The aim of this study is to examine upper and lower secondary school teachers’ experiences of using graphic novels in the English subject in Swedish schools in order to discuss if, and how, multimodal texts can be used to increase students’ motivation to read and analyze fictional texts. This is done through qualitative semi-structured interviews with 12 participants currently working as English teachers from both upper and lower secondary schools in Sweden. The framework of this study centers around the concept of multimodality, multimodal literacy and how it can be used in the English classroom. The results of the study indicate that comics and graphic novels can and are being used for a number of purposes in English language courses in Sweden, and that they allow teachers to incorporate visual analysis into their literature modules, adding more elements for students to discuss and work with. Furthermore, the participants experience that comics and graphic novels aid in increasing students’ motivation and interest as the multimodality makes them more accessible. The results of the study also show that comics and graphic novels could be used to teach students about literary analysis, both visual and verbal. However, in order to utilize the multimodality of comics and graphic novels, teachers require an understanding for how two modalities can be used together to create meaning. Moreover, the study shows that comics and graphic novels are viewed as a lesser form of fictional texts, as they are mostly seen as motivational supplements or a stepping-stone toward other types of novels. In conclusion, there are numerous benefits to using comics or graphic novels in EFL courses, such as an increase in motivation and additional visual/multimodal aspects for students to analyze when working with fictional texts.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:hj-50818 |
| Date | January 2020 |
| Creators | Ernsth Bravell, Gunnar |
| Publisher | Jönköping University, Högskolan för lärande och kommunikation |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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