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The IUP Journal of English Studies :
Comics as Resource for ELT Educators
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The origin of comics, a medium used to express ideas via images and pictures, can be traced back to the cave period when humans communicated ideas and thoughts using paintings and pictures. In spite of the many famous comics such as Asterix, Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, and Tintin, and the Indian comics like Amar Chitra Katha, Akbar and Birbal, Tenali Raman, Nagaraj, Chacha Choudhuri, and so on, which were read and enjoyed by many, it was a taboo for students to even read them, let alone use them, in classes. It was only towards the end of the twentieth century that comics gained acceptance within the academic circle as an authentic material that could be used to teach students, as they exposed them to real-life situations, the social and political scenario of the time, and the language that people use in their daily conversations. This paper discusses how comics, as an ELT resource, can be a great asset. They can help instill reading skills in students as they are not heavy reading and are fun to read. Visuals along with dialogue can be used to improve learners’ vocabulary, creativity, and innovation.

 
 
 

The origin of comics, a medium used to express ideas via images and pictures, can be traced back to the cave period when humans communicated ideas and thoughts using paintings and pictures. However, as humans began to use words to communicate with one another, paintings and pictures as a mode of communication took a backseat. They began to be used only for visual impact whenever needed. In course of time, other than oral communication, written communication and print media were considered effective means of communication. Various genre like novels, poems, short stories, and essays were all realized and accepted by scholars as resources to be used when educating children and adults. In spite of the many famous comics—be it Asterix, Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, and Tintin, and the Indian Comics like Amar Chitra Katha, Akbar and Birbal, Tenali Raman, Nagaraj, Chacha Choudhuri, and so on—which were read and enjoyed by many, it was a taboo to ask students to read them, let alone use them, in classes. It was believed that “comic books were so educationally unsound that their use would lead to mental stagnation” (MacGregor 1996).

 
 
 

English Studies Journal, Comics as Resource, ELT Educators, Amar Chitra Katha, Akbar and Birbal, Tenali Raman, Nagaraj, Chacha Choudhuri, oral communication, Academic Circle.