¡Santo aprendizaje, Batman! Uso de comics en la clase de ingles
¨ Los comics son una fuente de vocabulario nuevo y sofisticado para los estudiantes; también son muy útiles para aprender y fomentar el habito de la lectura ¨
Reading has proven to be one of the most effective skills in fostering language proficiency. I always mention this to my students, although I must confess that, for me, it is a challenge to pick up a book and sit down to read. Therefore, I decided to find a solution and make the most of my love for superheroes, that's how I started the new adventure of reading comics. Over time, I took my new passion to the next level. I conducted research for my master's degree using these innovative texts with students of the language class, the results were anything but disappointing. Through this study, I came to the conclusion that comics can be used in the classroom to learn new vocabulary, improve comprehension skills and encourage the habit of reading.
Although comics typically appeal to a younger target population, they are a source of new and sophisticated vocabulary for college students. The level of complexity of
comics can vary significantly depending
on the title, audience, objective or purpose, as there is a wide variety of types of
comics from adventure, fantastic, romantic, humorous,
customs, among others.
"Comic book imagery combined with character dialogue helped participants get the main idea and specific details of the stories more accurately and quickly."
Research for English language learning through comics
Students who participated in this study stated that the vocabulary learned during the research work was used in other courses of their career, as well as in everyday real-life situations. In addition, students scored high on vocabulary exercises performed during the study. These results coincided with Khoiriya's (2011) research in which the use of comics improved students' level of vocabulary mastery by identifying words from the context of the comic just as participants did in class exercises for which they tried to obtain the meaning of words from the context. This means that comics have an impact on incidental vocabulary learning. In addition, the fact that the target words are contextualized makes it easier to obtain their meaning.
Consequently, they increase reading comprehension and the acquisition of a second language. It is also important to highlight Stephen Krashen's hypothesis about the affective filter, which suggests that the student of a second language will learn more effectively and better, if he does not feel tension during the learning process. Comics fulfill this function of reducing the affective filter because they help the student to read and learn vocabulary in an entertaining way. Therefore, greater understanding, in turn, keeps under the affective filter by eliminating or considerably reducing the anxiety and frustration that many students feel when reading in a language that is not their own. If students are trained to explore images, visuals, and sources, they will be more sensitive to reading the textual context. This will improve their reading skills and the use of reading strategies that will lead to increased autonomy.
"I've discovered new ways to approach comics to improve skills other than reading, such as listening, oral production and writing. The use of comics for learning is unlimited if the material is used seriously and creatively."
After this research I have continued to use this method of teaching the English language in my university classes and I have also shared my findings with my colleagues who, in turn, have made use of comics as a means to bring their students closer to reading and learning the English language. I have also given two papers based on this study. The first for the University of Arizona in the USA and the second for the Federal University of Juiz de Fora in Brazil. In reviewing my research for these purposes, I have discovered new ways to approach comics to improve skills other than reading, such as listening, oral production, and writing. The uses are unlimited if the material is used seriously and creatively. Therefore, I call and invite those who have read this article to consider giving comics, comic strips and graphic novels a chance in their classrooms. I am sure that apprentices will appreciate having an authentic, eye-catching and complete material like this.
Warner Salazar (asalazar@utn.ac.cr/warner.salazar@ucr.ac.cr) has a master's degree in English language teaching and is interested in writing about innovative methodologies for language learning. It is currently associated with the National Technical University and the University of Costa Rica.
Vocabulary. Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis. Walisongo State Institute for Islamic Studies Faculty.
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