Explicit Instruction, Comic Strips and ESP Reading Comprehension

Eny Kusumawati

Politeknik Elektronika Negeri Surabaya, Indonesia

eny-k@pens.ac.id

Keywords: Explicit instruction, implicit instruction, comic strips, ESP reading comprehension.

Abstract: Vocabulary plays the important role in language learning. However, the vocabulary used in language, whether

implicitly or explicitly, becomes the central discussion in language literature. In this study, comic strips were

used to investigate the development of the learner to enhance their reading comprehension explicitly. Quasi

experimental with posttest design involved 54 engineering students of Polytechnics was employed in this

study. Students were organized into two groups with two different treatments, the first group was presented

with comic strips and the second group was presented text only. Independent sample T-test used in analyzing

the data revealed that the group receiving comic strips as their treatment to enhance their reading

comprehension outperformed the group receiving text only as their treatment in comprehending reading. In

addition, to offering pedagogical suggestion that the practitioners can take into account in teaching reading,

especially in ESP context, to improve students’ comprehension in reading.

1 INTRODUCTION

In the university level, the teaching of English for

Non-English Department students is different from

that in the English Department. In Non-English

Departments, English is positioned as English for

Specific Purposes (ESP). It refers to the teaching and

learning of English as a second or foreign language

where the goal of the learner is to use English in a

particular domain.

Mostly, in the ESP content area, reading is the

first to be concerned. Because reading is the gate to

deliver the printed information to the readers, which

has the biggest portion in the skills to learn. Reading

is an active process, which involves some elements of

processing (Smith, 1994: 23) she described the nature

of the reading process as follows:

(1) written text is a blue print to which readers add

the details, (2) comprehending requires readers to

construct meaning. This is accomplished by using the

direct and indirect meanings of an author’s words.

Plus what the readers known that is relevant, (3)

comprehending is an interacting process in which the

reader’s knowledge of the world interacts with the

message conveyed directly and indirectly by the text.

The result is fully developed communication between

author and reader.

The characteristics of ESP as Dudley and Evans

(1998) said that (1) ESP is defined to meet specific

needs of the learners, (2) ESP makes use of

underlying methodology and activities of the

discipline it serves, (3) ESP is centered on the

language appropriate to these activities in terms of

grammar, lexis, register, study skills, discourse and

genre. Mostly in content area of English for Specific

Purposes (ESP), reading is taking the most view to

see and pay attention. Reading is such a long and

complex process and high in the L2 content. It

demands the reader to have dual activations,

understand the subject matters and the language at the

same time. Beside empirical problems faced by the

students described previously, the ESP lecturers as

well as ESP teachers also experience difficulties in

delivering their instructional material to the students.

Hutchinson & Waters (1987: 158), three problems are

identified which matches the results of discussions

with teachers of ESP. These are lack of ESP

orthodoxy to provide a ready-made guide, the new

realm of knowledge the ESP teachers have to cope

with, and the change in the status of English language

teaching. It is believed that these challenges

inevitably lead to practical problems encountered by

the students in their learning English. With these

issues as practical and empirical evidence, if optimum

learning is sought in the practices of teaching ESP

needs to shift its focus from English in isolation to

Kusumawati, E.

Explicit Instruction, Comic Strips and ESP Reading Comprehension.

DOI: 10.5220/0007163201270133

In Proceedings of the Tenth Conference on Applied Linguistics and the Second English Language Teaching and Technology Conference in collaboration with the First International Conference

on Language, Literature, Culture, and Education (CONAPLIN and ICOLLITE 2017) - Literacy, Culture, and Technology in Language Pedagogy and Use, pages 127-133

ISBN: 978-989-758-332-2

127

English as medium for subject matter exchanges

(Aniroh, 2009: 169). With this teaching orientation,

both students and ESP lecturers will obviously have a

clear picture of what to learn and how to learn ESP at

college level.

