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Article

Open Access

A Multimodal Approach to Artificial Bilingualism: Thematic Instruction in Ukrainian-English Primary Education

Author(s)

Nataliia Tokareva, Maryna Tsehelska

Full-Text PDF Download XML 124 Views

DOI:10.17265/1539-8072/2026.02.005

Affiliation(s)

Kryvyi Rih State Pedagogical University, Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine

ABSTRACT

Integrating bilingual literacy through thematic instruction at Interclass Bilingual Primary School is the focus of this study. The pedagogical approach combines thematic content with visual concept maps, enabling students to acquire and categorize transport-related vocabulary in both Ukrainian and English. The design addresses the unique context of artificial bilingualism, where English functions as a foreign language, Ukrainian as the primary language of schooling, and Russian as the home language. Through multimodal activities, students produce simple sentences in English while expanding thematic understanding in Ukrainian. Comparative charts facilitate cross-linguistic analysis, promoting language awareness and bilingual competence. The findings demonstrate that structured bilingual instruction, grounded in thematic and visual representation, enhances cognitive engagement and supports meaningful knowledge transfer between languages, contributing to holistic literacy development.

KEYWORDS

bilingual literacy, thematic instruction, transport vocabulary, Grade 1, artificial bilingualism, language awareness, Ukrainian-English integration, concept maps, metacognitive schemes, multimodal activities

Cite this paper

Nataliia Tokareva & Maryna Tsehelska. A Multimodal Approach to Artificial Bilingualism: Thematic Instruction in Ukrainian-English Primary Education.

Sino-US English Teaching, Mar.-Apr. 2026, Vol. 23, No. 3-4, 73-88 doi:10.17265/1539-8072/2026.02.005

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