Graphic novels : a privilege for teachers and students

Abstract EN

English language teachers suffer from the student's lack of reading skills while literature teachers suffers from the students' abandonment of original texts and turning to notes and pamphlets instead.

These problems were solved more than thirty years ago yet failed to attract our attention.

Educators found the solution is to use graphic novels to teach English and literature in their classrooms.

English language students did not have reading skills due to the complexity of the texts offered to them.

Thus students were introduced to graphic novels for four main reasons ; they are interesting, short, the language is that of everyday life and words are supported with pictures making vocabulary easier to learn.

Literature teachers, on the other hand, found in graphic novels their salvation from notes that handed the students information on a golden plate.

Graphic novels can teach the basic elements of literature like any bulky classical novel.

Their shortness is another positive element for teacher for they can include more texts and a wider verity in any curriculum.

The aim of every teacher is to improve his students and his styles in teaching.

Graphic novels can achieve this aim.

A comparison is made between the original text of Poe's The Cask of Amontillado (1946) and its graphic adaption.

The results showed that both literary works can achieve the same aims and even more.