Pre-teen girls sharing gossip, under covers — a sleepover.
At midnight they continued making such noise on the third floor.
Two o’clock, we were still awake in the bedroom below them.
Greg Hill is a poet and short fiction writer in West Hartford, Connecticut, United States. He has a MALS degree in Creative Writing from Dartmouth College and an MFA in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts. His work has appeared in Barzakh, Atlas and Alice, Six Sentences, Grub Street, and elsewhere. He and his wife enjoy the struggle of raising three determined feminists. Website: https://www.gregjhill.com.
Uzbekistan, like a paradise, is a phrase that everyone understands differently. For some, a peaceful and quiet land with a clear sky comes to mind, while for others, warm and delicious bread baked in a tandoor and delicious delicacies are pictured. Just as every country has its own history and future, Uzbekistan has overcome many difficulties to become “Uzbekistan”. Currently, many young people are interested in European culture, pay more attention to foreign languages, and strive to enter Europe. However, we, the youth, must respect European cultures, constantly remember our Uzbek national values, customs, and our ancestors who have amazed the world, and set an example for the whole world. “What are national values?” The question is also often asked.
Main part
Our national values and traditions are understood as the heritage left by our ancestors, religious beliefs, hospitality, love for language and homeland. In particular, respect for our national values, respect for our native language, and the history of our past should be known to everyone and we should all be proud of it. We should proudly present our national clothes, including atlases, adras and Uzbek skullcaps, to the whole world. My dear President Sh.M. Miromonovich declared every Friday in our country as “National Clothing” Day in order to prevent our national values from disappearing and developing. We have set an example for young people and are celebrating this day with pride, appreciating our national clothes and making them feel our national values.
Conclusion
We, the youth, will further elevate our New Uzbekistan with our own thinking and potential, taking our national values as an example, taking our ancestors Amir Temur, Al-Bukhari, Al-Khwarizmi, and Al-Farghani as an example. Today’s youth are the successors and promoters of our national values. If every young man and woman deeply studies these values and applies them in society, spiritual upliftment will be ensured in society.
Dilnura Khahhorova was born in 2011. She is currently an 8th grade student at school No. 338 in the Mirzo Ulugbek district of Tashkent city. Due to her interest in her native language and literature, she has won honorable places and major prizes in many creative works at the school and district levels. At the same time, she has her place in every competition and event held at the school. Her creative work is published in the book “Ilhom tomchilari”.
Thank you a thousand times for being in my life, You worked hard for me,
May beautiful happiness always surround you
You are my only master Shoira
Sobirjonova Rayhona, a 10th-grade student of the 8th general secondary school in Vobkent district, Bukhara region. She was born in December 2008 in the village of Cho’rikalon, Vobkent district, in a family of intellectuals. Rayhona’s parents supported her from a young age and she started writing in the 3rd grade. Her first creative poem was published in the newspaper “Vobkent Hayot”. She has also published extensively in Synchronized Chaos International Magazine, India’s Namaste India Magazine, Gulkhan Magazine, Germany’s RavenCage Magazine and many other magazines and newspapers. She has participated in many competitions, won high places and many prizes. She is still busy creating!
In the scent of morning tea, in the quiet of the house when everything is still.
In a phrase I speak, not knowing I once learned it from you.
You loved cats, dogs, birds — every creature that breathes.
You used to say animals are more honest than people,
and you spoke to them as equals.
They loved you, just as the world did — quietly, but forever.
You would stand in the middle of the room and recite,
with hands that never sought applause,
only to let the feeling pass through you.
In your words lived dignity, warmth,
and that rare closeness that made people fall silent and listen.
You left as gently as you lived.
Without grand words, without noise.
But you didn’t disappear — you became part of everything I love.
Part of me.
Sometimes I feel you near.
In the cat curled in my lap, in the dog’s gaze waiting by the door.
In the voice that guides me when I don’t know where to go.
They say time heals.
Perhaps.
But what you were — it doesn’t fade.
