Abstract
<jats:p>In alignment with Taiwan&rsquo;s &ldquo;Bilingual 2030&rdquo; policy, this action research study investigates the efficacy of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK)-informed multimodal distance instruction in remote, predominantly indigenous elementary schools. While distance education offers a pathway to narrow the urban&ndash;rural achievement gap, geographical isolation and the digital divide present significant pedagogical barriers. This study employed a quantitative-dominant practitioner inquiry involving 85 elementary students (N=85) across two instructional cycles, prioritizing longitudinal performance data and gamified learning analytics to evaluate instructional efficacy. Cycle 1 utilized synchronous visual-textual, while Cycle 2 transitioned to asynchronous multimodal tasks to mitigate &ldquo;digital latency&rdquo; and reduce Foreign Language Anxiety (FLA). Data were aggregated from three quantitative streams: standardized academic assessments, gamified &ldquo;Fast-Test&rdquo; performance analytics, and rubric-based scoring of student digital artifacts. The findings reveal a &ldquo;diverging trend&rdquo; in learner performance: while traditional vocabulary and reading comprehension scores experienced a decline due to the increased linguistic complexity of the curriculum, the gamified multimodal intervention yielded a notable gain of 4.70 points. These results suggest that multimodal scaffolding&mdash;integrating visual, phonological, and gamified elements&mdash;creates a &ldquo;performance floor&rdquo; that sustains learner engagement and resilience despite escalating academic challenges. This study concludes that the success of remote EFL instruction is contingent upon the teacher&rsquo;s ability to fluidly pivot between instructional modes within the TPACK framework. The research offers a foundational model for promoting equitable EFL distance education in under-resourced and linguistically diverse contexts.</jats:p>