This study introduces a Manga-based approach to teaching speaking skills in the EFL context in Japan. Students make Manga in English using different phonological processes that match various personalities of Manga characters. The author will examine if making Manga can enhance phonological awareness and be transferable to the actual pronunciation of the students. In grammar-oriented English education in Japan, speaking skills, especially phonological processes such as deletion and assimilation, are rarely taught. Thus, typical Japanese English learners cannot comprehend spoken English when phonological changes occur in conversation. The author has been adopting Manga-making activities to teach writing skills appropriate for different registers. When making Manga, students establish role language, which involves a set of speech features associated with certain personalities. Thus, different Manga characters speak differently, with different types of phonological processes. If "speaking virtually" in Manga can raise the students' phonological awareness, they may be able to produce them. If so, what phonological features can they acquire through making Manga? The study is conducted in a college-level EFL class. Forty-seven health science majors make Manga using colloquial expressions. Most students have very limited speaking skills and speak typical Japanese-accented English (e.g., frequent vowel insertion to avoid closed syllables). A pretest and a posttest are conducted to see if making a virtual conversation in Manga can improve students' pronunciation. The study is still in progress; however, it will offer a more effective and innovative approach to teaching speaking skills in a time-limited classroom.

Authors:
Takako Yasuta, Fukushima Medical University, Japan

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Takako Yasuta is a professor in the Center for Integrated Sciences and Humanities at Fukushima Medical University, Japan. Her research interests are L2 writing and L2 phonology. She is especially interested in manga-based PBL.

Connect on ResearchGate
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Takako-Yasuta

See this presentation on the full schedule – Schedule

Bookmark