At the conceptual level, Hutchinson & Waters

(1987: 16) note that ESP is divided into two main

types and differentiated according whether the learner

requires English for Academic Study (EAP: English

for Academic Purposes) or for work (EOP/EVP/VES

: English for Occupational Purposes/ English for

Vocational Purposes/ Vocational English as a Second

Language). As Sulistyo (2012: 13) assert, in the

Indonesian context essentially the teaching of English

to college students of non-English departments, in

which English as a course is only offered in one

semester with 2 credits semester, needs to be

classified into EAP since it aims to equip the students

with academic reading study skills. It is different from

the purpose of the teaching of EOP of which

orientation is to equip the students with English

competences related to their specific field of study for

future occupational purposes. One of essential point

to be noted that ESP subject is certainly need to have

clear correlation to the students’ needs and it showed

significantly effectiveness in making learning

English better and faster. Then, in the term of

teaching of reading to non-English Department

students who took EAP course, it is obvious that the

students are expected to be able to convey implicit

and explicit details from various text they read. Baker

(1985) as cited by Fahim (2012: 141) who found that

college students with lower verbal abilities were able

to identify individual words and facts but were unable

to combine the information in the text with the

previously acquired information. This inability to

integrate ideas was accompanied by an inability to

draw logical inferences and to check ideas while

reading to see if the ideas contradict each other. Since

reading comprehension plays a center role in

academic instruction and it is what the students need

to succeed both in an academic environment, it is

necessary to provide explicit training in the specific

reading strategy skills in which students are expected

to perform adequate proficiency in reading.

At the Engineering Polytechnic (PENS) an ESP

course of English is offered in first semester until

sixth. Some English lecturers was conducted to gain

information on the teaching EAP in the department.

They mentioned that when teaching, they delivered a

text to the students and asked them to read sentence

per sentence and to translate word by word. Also, the

students were asked to report when they found

difficulties in the grammar construction of the

sentences and the meaning of words in

comprehending the reading passages. They also

added that most of the time, they taught English in the

students’ native language, Bahasa Indonesia. Taber

(2006) states that translation of literary passages from

the target language into the native language

constitutes one feature of the Grammar-Translation

Method. The classical procedure for intensive reading

utilized in the department is certainly close to the

practice of the Grammar-Translation Approach in

which the teacher works with the learner, using the

first language to explain the meaning of a text,

sentence by sentence. The use of translation is

believed that learners will understand, and when the

learners do some of the translation themselves, it

allows the teacher to check whether they understand

(Nation, 2009: 25). Sulistyo (2001: 24) added that

ability to translate word by word of a passage is no

warranty of abilities to comprehend the passage

content as a whole.

Reading comprehension can be improved by

employing certain strategies in the form of study

skills. One of the widely used study strategies to gain

students’ comprehension, mostly in reading

comprehension is PQRST, which stand for Preview,

Question, Read, Summarized, and Test (Ahuja &

Ahuja, 2007: 21). PQRST is kind of reading strategy

that has been used to be effective to improve a

readers’ understanding, and the ability to recall and

gain information. It means that the reader is more

likely to learn, and to learn more of the reading

material. Steps in PQRST are also beneficial for

aiding the students in comprehending the text. This

strategy is also suitable for teaching expository

reading which EAP students learn (Wormeli, 2005:

131). The PQRST strategy has been empirically

shown to be able to improve the student’s reading

comprehension. Haeriyanto (2012) taken classroom

action research (CAR) and found that PQRST

strategy helped to improve the reading

comprehension skills of the eleventh graders.

