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Cartoons and comics

Larry Lynch has a look at some of the ways you can use your favourite cartoons and comics in the language classroom.

Cartoons vs. Comics

Who doesn’t love cartoons and comics? Okay, so I’m no fan of the Simpsons, but even I enjoy Felix the Cat, the Pink Panther and a host of other Saturday morning offerings. If the cartoon network came on in English where I live, I’d record it for use in my English as a foreign language (EFL) classes (and a little personal humor and enjoyment). There are two venues which actually can be used in teaching English as a foreign language or in foreign language teaching and learning; cartoons and comics. What’s the difference?

The Differences

What’s the difference between a cartoon and a comic? Simply that a cartoon is an animated visual format with sound and a comic is a written, printed format in black and white or color. Some characters appear in multiple formats, having an animated series on TV, movie or comic strip. Characters from Peanuts, cats Felix and Garfield, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and a host of Walt Disney and Walter Lantz characters are some examples. Other characters may appear in only one format such as in many video games which is yet another venue.

Who Do You Love?

Why don’t you try asking your English or foreign language learners; "Who’s your favorite cartoon or comic character?" "Why?"

Learners could then elaborate on their favorite character in addition to:

describing the character's personality
acting out a scene from a cartoon or comic
white out dialogue bubbles and write in their own lines of dialogu

Adapting Comics and Cartoons for Classroom Teaching

How can these different formats be adapted for use in an EFL or foreign language learning classroom setting? Well, you’ve hit the jackpot here. Because the language in comics and cartoons is usually very simple, it can be used in a variety of ways, such as:

to demonstrate high-frequency vocabulary in context
to illustrate idioms and expressions
to teach verbs and other parts of speech as examples of connected speech
to simulate dialogues to inject humor into class sessions
to provide a basis for oral discourse and writing activities
to illustrate culture and values

Other Related Activity Possibilities

Numerous other related activity possibilities exist, which may be applied with just a bit of imagination. For example, have your English or foreign language learners relate:

who the author or creator of the comic / cartoon series is
a biography of the author with photos
describe the setting and theme of the comic or cartoon series
show examples of cartoons, comics and characters in class, then compare them

If you’d like even more focus, you could show a cartoon or comic strip series in class to familiarize everyone with the character(s). Then might discuss the character’s personality and other elements and ask, “Why is this cartoon or comic funny?”

Be sure to let the learners interact about their favorite comic strips and cartoon characters.

Take a Survey

Remember to take a survey of who the most popular cartoon and comic strip characters are among the learners. Better yet, have the learners design and conduct the survey themselves, presenting the results and reasons afterwards. By all means, do let Felix the Cat, the Pink Panther, the Simpsons, Garfield, the Power Puff Girls, Hagar the Horrible, the Wizard of Id, Peanuts and a generous host of English language cartoon and comic strip characters lend fun, flavor, magic and a whole new dimension to your English as a foreign language or foreign language learning classes.

Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an English language teaching and learning expert author and university professor in Cali, Colombia. Now YOU too can live your dreams in paradise, find romance, high adventure and get paid while travelling for free.

Comments

"Very nice. My students will like this a lot!"
Mostafa
"Your article truly put a big smile on my face today! :) The idea of using cartoons, even when teaching adults, really is brilliant. I have tried it with a group of adults and it worked perfectly. I used a series of cartoons made by PIXAR and it was very funny and very effective from a linguistic point of view, too. Cartoons work because whatever makes one smile, or even better laugh, stimulates one's intellect, creativity and desire to learn."
Carmen
"Very limited value. It didn't tell me anything I didn't already know and there is no specific activities I could take directly to the class and use effectively."
Anonymous
"I like the idea, but some victorian purists may frown upon it."
Peter
"I tried to use comics and cartoons in my classes and the results were really unpredictable. My students responded differently as some liked the idea and some didn't. In conclusion I think that comics and cartoons are very cultural and this fact must be considered when introducing them in classes."
Ahmed
"This article didn't help much since there is no practical advice. I couldn't find any specific activities I could take straight to class."
Lulu

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