It stayed.
In the way I love, in the way I remain silent, in a gaze that still seeks kindness. Sometimes I write you letters.
No address, no stamp.
Only the heart knows where they go.
And I don’t cry as often now,
but when the wind stirs the curtains —
I know it’s you.
Your gentle spirit, your silence that embraces better.
Maja Milojković was born in Zaječar and divides her life between Serbia and Denmark. In Serbia, she serves as the deputy editor-in-chief at the publishing house Sfairos in Belgrade.She is also the founder and vice president of the Rtanj and Mesečev Poets’ Circle, which counts 800 members, and the editor-in-chief of the international e-magazine Area Felix, a bilingual Serbian-English publication. She writes literary reviews, and as a poet, she is represented in numerous domestic and international literary magazines, anthologies, and electronic media. Some of her poems are also available on the YouTube platform. Maja Milojković has won many international awards. She is an active member of various associations and organizations advocating for peace in the world, animal protection, and the fight against racism. She is the author of two books: Mesečev krug (Moon Circle) and Drveće Želje (Trees of Desire). She is one of the founders of the first mixed-gender club Area Felix from Zaječar, Serbia, and is currently a member of the same club. She is a member of the literary club Zlatno Pero from Knjaževac, and the association of writers and artists Gorski Vidici from Podgorica, Montenegro.
Multimodal Teaching Methodologies for Instructing Uzbek as a Foreign Language
Jo`rayeva Aziza Shavkat qizi
Uzbekistan State World Languages University
English First Faculty
Abstract: This study explores the pedagogical potential of multimodal teaching strategies in instructing Uzbek as a foreign language (UFL), particularly in the context of diverse learner profiles and increasing global interest in Central Asian languages. Traditional teaching methods often struggle to accommodate the complex linguistic and cultural dimensions of Uzbek, especially for learners from non-Turkic language backgrounds. Multimodal pedagogy—an approach that integrates visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and digital modes—offers a dynamic framework for enhancing learner engagement, facilitating comprehension, and improving communicative competence. Drawing on contemporary theories in applied linguistics, cognitive psychology, and digital pedagogy, this paper analyzes the application of multimodal strategies in real classroom settings. The study adopts a mixed-methods research design, combining experimental data with qualitative feedback to assess learning outcomes across vocabulary acquisition, grammar comprehension, pronunciation, and cultural awareness. Findings suggest that multimodal instruction significantly improves both linguistic performance and learner motivation, offering inclusive solutions to common pedagogical challenges in UFL contexts. The study also identifies practical constraints, such as technological access and teacher preparedness, and proposes evidence-based recommendations for curriculum developers and language instructors. The research contributes to the broader discourse on innovation in second language education and promotes multimodal literacy as a core component of Uzbek language teaching.
Key words: multimodal pedagogy, uzbek language, foreign language teaching, learner-centered instruction, linguistic competence, educational technology.
In the 21st century, language learning has transcended traditional classroom boundaries and become increasingly intertwined with digital technology, intercultural communication, and learner-centered pedagogy. As the internationalization of education deepens, and geopolitical attention to Central Asia intensifies, the Uzbek language is witnessing growing interest among diplomats, researchers, students, and global professionals. Consequently, the need to develop effective methodologies for teaching Uzbek as a foreign language (UFL) has become both timely and essential. However, teaching Uzbek to non-native speakers—particularly those from Indo-European or Sino-Tibetan language backgrounds—presents significant challenges. As an agglutinative Turkic language, Uzbek features complex grammatical structures, including vowel harmony, extensive case usage, and elaborate verb morphology, which can be difficult for learners unfamiliar with such typological systems. Moreover, many cultural and pragmatic aspects of Uzbek remain deeply embedded in sociohistorical and communicative norms that require contextual and embodied understanding. Traditional methods, such as grammar-translation or structural drills, often focus on rule memorization rather than meaningful interaction, limiting learners’ communicative competence and intercultural fluency.
