International Association of Educators   |  ISSN: 1949-4270   |  e-ISSN: 1949-4289

Original article | Educational Policy Analysis and Strategic Research 2020, Vol. 15(2) 188-204

The Effects of Cartoons on the Use of Vocabulary Learning Strategies: A Case in Turkish EFL Classes

Zülal Ayar & Nalan Kızıltan

pp. 188 - 204   |  DOI: https://doi.org/10.29329/epasr.2020.251.10   |  Manu. Number: MANU-2001-17-0002.R2

Published online: June 20, 2020  |   Number of Views: 323  |  Number of Download: 845


Abstract

The impetus behind the design of this current research is to check the influence of cartoons on vocabulary learning strategies of students who have been exposed to three classics from English literature, Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, and Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare. To that end, a vocabulary learning strategy test has been adopted in this quasi-experimental research which completely covers similar word units as in cartoons and hence aims to reveal favoured strategies of students besides clarifying the differences between the male and the female as well as three age groups, 10-19, 20-29 or 30 and elder. 20 randomly assigned participants working on extracts in plain texts without any comic strips were in control group, whereas 47 Turkish EFL students were in the experiment group reading cartoons in colour or black and white format. It was found out that the common vocabulary learning strategies that were used by the experimental group were determination and metacognitive strategies, whereas control group mainly adopted memory, social and metacognitive strategies. In terms of gender, the females practised determination and memory strategies, while the male students opted for social, metacognitive and cognitive strategies. Finally, 10-19 and 30 or elder subjects mostly utilized metacognitive and social strategies; however, the success of 20-29 year-old students centred around determination and memory strategies.

Keywords: Vocabulary Learning Strategies, Cartoons, Gender, Age


How to Cite this Article?

APA 6th edition
Ayar, Z. & Kiziltan, N. (2020). The Effects of Cartoons on the Use of Vocabulary Learning Strategies: A Case in Turkish EFL Classes . Educational Policy Analysis and Strategic Research, 15(2), 188-204. doi: 10.29329/epasr.2020.251.10

Harvard
Ayar, Z. and Kiziltan, N. (2020). The Effects of Cartoons on the Use of Vocabulary Learning Strategies: A Case in Turkish EFL Classes . Educational Policy Analysis and Strategic Research, 15(2), pp. 188-204.

Chicago 16th edition
Ayar, Zulal and Nalan Kiziltan (2020). "The Effects of Cartoons on the Use of Vocabulary Learning Strategies: A Case in Turkish EFL Classes ". Educational Policy Analysis and Strategic Research 15 (2):188-204. doi:10.29329/epasr.2020.251.10.

