiency not only in the linguistic mode but also in visual, audio, gestural, and spatial modes, with multimodality being a combination of these various modes. Reflecting this shift (Walsh, 2006), Spain officially introduced the term multimodal text in the latest educational reform, as outlined in the Spanish Royal Decree 217/2022 which elaborates on the provisions of the Organic Law 3/2020, of December 29 (LOMLOE).

The purpose of this study is to present a visual literacy (VL) framework specifically designed for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching and learning that integrates visual multimodal texts in the secondary school classroom. This framework offers a cohesive structure that encompasses lesson planning, teaching strategies, and assessment methods. It aims to provide teachers with a systematic approach to integrating visual multimodal literacy into their teaching practice.

Designed using backward lesson planning, the model is crafted to be flexible and adaptable across educational levels. It complies with the Spanish National Curriculum and encompasses several key components: competency standards (ACRL, 2011), Key Competences for Lifelong Learning (European Commission, 2019), Specific Competences for Foreign Languages (Royal Decree 217/2022), and Students’ Learning Outcomes (SLOs) embedded within the curriculum. The model places particular emphasis on fostering critical thinking, promoting social-emotional learning (SEL), encouraging students’ self-reflection on their learning processes, and enhancing cultural awareness.

Focusing on reading and composing visual multimodal texts, the implementation of a sample unit utilising this framework illustrates how to effectively integrate visual multimodal texts to develop both linguistic and communicative competences, incorporating pedagogical materials and multimodal assessment strategies. Drawing on the framework, the unit offers strategies aligned with Multiliteracies Pedagogy (New London Group, 1996), multimodality (Kress & Van Leeuwen, 2001), visual literacy, and Halliday’s (1978) social semiotics theory of communication.

In conclusion, the integration of visual multimodal literacy into Spain’s secondary education is no longer a call from researchers, scholars, and practitioners, but a legal imperative that must be implemented. This paper addresses this development by presenting a framework that enables educators to adapt to these educational advancements to systematically incorporate and fully exploit visual multimodal literacy in the EFL secondary classroom.