CREATING ENGLISH MATERIAL OF SHORT FUNCTIONAL TEXTS USING CANVA AS A SIMPLE GRAPHIC DESIGN

Abstract

The increasing integration of digital design tools in language education highlights the need to examine their pedagogical value, particularly in developing English learning materials. However, previous studies have largely focused on Canva’s technical features rather than its instructional potential in creating English short functional texts. This study aims to investigate the use of Canva as a learning medium for designing English materials for short functional texts. Employing a descriptive qualitative approach, the data were collected from observations of Canva-based material development and analysis of sample instructional designs created using the platform. The findings reveal that Canva is a user-friendly and accessible design tool that supports teachers, lecturers, and students—especially beginners and non-designers—in producing visually engaging English learning materials. Canva provides a wide range of free templates, layouts, images, and design elements that facilitate the creation of short functional texts such as brochures, announcements, banners, flyers, invitation cards, greeting cards, advertisements, application letters, and curriculum vitae. The study also finds that Canva enables teachers to design project-based learning activities in which students modify existing templates to produce their own texts, allowing teachers to analyze linguistic features and text structures directly from students’ designs. This research contributes to English language teaching by demonstrating that Canva can function not only as a design tool but also as an effective learning medium that enhances students’ creativity, participation, and communicative competence in producing short functional texts.