English Education International Conference (EDUTICON) 2017 “Going beyond Boundaries: Connecting ELT to Today’s World” Odua Weston Hotel, Jambi – September 6 – 7, 2017 1 SNAPSHOTS OF THE CURRENT USE OF MULTIMEDIA IN RURAL-BASED ENGLISH CLASSROOMS: A CASE STUDY OF A VOCATIONAL HIGHER- EDUCATION INSTITUTION Yuliandri Resa Yulita Politeknik Pertanian Negeri Payakumbuh yuliandriss@gmail.com Abstract Multimedia use in education has been introduced to help both teachers and learners in classrooms. With the widespread distribution of technology, schools and campuses in remote areas of Indonesia have the chances to adopt multimedia to assist both subject matter and language learning. This phenomenon, however, also has its drawbacks. The use of modern learning media, with all its benefits, is sometimes proven ineffective if not used wisely. This research investigates the current use of multimedia in English classrooms of a rural- based vocational higher education institution. Qualitative enquiry in the form of classroom observations, semi-structured interviews with teachers, and student focus group interview, is adopted to answer the research questions which encompass: a)the type of multimedia used; b)the purposes behind the adoption of multimedia; c)the teachers’ and the students’ perception about the efficacy of lessons using multimedia. The result of this study highlights that there are three types of media used in English classrooms: slide presentation; video; and audio playback. The interview extracts point out that the rationale of the use of video and audio is purposed to increase students’ interest and motivation. Both students and teachers share the same perspective on the positive effects that multimedia use brings to the classroom. However, there is a gap between the two parties’ understandings on the outcome of the approach and on the value of using a wide range of multimedia content in English classrooms. Keywords: Multimedia use, learners’ perception, teachers’ perception, rural -based learners, Indonesian ELT, EFL INTRODUCTION The purpose of this study is to investigate the current use of multimedia for English Language Teaching (ELT) in one of rural-based vocational tertiary education institution in Indonesia. Indonesia is one of the countries with biggest population of EFL (English as foreign language) learners (Lie, 2009) due to the fact that ELT is compulsory in secondary and tertiary level of education. In spite of its mandatory nature, at some stages researchers stated that, in general, the teaching of English in Indonesia cannot be categorized successful (Imperiani, 2012; Lie, 2009). There are gaps between regions since better command of English is more often associated with learners in middle-upper class society in urban area who have more familiarity with the language as well as opportunities and willingness to seek learning opportunities outside school when compared to their rural compatriots (Lamb, 2004). While the demand for English in Indonesia increases alongside nationwide recognition of its close association with globalization and its label as a language of prestige, most EFL learners, especially those in rural areas of Indonesia, are having some difficulties linking themselves to the language. English is sometimes depicted by some learners only as an artificial language spoken by people who are entirely different from them. This circumstance therefore presents itself as a challenge for English teachers working in the described rural contexts as they are required to be more creative and innovative despite the lack of resources and funding. One of the options to increase students’ enthusiasm to English is by making the classroom more interactive and communicative. The efforts to make language classroom interesting and challenging for the students can be linked to one of many aspects in CLT (Communicative Language Teaching): the use of technology and multimedia. A number of research have found that overall, teachers have positive attitudes towards the use of technology in classroom (see, e.g., Li & Walsh, 2011; Marwan & Sweeney, 2010) and believe that language classrooms should adopt various types of technology to facilitate learning (Cahyani & Cahyono, 2013). Based on these facts, it is interesting to see the current situation and practice of ELT in a relatively rural-based education institution. Here, the triggering factor that sparks current interest in the ELT practice in