Using comics to increase writing achievement in ESL students. Classroom action research project

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Using Comics to Increase
Writing Achievement in ESL Students. Classroom Action Research Project

ESL Open Summer Institute
December 2006

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Abstract
This paper will focus on a Classroom Action Research Project performed at an elementary school with a group of seven 5th grade English as a Second Language students. The project involved using cartoon comic strips to both motivate ESL students to write and also to see if a non-traditional approach to teaching writing will increase the student’s writing achievement. Popular newspaper comic strips were used to motivate students and they were required to read it and then answer a set of open-ended questions.

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Statement of Intent

Many students have the ability to be successful writers. The ESL students struggle to write, but when they get motivated they seem to write better. Many ESL students are unmotivated about writing because of language, lack of background knowledge, or the topic is not authentic or interesting. The more the students write the better they will become at it. If ESL students can get motivated to write, they will write more and thus become better writers.

Popular newspaper comic strips were used to motivate the 5th grade ESL students to write. Students read popular newspaper comic strips and then answered open-ended questions.

Here are the questions that will be answered at the end of this Classroom Action Research Project:

1) Can ESL students get motivated to write?
2) Will a non-traditional approach to writing motivate 5th grade students to write?
3) Could the use of comic strips in writing help increase writing achievement in 5th grade ESL students?

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Rationale for Research

Research into the process of writing has shown it to be a very complicated problem solving process requiring the writer

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