Derrick
Justine.(2008).Using Comics with ESL/EFL
Students. Retrieved February 20,2011 from http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Derrick-UsingComics.html
1. Introduction
Comic strips, comic books, and graphic novels can be used in
ESL and EFL classrooms to encourage students to read. They can also form
the basis of several classroom activities that will engage students and
generate discussion.
2. Second Language Acquisition, Reading, and Comics
In
all theories of second language acquisition, input plays a role (though the
role varies in importance in each of the different theories). One
important form of input is reading. Reading can aid in vocabulary
development. Reading can also aid other skills, as “several studies
confirm that those who read more in their second language also write better in
that language (Salyer 1987; Janopoulos 1986; Kaplan and Palhinda 1981)”
(Krashen, 1993, p. 7). Therefore, reading can and should play an
important role in the second or foreign language classroom.
By
using comics and graphic novels, we can they provide language learners with
contextualized comprehensible input, they can also engage the learner and lead
him or her to explore more graphic novels or books, magazines, newspapers, and
other reading materials.
Comic
book writers attempt to capture spoken language as it really occurs, complete
with gaps, hesitations, and slang. Comic strips can help students deal
with ‘the ambiguity, vagueness and downright sloppiness of spoken English’” by
introducing “language learners to ‘ellipsis, blends, nonwords, vague lexis,
confirmation checks, contrastive stress, new topic signals, nonverbal language,
mitigators, [and] routine/ritual phrases’” (Cary, 2004, p. 33) because comics
put each of these into context and make them relevant to second language
learners.
Comics,
specifically comic strips, usually deal with humor. They can be useful
for introducing language learners to the culture and humor of
English-speakers. But in this case, the comic we choose is not only can
lead the students to laugh but also should be productive and relevant
discussions in the second language classroom.
On
the other hand, not all comic books and graphic novels are light reading.
Over the past several years, more and more graphic novels have appeared that address
more serious topics, such as family relationships, war, coming of age, and
current events. Several of these graphic novels have won major awards,
such as the Pulitzer Prize, the Hugo award, and the World Fantasy Award.
As they have matured, graphic novels have moved from the realm of children and
can appeal to and are used with adult students.
3. Visual Literacy
Comic books and graphic novels call for “visual literacy,”
where students need to learn to recognize certain symbols and decode
their meaning, much in the same way they do while reading texts. In the case of
comics and graphic novels, elements of visual literacy include the visual
symbols and shorthand that comics use to represent the physical world.
For example, two or more wavy lines rising up from something indicate
smoke. With flies added, they indicate a bad smell. Lines trailing
after a person or a car indicate movement. Text bubbles change their form
to indicate if a person is thinking, speaking, or shouting. Also, comic
book artists sometimes use a dashed or dotted outline to show invisibility or
Xs in place of eyes to represent death. Teachers should be aware that some
symbols could potentially cause confusion for their students.
4. How to Use Comics and Graphic Novels in the Classroom
These activities can be used as stand-alone activities, or
they can be used to prepare students to read an entire graphic novel or comic
book.
Activity 1: Understanding Visual Symbols
Prepare students to interpret the visual symbols they might
encounter in the comics. Put students into pairs or small groups and ask
them how they would represent, in pictures and without using any words, the
following concepts: a bad small, a telephone ringing, shouting, thinking, a
ghost, and heat. After the students finish, distribute examples of the
above concepts from comics. The students can then discuss the differences
between their ideas and the ones the comic writers used and which they prefer.
Activity 2: Reading Order in Comics
Students can look at excerpts of two different graphic comics
(or similar ones) and discuss the order in which they should read the page, how
they know to read it in that order, and why the authors chose to present their
stories in such a manner.
Activity 3: Comic Jigsaw
This is a quick activity that can be used to put students
into pairs for another activity, to introduce a topic, or to provoke a
discussion on humor. First, find several one panel comics. Next, separate
the text from the panel. This can be done by copying the text onto a
different piece of paper and then blanking out the text from the comic.
Finally, distribute these items to students, making sure that each student has
either some text or a panel. Students will need to talk to each other and
try to match their panel to text or their text to a panel. When students
have found their match, they can sit down together.
Activity 4: Fill in the Text
This is an activity where students must generate text based
on pictures. Choose a comic strip or a scene from a graphic novel or
comic book, then cover the text in the speech bubbles and make photo
copies. Distribute these copies to your students, and have them write
text in the blank speech bubbles.
This activity can be used to encourage use of new vocabulary
or expressions or as a continuation of a lesson (i.e., in a business English
class, students can read and discuss Dilbert comics, then create their
own). Students can work separately or in pairs to create their comics,
then can have a competition to see who has created the funniest comic.
Students who worked in pairs on comics that have two characters can even
perform their comics in front of the class.
Activity 5: Creating Pictures
This activity is the opposite of the previous
activity. Instead of creating text, students have to draw pictures to
accompany text. The text can come from comics or can come from a book or
even a poem. This activity is not only for younger learners, as it can
force adults to examine the subtexts of speech and determine how to represent
it pictorially.
Activity 6: Putting Panels in Order
In this activity, students are given comic strip panels that
have been cut apart, and they must work together to put them in order. Students
must use their knowledge of joke structure or conversation patterns to put the
images in order.
Activity 7: Creating Comics
Particularly creative or open students can be
given the task of creating their own comics. After completing other
activities with comics or after reading and responding to comics, students can
work together or individually to create their own comics on a given theme,
either by drawing them or by cutting and pasting pictures from a magazine or
newspaper.
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