Comics as Additional Lesson Material in the Vietnamese GFL Classroom

Abstract

In the context of L2 language teaching, minor changes to teaching material can have significantly positive effects on student participation and on-task attention (cf. Masuhara 2022, Tomlinson & Masuhara 2018, Timmis 2013, Ur 2015). Using comics as learning material has been found to have positive effects on students’ participation and learning outcomes (i.e. Dudzińska, 2013; Öz & Efecioglu 2015; Hoang, 2021; Engelns & Preußer, 2022). This paper presents data and discussion on the implementability and effects of specifically designed comics as additional learning material for a German as a foreign language (GFL) university course in Vietnam. In the past, students’ lack of prior L2 cultural knowledge on advanced level had made interactive classroom activities difficult resulting in teacher-centred instead of student-centred teaching. This motivated the researchers to adapt the lesson material while adhering to curriculum and textbook. The specially designed comics were implemented in two B2 level courses with 51 students in face-to-face and online lessons between April and July 2024. In a mixed-method approach, notes of naturalistic classroom observation, written student productions and follow-up student questionnaires were analysed qualitatively and quantitatively. The focus was on effects on student motivation, specific cultural knowledge and vocabulary learning. The paper further discusses the choice of medium and its added value in relation to practicability, effort and feasibility in the Vietnamese university classroom and GFL textbook syllable. The comics showed to be an effective medium to motivate and provide students with sufficient cultural knowledge and vocabulary to actively and independently participate in class. To foster the learning of specific learning outcomes, comics need to be integrated into a lesson plan with other exercises and teacher input. While teachers wish to have more flexibility to include additional materials, support from institutional side is needed to bring more versatile and current learning material to the classroom.