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.