Graphic Novels in English Foreign Language Teaching

Table of Contents

• INTRODUCTION
• THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
• VISUAL LITERACY
• Definition
• Significance of Visual Literacy in Foreign Language Teaching
• Sample Tasks for Improving Visual Literacy in ELT
• Multiliteracies
• COMIC STYLE THEORY
• The Visual Language of Comics
• Panel and Page Layout
• The Panel, the Frame, and the Gutter as a Medium of Control
• Balloons and Balloon Speech
• INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE
• Culture and Intercultural Communicative Competence
• Acquisition of Intercultural Communicative Competence through Graphic Novels
• SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
• Theories of Second Language Acquisition
• Vocabulary Enhancement through Graphic Novels
• Language Acquisition through Graphic Novels
• EMPIRICAL STUDIES
• THE EFFECTIVENESS OF GRAPHIC NOVELS ON SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
• Methodology
• Observation Analysis
• Results: Narrative Interview Conducted with the Teacher
• Results: Focused Interview with EFL Students
• Conclusion
• THE EFFECTIVENESS OF GRAPHIC NOVELS IN DEVELOPING ICC
• Methodology
• Analysis: Observation
• Results: Focused Interview with the Teacher
• Results: Dilemma Interview with EFL Students
• Conclusion

Objectives and Key Themes

The primary objective of this Master's thesis is to explore the potential of graphic novels as a valuable tool in teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) to German school students. The thesis examines the effectiveness of graphic novels in promoting visual literacy, intercultural communicative competence, and second language acquisition.

• The role of visual literacy in EFL and the significance of graphic novels in developing this skill.
• The application of comic style theory to enhance understanding and engagement with graphic novels in the EFL classroom.
• The potential of graphic novels to foster intercultural communicative competence and promote understanding of diverse cultures.
• The effectiveness of graphic novels in supporting second language acquisition, particularly vocabulary development and language comprehension.
• The practical implementation of graphic novels in EFL teaching, including specific examples of activities and strategies.

Chapter Summaries

The thesis begins by outlining the theoretical framework for its research. The first chapter, "Introduction", introduces the current challenges facing German school students in terms of reading engagement and explores the potential of graphic novels as a solution. The second chapter, "Theoretical Background", delves into key concepts, including visual literacy, comic style theory, intercultural communicative competence, and second language acquisition. This chapter establishes the theoretical foundation for understanding how graphic novels can be beneficial in EFL teaching. Subsequent chapters provide a detailed analysis of two empirical studies conducted by the author. These studies investigate the effectiveness of graphic novels in both promoting second language acquisition and fostering intercultural communicative competence. The findings of these studies are presented and discussed in detail, providing insights into the practical applications of graphic novels in EFL classrooms.

Keywords

The key terms and concepts explored in this thesis include graphic novels, EFL teaching, visual literacy, comic style theory, intercultural communicative competence, second language acquisition, vocabulary enhancement, and language comprehension. The thesis also investigates the practical application of these concepts in real-world EFL settings, providing valuable insights for teachers and educators interested in incorporating graphic novels into their teaching practices.