Improving reading comprehension and critical thinking skills with contextualized graphic novels.

Abstract

EFL students face difficulties with reading comprehension due to different reasons that include a lack of motivation towards the reading material owing to its difficulty, authenticity, and content (Ullah & Fatema, 2013). In Colombia, public school students have access to reading material that exceeds their proficiency level and is not relatable. This leads to the insufficient development of reading comprehension and critical thinking skills. On the lookout for different ideas to address this concern, graphic novels stand out as meaningful material that could both boost the reading comprehension and critical thinking skills of students. Hence, this would engage them in reading, considering the relatability of the topics addressed. Graphic novels are considered a strong alternative to help students understand the gist of the story. This is because they include illustrations that compensate for the lack of knowledge in the target language. This pedagogical proposal aims at enhancing the aforementioned skills with the use of contextualized graphic novels.