In response to such limitations, contemporary pedagogical discourse has shifted toward multimodal teaching strategies, which leverage multiple sensory channels—visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and digital—to facilitate deeper and more inclusive learning experiences. Multimodality, rooted in social semiotics and cognitive linguistics, recognizes that communication is rarely monolithic and that learners process and express meaning through a rich interplay of modes. In second language acquisition (SLA), multimodal learning is not merely a matter of combining media, but a deliberate pedagogical design aimed at aligning content with diverse cognitive styles and learning needs.
Extensive research (Jewitt, 2008; Mayer, 2009; Kress & van Leeuwen, 2001) has shown that multimodal environments enhance learner motivation, support retention, and foster active engagement. In language classrooms, this might include the use of visual narratives, audio dialogues, physical enactment of grammar rules, interactive games, and digital storytelling. For languages like Uzbek—where morphological and syntactic rules can appear opaque in isolation—multimodal input provides crucial scaffolding, allowing learners to form meaningful associations and intuit patterns through sensory reinforcement.
Despite its proven efficacy in global SLA contexts, the application of multimodal teaching to Uzbek language instruction remains under-theorized and insufficiently practiced, particularly outside of specialized university programs. There is a noticeable gap in the literature regarding how multimodal strategies can be tailored to the linguistic particularities and cultural content of Uzbek, and how such approaches may improve learner outcomes across vocabulary acquisition, grammar comprehension, pronunciation accuracy, and pragmatic fluency. This paper seeks to address that gap. It explores how multimodal teaching strategies can be effectively designed, implemented, and evaluated within the context of UFL instruction. By drawing on recent interdisciplinary scholarship in applied linguistics, digital pedagogy, and cognitive psychology, this study presents both theoretical insights and empirical findings from a classroom-based intervention involving multimodal resources.
The primary objectives of this study are threefold:
1. To examine the theoretical foundations that justify the use of multimodal strategies in foreign language education;
2. To analyze the practical impact of multimodal methods on the linguistic and intercultural development of Uzbek learners;
3. To formulate evidence-based recommendations for language educators, curriculum developers, and policy-makers interested in expanding the accessibility and quality of Uzbek language teaching worldwide.
Ultimately, the study aims to contribute to the modernization of UFL pedagogy by promoting multimodal literacy as a cornerstone of 21st-century language education and by advocating for the integration of technology-enhanced, inclusive practices into Uzbek language programs across various educational settings.
The theoretical foundation of this study lies at the intersection of multimodal learning theory, cognitive load theory, sociocultural theory, and second language acquisition (SLA) frameworks. Each of these perspectives contributes to a comprehensive understanding of how multimodal strategies can enhance the teaching and learning of Uzbek as a foreign language (UFL), particularly in linguistically and culturally diverse contexts.
The concept of multimodality originates in the field of social semiotics, particularly in the seminal work of Gunther Kress and Theo van Leeuwen (2001), who argue that meaning is not conveyed solely through verbal language but through a combination of semiotic modes—such as images, gestures, layout, sound, and spatial organization. In the classroom, multimodal pedagogy refers to the strategic use of these modes to support learning by addressing the diverse sensory and cognitive channels through which students engage with content.
In language instruction, multimodal design supports learners in associating grammatical forms with visual cues, phonological patterns with auditory input, and pragmatic expressions with real-life embodied interactions. This multidimensional access to meaning is particularly crucial for UFL learners, who must internalize complex agglutinative grammar, unfamiliar syntactic rules, and socioculturally embedded communicative norms.