Related to reading strategies which are used in this

study, teachers often give students reading materials

accompanied by visual such as pictures, cartoon, or

comic strips to make reading more enjoyable and

comprehensible. Likewise, ESL and EFL textbook

designers and materials developers often use visual to

provide context which is helps engage students in

reading. A comic strip is defined in this study as a

series of pictures inside boxes that tell a story. Among

visual genres, comic strips catch many researchers’

attention because they are communicative, popular,

accessible, and readable, and they are combine

aesthetic perception with intellectual pursuit

CONAPLIN and ICOLLITE 2017 - Tenth Conference on Applied Linguistics and the Second English Language Teaching and Technology

Conference in collaboration with the First International Conference on Language, Literature, Culture, and Education

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(O’Sullivan, 1971; Swain, 1978; Inge, 1990; Waller,

1991; Harvey, 1994). Comic strips communicate

using two major media words and images, this is kind

of arbitrary separation because comic strips’

expressive potential lies in skillfully employing

words and images together. Harrison (1998)

discussed how comic strips can be employed in

journalism history classes to illuminate the subject

and impart a number of relevant lesson. Wright and

Sherman (1994) discussed the attributes of daily

comic strips that make them an ideal media for

reading. After analyzing the readability of various

comic strips readily available to students and

teachers, they argued that comic strips can be used

effectively to build reading skills. Moreover,

Sherman and Wright (1994) introduced a teaching

strategy using newspaper comic strips to promote

higher level thinking elementary and secondary

students. In their study, they explained two functions

of questioning (centering and expansion) using a

Peanut comic strip. Recent article. Wright and

Sherman (1999) replied that teachers can promote

literacy, higher thinking level, and writing skills by

encouraging students to combine words and pictures

to create comic strips. Moreover, they said that if

teachers want to students to become literate, critical,

and creative thinker, in advance they must align

curricula, teaching strategies, and instructional

resources. In the area of reading, the task is to

stimulate students thinking about explicit and implicit

meaning conveyed by textual material. In their

conclusion, they suggested that teachers could

accomplish the task by using comic strips as both

method and medium of instruction.

Ousselin (1997) in his study suggested that comic

strips are available to complement textbooks and

activities commonly used, because they are versatile,

easy to use, and culturally relevant. Many reading

comprehension studies consider the extent to which

visuals, help readers to comprehend the information

represented within the texts. Certain functions of

visuals in reading were identified as:

1. Representation: Visual repeat the text’s

content or substantially overlap with the text.

2. Organization: Visuals enhance the text’s

coherence.

3. Interpretation: Visuals provide the reader with

more concrete information.

4. Transformation: Visuals target critical

information in the text and recode it in a more

memorable form.

5. Decoration: Visuals are used for their aesthetic

properties or to spark reader’s interest in the

text. (Liu, 2004: 226).

One of the theoretical frameworks to describe,

explain, and predict the effects of visuals on cognition

is the Dual Coding Theory (DCT). Liu (2004: 226)

explained that the DCT, which concerns the nature of

language and imagery, can perhaps provide a

framework to unify these disparate theories.

In light of the background of the study, the

research questions are formulated as follows.

1. Is there any influence using reading text with

explicit instruction with comic strips in ESP

reading comprehension?

2. Is using reading text with comic strips with

explicit instruction giving any influence on ESP

reading comprehension through the students

with different proficiency?

2 METHODS

This study was quasi experimental with pretest and

posttest design with PQRST strategy and natural

translation method. The subjects were the third

semester of Mechatronics Department and

Electronics Department, Engineering Electronics

Polytechnic Institute of Surabaya. They were chose

because they had the same characteristics

In order to determine which group belongs to the

PQRST instruction class and the natural translation

instruction class between 3-Meka and 3-Elka, the

coin lottery was employed.

Prior the experiment, both classes were ensured to

be equal in all aspects by observing both classroom,

interviewing the English teacher taught in both

classes, and using school document of students’

English scores in previous semester. Those were

carried out as the efforts to reduce the threat towards

internal validity, in this case is selection (Ary et al,

2006: 298).

The data of students f the two classes are shown

in Table 1.

Table 1: The Qualitative Features between two classes.

