Teaching english by means of comic multimodal texts

Abstract

The relevance of the problem that is discussed is connected with the changing character of media and social environment. The aim of the article is to share our experience how various types of multimodal or the so called creolized texts may become a very helpful means for the study of theoretical subjects. We are mainly concerned with the blocks that traditionally form a part when teaching a modern foreign language as a would-be professional field. As a rule, these theoretical subjects are rich in linguocultural phenomena that should be shown and explained to the students. We describe how purely linguistic facts can be demonstrated and taught with the help of graphic means. Methods of investigation are formed on the basis of conceptual metaphor theory, multimodal metaphor approach. These methods of study have been further changed in the process of our own research so that the linguistic data could be analyzed in a more detailed way. In particular, much attention is given to the study of transferred meanings, pun, decomposition of set-expressions and analysis of images that are deeply rooted in culture. Stereotypes that exist in every culture, human types that become popularized; folklore and fiction characters that are projected on real people and real-life situations; linguistic means; the system of images; discourse background; translation drawbacks and their reasons – all these became part of our investigation. Multimodal texts imply the use of both verbal and visual components. Thus, different advertising techniques, cartoons (including political subjects), comic strips, posters, collage art, feature films may present the unlimited source of material. Such activities are generally offered to senior students because such work requires a high level of second language acquisition but some activities and steps can be used with less proficient learners. Basic results may be of interest to the staff and scholars dealing with linguocultural data. © 2017, Slovenska Vzdelavacia Obstaravacia. All rights reserved.