Using Comics with ESL/EFL Students

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.

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, and “[…] Nagy, Herman, and Anderson
(1985) argue that picking up word meanings by reading is 10 times faster than intensive
vocabulary instruction” (Krashen, 1993, p. 15). 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.

The most important factor in the development of reading skills is the amount of time a
student actually spends reading (Cummins, 2003, p. 20). One of the ways that ESL/EFL
teachers can increase the amount of time their students read is by using comics and
graphic novels, which can be especially useful in second language classrooms. Not only
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.

Graphic novels and comics deal with spoken language differently than books do.
Usually, comic book writers attempt to capture spoken language as it really occurs,
complete with gaps, hesitations, and slang. In fact, “[...] comic strips [can be used] as a
means to 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). These are aspects of spoken
language that English textbooks might not deal with or, if they do, only as an
afterthought. Comics, on the other hand, 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. Cary (2004)
responds to the question: “Do the jokes in lots of comics make them too difficult for […]
beginning second language learners?” by stating that “If read alone, yes, even with a
good bilingual dictionary at the ready.” He recommends “A teacher-facilitated discussion
of a ‘buddy read,’ where beginners work with native speakers or more advanced L2
learners to get the jokes, [which] can turn a comic that would have been an impenetrable
and frustrating read if processed alone into something understandable, funny, and
meaningful” (Cary, 2004, p. 69). In this case, not only do comics lead to laughter, they
also lead to productive and relevant discussions in the second language classroom.

Visual Literacy
Just as reading a book or magazine requires a certain set of skills, so does reading a
comic book or graphic novel. 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.

ESL/EFL students who have read comics in their native language will probably be better
able to decode the visual symbols in comics. For example, “they know that large, non-
bubbled text is typically a sound effect and that a string of nonsense symbols like
#?”@?#*?! isn’t nonsense at all but an unprintable obscenity that could make a sailor
blush” (Cary, 2004, p. 62). On the other hand, comics from different countries have
developed their own visual code. Asian comics sometimes use different symbols than
their North American and European counterparts. While students might be able to
inductively discern the meanings of most symbols, teachers should be aware that some
symbols could potentially cause confusion for their students.

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

Before using comics in the ESL/EFL classroom, it is a good idea to 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

Comic strips follow an order, left to right, that mirrors how English is read. Certain
graphic novels, however, do not always follow this same straightforward pattern. Maus,
by Art Speigelman, and Palestine, by Joe Sacco, are two such graphic novels. Their
authors often indicate a certain mood or state by not strictly following a left to right
order. Students can look at excerpts of these two graphic novels (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.

Resources

Comic Strips are as close as the nearest newspaper; they can also be found on the internet
at www.comics.com. Also on the internet are Archie comics with definitions and
discussion questions geared towards ESL students (www.archiecomics.com/podcasts).
McCloud has created an interactive comic which can be accessed at
http://www.baciamistupido.com/html/index.asp?page=Carl, and Marvel comics can be
accessed (for a monthly fee) at www.marvel.com.

There are several graphic novels that can be used with adult students. Friedrich’s
Roadstrips is an anthology of short comics created by various artists in different parts of
the United States. Nakazawa’s autobiographical Barefoot Gen series tells the story of life
in Japan after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Sacco has written several journalistic
graphic novels, including one on Palestine and several on Bosnia and Sarajevo. Satrapi’s
Persepolis recounts her life growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution.
Speigelman’s Maus is about his father’s experiences during the Holocaust. Ware’s
Jimmy Corrigan examines the relationship between a father and son.

For additional ideas, Gravett’s Graphic Novels examines several graphic novels and
comic books, dividing them by genre and providing short excerpts of some.

Bibliography

• Cary, S. (2004). Going graphic: Comics at work in the multilingual classroom.

Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
• Cummins, J. (2003). Reading and the bilingual student: Fact and friction. In
Garcia, G. (Ed.). English learners: Reaching the highest level of English literacy
(pp. 2-33). Newark, DE: International Reading Association.
• Krashen, S. (1993). The power of reading: Insights from the research.
Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, Inc.

Miscellaneous

Sample answer:
Question 1
1. The boy is sick.
2. The boy is in a clinic.
3. The doctor is examining the boy.
4. The doctor is wearing a spectacle.
5. There is a poster on the wall.

Question 2
I would choose to travel by bus because the fare is RM 15.

It is low and reasonable.

The time is 2 hours.

I do not mind.

It travels during the night.

I like it.

It stops once at a major town.

That is good. I can buy some snacks there.

Finally, the advantage is I can get free souvenirs.

I can keep it as my remembrance.

All in all, I know I have made a right choice.

Question 3
Ahmad who is twelve years old, is a helpful boy. One morning, he was walking to school.

Suddenly, he saw a house on fire. Immediately, he telephoned the fire brigade. After few

minutes, the fire engine arrived. The firemen worked hard to put out the fire. Finally, they

managed to save the building and the victims of the fire. Fortunately, no one was injured

in the fire. After that he continued his journey to school. Ahmad was late. He explained to

the teacher about the fire. His teacher praised Ahmad for his good deed.