This week I decided to revisit comic books for my language learning journey. I’ve noticed that the feeling of learning new words varies according to each mode I’ve used so far for study. Duolingo has probably been the practice that feels the most like practice, even though it is designed to feel like a game. The language acquisition I gain through that medium feels more formal. Comics are perhaps the medium that feels the most relaxing way to learn French. I think this may be because the stakes are low if I do not understand certain vocabulary. This is due to the way comic book authors tell their stories by relying on image, as much or even more than they rely on written text. Several times while reading I would lose the plot, only to retroactively figure out what’s happening by just carrying on through the story and looking at the images. The great thing about comics for learning language, is that they’re available for readers of every maturity level. There are plenty of comics that are kid friendly, and there are arguably more available for adults which discuss more realistic or high-stakes subject matter. There are even, as I learned recently in multiliteracies class, comic books for nearly every subject that would be taught in schools.
The comic I chose to read this time was Astérix: Obélix et compagnie. The story is set in Scandinavian territories during the reign of the Roman Empire. At the outset of the book, Obélix (the larger character with red hair and high waisted pants) defeats a legion of Roman soldiers with his bare hands. The Roman commanders and government officials are then seen trying to figure out a way to defeat Obélix. Realizing they’re no match for his strength, they come up with an unconventional idea. Instead of trying to defeat Obélix with strength, they decide to hire him for his strength, so that he becomes too preoccupied to resist the Roman occupation. The Romans pay Obélix increasingly large sums of money to move giant boulders from one place to another, and he gradually hires the entire town to help him with this lucrative task.
I’ve only made it halfway through the comic book so far but I’m predicting that when Obélix becomes so busy with his work, and he has the entire town hired to help him, the Roman soldiers will move in to get their revenge; time will tell. I’m interested to continue to explore the benefits of comic books on language acquisition for individuals of all ages.