Features

PQRST

Group

N-T

Group

Number of students

Mean scores for

English subject

58.89

56.76

The schedule of

English subject

Monday

1-2

Monday

7-8

From the qualitative features in those two classes,

it could be concluded that they were not significantly

in terms of students’ number in the portion mean

scores for English subject. In other words, both

Explicit Instruction, Comic Strips and ESP Reading Comprehension

129

classes were homogenous which play an important

role prior to the experimental research. It should be

ensured that the subjects of the study in both groups

were equal for the purpose of avoiding bias result.

Then, the students reading comprehension scores

of both groups will be compared to determine the

effect of the treatment instruction on both groups

according to their proficiency.

Before the treatments, both experimental groups

would be given the pretest, this was aimed to know

and to measure the ability of both groups before the

treatments, the pretest was conducted on both

experimental classes to know the condition of the

classroom and to ensure that both classes were equal

in term of language learning achievement. Then, the

next was the experimentation in which the two

instructions were experimented. They were, PQRST

group to the first group (first class) and N-T group to

the second group (second class). After being given the

treatments, the posttest was conducted to the groups.

Due to the posttest, the writer would prepare the

instruments that was reading comprehension in the

form of Comic Strips and text only design, to each

student with allotted time to do the test. After

finishing the test, the instruments must be collected to

find the results.

In the process of teaching and learning, a teaching

schedule alternation between the teacher and the

researcher was applied in order to minimize the

possible threats, particularly in this case is that the

teacher plays role on student’s motivation. By

alternating the schedule of teaching between the

teacher and the researcher, the teaching and learning

atmosphere were conditioned like the usual classes so

that the students would not be suspicious that they

were under the research. The discussion on the

detailed lesson plan, including teaching strategy,

media/materials, and assessment were carried out to

the process of the experiments. In order to ensure that

the teacher could apply the lesson plan on PQRST

strategy and Natural-Translation strategy in both

experimental groups on each meeting, the detailed

explanation on the lesson plan were given to the

teacher before starting the class. The detailed

teaching schedule alternation between the researcher

and the English teacher are shown in the Table 2

Table 2: Teaching schedule for the researcher and the

English Teacher.

Meeting

Experimental

Group

Experimental

Group

The English teacher

The researcher

The English teacher

The researcher

The English teacher

The researcher

The English teacher

The researcher

The English teacher

This swap was based on the consideration that

every changes happening in the post-test for

experimental groups did not have any relationship

with the teacher in the group. In any other words, this

is one of the researcher’s effort to control the possible

extraneous threat which was in the form of

experimenter’s effect during the treatment process.

Before conducting the treatment, the English

teacher and the researcher discussed all the planning

of the teaching and learning activities during the

treatment for both experimental groups. All of the

lesson plans for 8 meetings for both classes had been

set by the researcher. Before implementing the lesson

plans, the proposed lesson plans were discussed with

the expert in ESP that was aimed at having feedback

for the betterment of the lesson plans. The revise

lesson plans then were communicated in detailed to

the English teacher, so there was no

misunderstanding between the researcher and the

teacher regarding the implementation of the activities

for the two groups. Based on the result of the

discussion between the teacher and the researcher,

some revisions were made. Some materials to

conduct the activities were prepared, prior to the

discussion with the English teacher, power point slide

show and video were used as the media.

After all the lesson plans and media had been

ready for the experimentation process, the English

teacher and the researcher set the schedule for the

experimentation for the groups. Prior the

experimental process, the pretest was conducted on

the first meeting on both experimental classes to

know the condition of the classroom and to ensure

that both classes were equal in term of language

learning achievement.

The final stage of the data collection was

administering the post-test. After administering the

post-test, the scoring test was carried out. The

formula of the scoring was that each correct test item

was counted as one point meanwhile the wrong one

was counted as zero point. Then, the number of

correct items was divided by total number of the items

and multiplied by 100 as the maximum score. The

score of each student, then, was tabulated in the

computer for further analysis.