References
  1. Ahmed, M. O. (1989). Vocabulary learning strategies. In P. Meara (Ed.), Beyond words (pp. 3–14). London: British Association for Applied Linguistics. [Google Scholar]
  2. Allen, J. (1999). Words, words, words: Teaching vocabulary in grades 4-12. York, Maine: Stenhouse Publishers. [Google Scholar]
  3. Anderson, L. & Krathwohl, D. (2001). A taxonomy for learning, teaching and assessing: A revision of Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives. New York, America: Longman. [Google Scholar]
  4. Asgari, A. & Mustapha, G. (2011). The type of vocabulary learning strategies used by ESL learners in university Putra Malaysia. English Language Teaching, 4 (2), 84-90. [Google Scholar]
  5. Askar, W. (2014). A survey on the use of vocabulary learning strategies by ELT and ELL students of Duhok University in Northern Iraq (Unpublished master’s thesis). [Google Scholar]
  6. Bolton-Gary, C. (2012). Connecting Through Comics: Expanding Opportunities for Teaching and Learning. US-China Education Review B 4. 389-395. [Google Scholar]
  7. Bornstein, M. H, Jager, J., & Putnick, D. L. (2013). Sampling in developmental science: Situations, shortcomings, solutions, and standards. Developmental Review, 33, 357–370.  [Google Scholar]
  8. Brown, D. (2007). Principles of Language Learning and Teaching. Fifth Edition. White Plains, NY: Pearson Longman. [Google Scholar]
  9. Brown, R. & McNeill, D. (1966). The ‘‘Tip of the Tongue’’ phenomenon. Journal of Verbal Learning and Behavior, 5, 325–337. [Google Scholar]
  10. Catalan, R. M. J. (2013). Sex differences in L2 vocabulary learning strategies. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 13 (1), 54-77. [Google Scholar]
  11. Chomsky, N. (1959). Review of Skinner’s verbal behavior. Language, 35, 26–58.  [Google Scholar]
  12. Cohen, M. (2009). The effectiveness of imagery interventions on the vocabulary learning of second grade learners. NERA Conference Proceedings 2009. 33. Retrived from: https://opencommons.uconn.edu/nera_2009/33. [Google Scholar]
  13. Cousins, D. P. (2005). The alignment of appropriate firm and supply strategies for competitive advantage. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 25 (5), 403–428. [Google Scholar]
  14. Clydesdale, J. (2014, December 7). A bridge to another world: using comics in the second language classroom. Language & Literacy Graduate Student Conference. Retrieved from: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.568.6729&rep=rep1&type=pdf [Google Scholar]
  15. Curtis, E. M. (1987). Vocabulary testing and vocabulary instruction. In M. G. McKeown & M. E. Curtis (Eds.), The nature of vocabulary acquisition (pp. 37–51). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. [Google Scholar]
  16. Çelik, S. & Toptaş, V. (2010). Vocabulary learning strategy use of Turkish EFL learners. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 3, 62-71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.07.013  [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  17. Ellman, N. (1979). Comics in the classroom. Audio Visual Instruction, 24 (5), 24-25. [Google Scholar]
  18. Field, J. (2003). Psycholinguistics. A resource book for learners. London: Routledge.  [Google Scholar]
  19. Genç, B. (2004). New trends in teaching and learning vocabulary. Çukurova University Journal of Social Sciences, 13 (2), 117-126. [Google Scholar]
  20. Gu, Y. (1999). Vocabulary learning strategies and English language outcomes (Doctorate dissertation). University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. [Google Scholar]
  21. Gu, Y. (2002). Gender, academic major, and vocabulary learning strategies of Chinese EFL learners. RELC Journal, 33 (1), 35–54. [Google Scholar]
  22. Gu, Y. & Johnson, R. K. (1996). Vocabulary learning strategies and language learning outcomes. Language Learning Research Club, 46 (4), 643-679. [Google Scholar]
  23. Hammond, K. & Danaher, K. (2012). The value of targeted comic book readers. ELT Journal, 66 (2), 193-204. [Google Scholar]
  24. Harmer, J. (2007). How to teach English: An introduction to the practice of English language teaching (2nd Edition). Cambridge, UK: Pearson Longman. [Google Scholar]
  25. Harrar, A. (2009). Treasure island. Kalyani Navyug Media.  [Google Scholar]
  26. Harris, V. & Snow, A. (2004). Classic pathfinder: Doing it for themselves: focus on learning strategies and vocabulary building. London: CILT. [Google Scholar]
  27. Hutchinson, K. (1949). An experiment in the use of comics as instructional material. Journal of Educational Sociology, 23 (4), 236-245. [Google Scholar]
  28. Jackson, D. (2009). Cognitive comics: A constructivist approach to sequential art. Thesis. State University of New York College at Buffalo.  [Google Scholar]
  29. Johnson, J. & Engelbeck, G. (1989). Modes survey results. SIGCHI Bulletin, 20 (4), 38-50. [Google Scholar]
  30. Kafipour, R. & Naveh, M. H. (2011). Vocabulary learning strategies and their contribution to reading comprehension of EFL undergraduate learners in Kerman Province. European Journal of Social Sciences, 23 (4), 626-647. [Google Scholar]
  31. Karami, S. & Barekat, B. (2012). Vocabulary learning strategies: The effect of level of proficiency on the strategy use. Trends in Advanced Science and Engineering, 6 (1), 79-87. [Google Scholar]
