Cognitive Load Theory and the English Language Instruction

Working memory is used to process information of our mental representations and new knowledge. In learning English language, students are faced with various kinds of material and instruction that relate to the development of their knowledge and skills. However, extraneous information may overload their cognitive load and inhibit their knowledge and performances. Therefore, the theory of cognitive load effects provides a solution towards the overloading of cognitive capacity by introducing cognitive load effects. Cognitive load theory itself deals with the instructional design methods that use the limited cognitive capacity of learners. There are three sources or types of cognitive load: the intrinsic load, extraneous load, and germane load. By analyzing an English textbook for class VIII secondary level in Indonesia designed by the Ministry of Education and Culture for distance learning in the Covid-19 pandemic era, this paper points out several cognitive load principles that create a better schema construction and automation that contribute to the decreased cognitive load.