Analyzing Comics in the Class of English

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This action research had as objective helping students to improve their reading skills, specifically those related to comprehension and analysis. The participants were twenty six 5th grade students who were about ten years old. Comics were chosen as texts to analyze since they are a way of expression and are also surrounded by symbols and elements, in other words narratives and illustrated pieces of art. Besides, Zimmerman (2008) and Widioko (2015), who have studied and written about their use, support their use as long as they follow the level of the participants. The input should not be too high and however it has to remain challenging for students. There are plenty of ways to analyze a comic. Among we may focus on elements regarding the orientation aspect set, for instance, by Correa and Dominguez (2015) in which components like place, situation and characters are highlighted. For the sake of study and the nature of the setting, later explained we leaned over this approach and the afore-mentioned elements were the chosen to analyze here. Set in a public institution in Medellin (Antioquia, Colombia), this research aims therefore for a focus on the analysis of comics in terms of space, members and situations. Students followed a set of steps to get them familiarized with this kind of reading. We found that by the end, they were capable of analyzing and identifying these said elements it in a shorter amount of time as well as in a more accurate way.