  32. Khatib, M., Hassanzadeh, M. & Rezaei, S. (2011). Vocabulary learning strategies of Iranian upper-intermediate EFL learners. Canadian Center of Science and Education, 4 (2), 144-152. [Google Scholar]
  33. Khorsand, N. (2009). Cognitive levels of questions used by Iranian EFL teachers in advanced reading comprehension tests. Education Resources Information Center. ED507869. 1-18. [Google Scholar]
  34. Krashen, S. (2004, June). Free voluntary reading: New research, applications, and controversies. Paper presented at PAC5 (Pan-Asian Conference), Vladivostok, Russia. [Google Scholar]
  35. Kudo, Y. (1999). L2 vocabulary learning strategies (Unpublished master’s thesis). Honolulu University of Hawaii.  [Google Scholar]
  36. Lawson, M. J. & Hogben, D. (1996). The vocabulary learning strategies of foreign language students. Language Learning, 46, 101-135. [Google Scholar]
  37. Liu, J. (2004). Effects of comic strips on L2 learners' reading comprehension. TESOL QUARTERLY, 38 (2), 225-243. [Google Scholar]
  38. Ludescher, F. (2015, February 20). How to Teach Vocabulary? Retrieved From: http://www2.vobs.at/ludescher/pdffiles/How to teach vocabulary.pdf [Google Scholar]
  39. McDonald, J. (2009). Romeo & Juliet. The Graphic Novel. Towcester, UK: Classical Comics. [Google Scholar]
  40. Nation, I. S. P. (1999). Learning vocabulary in another language. Wellington: English Language Institute Occasional Publication. [Google Scholar]
  41. Nation, I. S. P. (2001). Learning vocabulary in another language. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. [Google Scholar]
  42. Noor, N. M. & Amir, Z. (2015, January 6). Exploring the vocabulary learning strategies of EFL learners. Retrieved From: http://www.ukm.my/solls09/Proceeding/PDF/noorizah%20and%20zaini.pdf [Google Scholar]
  43. Nyberg, L. (1998). Mapping episodic memory. Behavioural Brain Research, 90, 107-114. [Google Scholar]
  44. O'Malley, J. M., Chamot, A. U., Stewner-Manzanares, G., Kupper, L.J. & Russo, R.P. (1985). Learning strategies used by beginning and intermediate ESL students. Language Learning, 35(1), 21-46.  [Google Scholar]
  45. Oxford, R. L. (1990). Language learning strategies: What every teacher should know. Boston: Heinle & Heinle. [Google Scholar]
  46. Oxford, R. L. (2003). Learning styles & strategies: An overview. GALA, 1-25.  [Google Scholar]
  47. Oxford, R., Nyikos, M. & Ehram, M. (1988). Vive la difference: Reflections on sex differences in the use of language learning strategies. Foreign Language Annals, 21(4), 321-329.  [Google Scholar]
  48. Peng, S. (2009). English vocabulary learning strategies of senior high school students (Unpublished master’s thesis). Suranaree University of Technology. [Google Scholar]
  49. Piaget, J. (1965). The moral judgment of the child. Free Press. [Google Scholar]
  50. Pourshahian, B., Azarfam, A. A. Y., & Kalajahi,  S. A. R. (2012). Does applying vocabulary learning strategies vary based on gender? The case of Turkish EFL learners. The International Institute for Science, Technology and Education (IISTE), 2 (4), 1-11. [Google Scholar]
  51. Riazi, A. M. (2010). Evaluation of learning objectives in Iranian high-school and pre-university English textbooks using Bloom’s taxonomy. The Electronic Journal for English as a Second Language, 13 (4), 1-16. [Google Scholar]
  52. Schmitt, N. (2007). Vocabulary learning strategies. In McCarthy, M. & N. Schmitt. (Eds). Vocabulary: Description, acquisition, and pedagogy. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.  [Google Scholar]
  53. Shmais, W. A. (2003). Language learning strategy use in Palestine. TESL, 7 (2). [Google Scholar]
  54. Singer, D. G. & Revenson, T. A. (1997). A Piaget primer: How a child thinks (Revised Edition). Madison, Connecticut: International Universities Press. [Google Scholar]
  55. Sones, W. W. D. (1944). The comics and instructional method. Journal of Educational Sociology, 18, 232-240. [Google Scholar]
  56. Tanyer, S. & Öztürk, Y. (2014). Pre-service English teachers' vocabulary learning strategy use and vocabulary size: A cross-sectional evaluation. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 5 (1), 37-45. [Google Scholar]
  57. Trent, C. & Kinlaw, R. (1978). Comic books: An effective teaching tool. Journal of Extension, 17, 18-22. [Google Scholar]
  58. Tsai, C. & Chang, C. (2009). EFL vocabulary learning strategies: A comparison study of various age group learners in a community university in Taiwan. Journal of Nan Kai, 6 (2), 9-14. [Google Scholar]
  59. Viney, B. (2010). Great expectations: The graphic novel. Towcester, UK: Classical Comics. [Google Scholar]
  60. Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. [Google Scholar]
  61. Wax, E. (2002, May 17). Back to the drawing board; Once-banned comic books now a teaching tool. The Washington Post, pp. B.01. [Google Scholar]
  62. Wyk, M. M. (2011). The use of cartoons as a teaching tool to enhance learner learning in economics education. Journal of Social Science, 26 (2), 117-130. [Google Scholar]
  63. Zhang, B. (2009). FL vocabulary learning of undergraduate English majors in Western China: Perspective, strategy use and vocabulary size. Canadian Center of Science and Education, 2 (3), 178-185. [Google Scholar]