Introducing a New Theory for Reimagining English Language Pedagogy: Immersive Multimodal Interaction Model (IMIM)

Abstract

Despite the widespread use of English as a medium of instruction, a persistent gap remains between learners’ exposure to English and their communicative proficiency. Teacher-centred, monomodal, and decontextualized instruction contributes to this challenge, particularly in multilingual African classrooms. This paper proposes the Immersive Multimodal Interaction Model (IMIM) as an integrated, context-responsive framework for English language pedagogy, bringing together immersion, interaction, and multimodality. The study employs a conceptual and theoretical research design. It critically integrates literature on second language acquisition, sociocultural learning theory, communicative language teaching, multimodal pedagogy, and translanguaging. No primary empirical data were collected. The conceptual synthesis produces a three-component pedagogical framework operationalized through a flexible five-stage instructional cycle: immersive exposure, guided interaction, participatory engagement, creative production, and reflective feedback. The proposed model incorporates learners’ existing linguistic repertoires and locally available resources, including narratives, gestures, and visual materials, to support contextualized learning activities. IMIM offers a theoretically grounded approach to inclusive and culturally responsive English language teaching in multilingual and resource-constrained settings. Its implications concern instructional design, curriculum flexibility, and formative assessment emphasizing meaningful communication. However, its effectiveness in improving language proficiency remains a proposition requiring empirical validation through classroom-based research.