I LOVED Lindsay’s presentation on comic books and literacy. What an interesting and unique way to increase literacy for ESL students. I just can’t get enough of it.
I was thinking about when I worked in the writing center and worked with ESL students. They were always so eager to increase their conversational abilities, and I really wish that I had had this information then. With the colloquial language in comics and the connection between image and language, I feel like comics could have really helped my students understand a lot of the things about casual conversation that we native speakers take for granted.
I think that the appeal for me has a lot to do with what Gee was talking about, and what we saw in the video. An acknowledgment that teachers can expand the tools of the classroom and achieve the same, if not better, results. By providing students with engaging materials, one’s that are constructed to expand tradition understanding I wonder what kind of implications that could have in the long term. Also, what a way to encourage students to engage outside of the learning environment. The community that engages with graphic novels and comic is a large one. I wouldn’t be surprised if connecting to this community wouldn’t have a positive effect on literacy as well.
