Innovation in Language Learning
Beyond Laughter: The Affective Benefits and Instructional Challenges of Integrating Memes in EFL Instruction
Nafilah M. Aloairdhi, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU) (Saudi Arabia)
Abstract
Internet memes can support engagement in language classrooms [7], yet little is known about how EFL instructors in Saudi Arabia perceive their pedagogical value. This mixed-methods study investigated university EFL instructors’ perceptions of the effectiveness of memes for language learning, their influence on the classroom environment and learner motivation, the challenges of integrating them, and instructors’ recommendations. Drawing on teacher cognition research [11, 12], which links what teachers think, know, and believe to what they do, and using the multiliteracies framework [31] as a complementary lens, the study examined instructors’ beliefs, reported practices, and the contextual factors shaping them. A convenience sample of 102 instructors from Saudi universities completed a questionnaire comprising 27 Likert-scale items and three open-ended questions; quantitative data were analysed descriptively and qualitative data thematically [13]. Instructors believed that memes connect lessons to students’ culture (81.4%), make classes more enjoyable (81.4%), and help explain new vocabulary (72.6%), whereas clarifying grammar received the least agreement (44.1%). Yet only 52% had used memes, mainly as discussion starters and warm-ups, and few used student-created memes, revealing a gap between beliefs and practice. Contextual factors helped explain this gap: preparation time (71.6%), the risk of inappropriate content (68.6%), and lack of training (47%). Qualitative data echoed these results and yielded recommendations, including using memes as a supplement, building shared meme banks, and aligning memes with lesson objectives. The study calls for professional development in digital literacy to help instructors move learners from meme consumers to creators.
Keywords: Internet memes; EFL instructors; teacher cognition; belief–practice gap; multiliteracies; Saudi Arabia
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