According to Sweller’s (1994) Cognitive Load Theory, learning is optimized when instructional materials are designed to reduce unnecessary cognitive burden and facilitate working memory efficiency. Multimodal resources, when properly aligned and not redundant, help distribute cognitive load by engaging different processing systems (e.g., visual-spatial sketchpad, phonological loop), thereby freeing up mental resources for deeper understanding. For example, in teaching Uzbek noun declensions, infographics paired with color-coded cases, audio examples, and kinesthetic gesture modeling can reduce abstractness and enhance retention. Thus, multimodality not only supports learner engagement but also contributes to more cognitively efficient acquisition of complex structures, a vital requirement for UFL learners facing unfamiliar morphosyntax. Howard Gardner’s (1983) Theory of Multiple Intelligences also provides an important foundation for multimodal pedagogy. By acknowledging that learners have different intellectual strengths—linguistic, visual-spatial, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, etc.—educators are encouraged to diversify instruction so that all students can access learning in ways that align with their innate preferences.
In the context of UFL instruction, visual learners may benefit from image-rich vocabulary flashcards or subtitled videos, auditory learners from phonetic shadowing exercises, while kinesthetic learners may thrive during interactive role-plays or grammar-related physical activities. Multimodal teaching, in this sense, is not merely additive but adaptive, offering each learner personalized entry points into the language. Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory and the concept of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) further inform the value of multimodal strategies in scaffolding learner development. Language acquisition is viewed not as an isolated cognitive process, but as one that is socially mediated and contextually situated.
Through multimodal classroom interactions—whether visual prompts, collaborative digital tasks, or embodied dialogue simulations—teachers provide scaffolds that allow learners to perform beyond their current level of independent competence.
This study employs a mixed-methods design, combining qualitative classroom observations with quantitative analysis of learner progress. The research was conducted over a 12-week period at a Central Asian language institute with two learner groups: an experimental group (n=18) using multimodal materials and a control group (n=16) using traditional text-based instruction.
Data collection tools included:
Pre- and post-tests assessing vocabulary, grammar, and listening skills;
Weekly classroom observations coded for interactional patterns;
Learner surveys measuring motivation and perceived learning effectiveness.
The multimodal strategy framework employed in the experimental group consisted of four main components:
Visual support included culturally authentic photos, illustrated vocabulary cards, infographics on case endings and verb conjugations, and video clips depicting real-life Uzbek conversations. These materials aided learners in associating linguistic structures with visual cues, thereby enhancing recall.
Authentic audio content—such as traditional music, native speaker interviews, and podcast excerpts—was incorporated to develop listening comprehension and phonological awareness. Learners practiced intonation and stress through shadowing exercises. Kinesthetic tasks included role-playing market dialogues, using gestures to represent grammatical cases, and physical response activities (e.g., Simon Says with verbs). Such activities helped internalize abstract structures via bodily movement.
Interactive language apps (e.g., Quizlet, Kahoot), online quizzes, and virtual tours of Uzbek cultural sites were employed to extend learning beyond the classroom. A learning management system (LMS) was used to track progress and provide personalized feedback.
Multimodal teaching strategies offer promising avenues for enhancing Uzbek language instruction for non-native speakers. By appealing to multiple senses and learning preferences, these approaches can significantly improve linguistic competence, intercultural understanding, and learner motivation. Based on the findings, the following recommendations are proposed: Curriculum developers should incorporate multimodal resources into syllabi for teaching foreign languages (UFL) to foster an inclusive learning environment. Additionally, teacher training programs should include components focused on developing digital literacy and multimodal design skills to better equip educators for modern educational demands.
References:
Battlem, J., & Schmidt, K.-H. (2011). Multimodal Film Analysis: How Films Mean. Routledge.
Bezemer, J., & Kress, G. (2010). Multimodality, “common sense” and text. Social Semiotics.
Chandler, P., & Sweller, J. (1991). Cognitive load theory and the format of instruction. Cognition and Instruction, 8(4), 293–332.
Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences. Basic Books.
Jewitt, C. (2008). The Routledge Handbook of Multimodal Analysis. Routledge.
Kress, G., & van Leeuwen, T. (2001). Multimodal Discourse: The Modes and Media of Contemporary Communication. Arnold.
Sweller, J., van Merriënboer, J. J. G., & Paas, F. (1998). Cognitive architecture and instructional design. Educational Psychology Review, 10(3), 251–296.
