Cartooning Your Way to English or Foreign Language Learning Success

Cartoons vs. Comics

Who doesn't love cartoons and comics? Okay, so I'm no fan of the Simpsons, but even I enjoy Felix the Cat, the Pink Panther and a host of other Saturday morning offerings. If the cartoon network came on in English where I live, I'd record it for use in my English as a foreign language (EFL) classes (and a little personal humor and enjoyment). There are two venues which actually can be used in teaching English as a foreign language or in foreign language teaching and learning; cartoons and comics. What's the difference?

The Differences

What's the difference between a cartoon and a comic? Simply that a cartoon is an animated visual format with sound and a comic is a written, printed format in black and white or color. Some characters appear in multiple formats, having an animated series on TV, movie or comic strip. Characters from Peanuts, cats Felix and Garfield, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and a host of Walt Disney and Walter Lantz characters are some examples. Other characters may appear in only one format such as in many video games which is yet another venue.

Who Do You Love?

Why don't you try asking your English or foreign language learners;

"Who's your favorite cartoon or comic character?"

"Why?"

Learners could then elaborate on their favorite character in addition to:

o describing the character's personality

o acting out a scene from a cartoon or comic

o white out dialogue bubbles and write in their own lines of dialogue

Adapting Comics and Cartoons for Classroom Teaching

How can these different formats be adapted for use in an EFL or foreign language learning classroom setting? Well, you've hit the jackpot here. Because the language in comics and cartoons is usually very simple, it can be used in a variety of ways, such as:

o to demonstrate high-frequency vocabulary in context

o to illustrate idioms and expressions

o to teach verbs and other parts of speech

o as examples of connected speech

o to simulate dialogues to inject humor into class sessions

o to provide a basis for oral discourse and writing activities

o to illustrate culture and values

Other Related Activity Possibilities

Numerous other related activity possibilities exist, which may be applied with just a bit of imagination. For example, have your English or foreign language learners relate:

o who the author or creator of the comic / cartoon series is

o a biography of the author with photos

o describe the setting and theme of the comic or cartoon series

o show examples of cartoons, comics and characters in class, then compare them

If you'd like even more focus, you could show a cartoon or comic strip series in class to familiarize everyone with the character(s). Then might discuss the character's personality and other elements and ask,

"Why is this cartoon or comic funny?"

Be sure to let the learners interact about their favorite comic strips and cartoon characters.

Take a Survey

Remember to take a survey of who the most popular cartoon and comic strip characters are among the learners. Better yet, have the learners design and conduct the survey themselves, presenting the results and reasons afterwards. By all means, do let Felix the Cat, the Pink Panther, the Simpsons, Garfield, the Power Puff Girls, Hagar the Horrible, the Wizard of Id, Peanuts and a generous host of English language cartoon and comic strip characters lend fun, flavor, magic and a whole new dimension to your English as a foreign language or foreign language learning classes.

How Comic Artists Are Pushing The Envelope For A Humorous World

There are times when we want to find a reason to smile. With the busy schedules and the constant need to perform in every sphere of life, it isn't hard to understand why we don't find simple days of pure laughter. While you cannot run away from the mundane life, what you can do is induce some smiles in your daily life. After all, we all need to find happiness to move on, and the art of laughing at absurd cartoons and comics is something that anyone can learn. Yes, if you can find the right resources, finding reasons to laugh can be easy. There are many artists who have dedicated their time and passion towards making others smile. In this very special post, we will find why laughing and finding happiness isn't hard and how you can make the most of some silly things in life, some of which are creations of amazing artists.

Check Some Amazing Sites

Some of the artists, mainly from the comic genre, have taken up the task of amazing others. These artists have come up with websites that have complete collection of funny cartoon pictures and other kinds of art, which can be your perfect fix for a sad and boring day. Many of these artists are just looking to create a collection, and going by the efforts, it is easy to understand how tough it can be to create passionate humor. These websites are being updated on a regular basis, so if you are just passing time on the browser, you can enjoy the work of some great cartoonists, who always have the funny bone in place and often take from the basic sides of life.

Love for Humor

Humor isn't easy and doesn't come to everyone naturally. There are times when you get ahead and crack a joke, but think of those people who create humor regularly. Stand up comedians still have it easy, because they can emote on stage and change their work on the ground after having a check on audience reaction. However, that isn't the case with comic artists and cartoonists. For a cartoonist, things either work or they don't - there are no two ways you or anyone can feel about a cartoon. With immense passion for humor and smiles, these artists constantly create things that lighten up a dull day.

If you haven't checked such a website as yet, you will be surprised to find what you have been missing. Just one resource is all you need to smile back at life and often appreciate the work of an artist or a team, who have worked tirelessly to push the envelope. With more smiles around, we will be in a world, where stress and depression are mere words. It only takes probably a few minutes in the day to get rid of the junk in the mind with just a smile. At the end of the day, we only want to find more happy things in life, and often some artists show the way!