Going Graphic: Comics at Work in the Multilingual Classroom

Comics are a natural for second language development. Their unique mix of abundant, comprehension-building visuals and authentic text readily engages learners, contextualizes language, and offers a window into the culture. Yet despite their obvious advantages, comics remain unfairly branded as inappropriate classroom reading material, misunderstood and woefully underutilized. No more.

In Going Graphic teachers will find a comprehensive guide to embracing comics and effectively using them in any multilingual classroom. Building on the latest brain-based research, second language acquisition theory, and progressive literacy principles, Stephen Cary offers twenty-five proven activities for comics-based instruction in all classrooms, especially TESL/TEFL settings, and for all grade and English-proficiency levels.

These activities help nonnative and native learners alike meet a broad range of content and English-language development standards.

In fact, Cary has given you literally everything you need to start successfully integrating comics into your classroom tomorrow, including:

• an FAQ that dispels the myths about comics, tells you why they work, and answers your questions about using them
• field sketches from real classrooms that show you firsthand how to make comics an integral part of your multilingual teaching
• authentic examples of student work from a variety of grade levels and settings that reveal just how much students can do when given the opportunity to both learn from comics and create their own
• dozens of commercial samples to give you a sense of the remarkable breadth and depth of contemporary cartoons, comic strips, comic books, and graphic novels
• copious resource lists, including material reviews, publications, comics in other languages, and categorized websites for locating and reading thousands of comics online.

Thanks to Stephen Cary you'll have an exciting new way to improve the abilities of your second language students. Squeeze into your tights, adjust your cape, and prepare for some high-flying learning while Going Graphic.