Picture books and comics rely heavily on graphics for storyline narration. With abundant illustrations and little text, they are exceptionally popular among children as they provide an enjoyable and relaxing reading experience. While the popularity of these books are undeniable, there is a general uncertainty in their roles as learning materials — Can these readers effectively pique children's interest in learning Chinese? How significant are their roles in facilitating the teaching of Chinese language?

In a bid to exploit the full potential of graphic-intensive readers as learning tools, Singapore Centre for Chinese Language organized a lecture series on 17 September 2015, which focused on the ways to improve teaching and learning Chinese with picture books and comics. The Centre invited Mr. Weng Tianbao, a well-known cartoonist, and Mr. Lee Kow Fong (Ah Guo), a famous author and illustrator, as keynote speakers to share their experiences.

 

Dr. Tan Chee Lay, Deputy Executive Director, giving the welcoming speech

 

Reading Picture Books: A Delightful and Touching Experience

Citing various popular picture books as examples, Mr. Ah Guo explained why picture books are always dominated by illustrations rather than texts. He observed that children acquire the ability to connect with pictures before they are able to recognize words. As such, reading picture books can help children in their comprehension, expression and visual literacy. According to Ah Guo, the lack of such abilities is a likely factor for students' underperformance in their oral examinations.

In regards to teaching with picture books, Mr. Ah Guo recommended teachers to pay more attention to students' listening and oral skills, as opposed to words recognition. It is more effective to develop students' aural and oral competence via story telling.

Mr. Ah Guo giving his lecture on teaching with picture books

 

Are comics just for fun?

Mr. Weng Tianbao sharing his childhood stories concerning comics

Following Mr. Ah Guo's session was Mr. Weng Tianbao's talk on comics. Not only did Mr. Weng shared his personal experience with comics, he also revealed to the audience his reflections on parents' feedback: that comics, while motivating students to learn Chinese, cultivate their information searching as well as observation skills. He demonstrated how comics can be integrated in Chinese lessons by giving examples on ways to reorganize learning contents in the form of comics.

The lecture series ended on a high note with exchanges of ideas among participants and speakers.

 

Dr. Tan Chee Lay presenting certificate of appreciation to Mr.Ah Guo

Dr. Tan Chee Lay presenting certificate of appreciation to Mr. Weng Tianbao