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Conference in collaboration with the First International Conference on Language, Literature, Culture, and Education

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3 DISCUSSION

3.1 The Difference of ESP reading

comprehension between PQRST

strategy group and N-T strategy

group

After the process of treatment, the posttest was given

to the PQRST group and N-T group in the form of

ESP reading comprehension test, which lasted for 75

minutes.

Then, the T-test with independent sample testing

is used to find out the answer on the research problem

whether any difference or no difference between two

groups. Based on the result of posttest in PQRST

group and N-T group, it was shown that the mean

scores of the groups were 77.4074 and 67.6852

respective.

Roughly, it could be concluded that the main

score of the PQRST group was higher than the N-T

group.

3.2 The Difference in ESP reading

comprehension with high level

proficiency under the PQRST and

high level proficiency under the N-T

Based on the result of posttest of high level

proficiency students under the PQRST and high level

proficiency students under the N-T, which is used T-

test with independent sample testing to find out the

answer of the research problem, the mean scores for

high level proficiency under PQRST group is 81.2500

and high level proficiency under N-T group is

71.7857 respectively. It could be concluded that the

main score of high level proficiency students under

PQRST was significantly higher than the high level

proficiency students under N-T

3.3 The Difference in ESP reading

comprehension with low level

proficiency under PQRST and FD

under N-T

Based on the posttest analysis of the low level

proficiency students under PQRST and low level

proficiency students under N-T, which is used T-test

with independent sample testing to find out the

answer of the research problem, it was revealed that

the mean score for low proficiency students under

PQRST group was higher with 69.72 than low

proficiency students under N-T group with 53.33.

3.4 The Interaction between the

Vocabulary Instruction and Students

proficiency level in ESP reading

comprehension

In this current factorial study, the students’

proficiency levels were included as one of the factor

in investigation they were high proficiency level

students group and low proficiency level students

group, whether or not that explicit vocabulary

instruction is effective toward ESP reading

comprehension. Regarding the analysis, which used

Anova one-way test on the statistical computation,

the interaction between two independent variables

(instructions and cognitive styles) is shown that in

PQRST group that there were 18 high proficiency

level students. The data also shown that the mean

scores for the high proficiency level students who

were taught using PQRST is 81.25 Then, there were

9 low level proficiency students, and with multi

covariate analysis 29.54. The data showed that the

mean score for the low level proficiency students who

were taught using PQRST is 69.72 In addition, in N-

T group there were 21 high level proficiency students.

The data also showed that the mean score for the high

level proficiency students who were taught using N-

T is 71.78 Then there were 6 low level proficiency

students whose mean score was 53.33, and with multi

covariate analysis 29.54 Based on the descriptive of

the data above, it can be concluded that the mean

score for high level proficiency students generally is

the highest. It means that there are interactions among

those variables.

4 THE INTERACTION AMONG

VARIABLES TOWARD

STUDENTS’ READING

COMPREHENSION

To answer the research problem related to the

interaction between teaching strategy and students’

proficiency levels, the data was analyzed with

ANOVA, it is also shown that the significance value

of the interaction between strategies and cognitive

styles is .000. This significance level is lesser than

.05 (sig .000 < sig .05) which means that there is an

interaction between teaching strategy and students

proficiency level. Moreover, although the statistical

analysis showed a significant F test result, there was

not post hoc test as it was aimed at analyzing the

effect of factors with more than two levels.

Explicit Instruction, Comic Strips and ESP Reading Comprehension

131

5 CONCLUSION

Based on the statistics data, there were set 2 groups of

students, a group of students with high level

proficiency and a group of students with low level

proficiency. They were under two kinds different

treatment with two different media of ESP reading

comprehension. Reading comprehension with text

only and reading comprehension with text and comic

strips.

Overall, in this study both strategy which is

applied are appropriate to use and may need some

development for next research to make it more

interesting. Both groups have significant

development when the strategy applied, even for the

students in high level proficiency.

This is different with the media of reading

comprehension. The finding in this study revealed

that all students with a comic strip effects, regardless

on proficiency and text level, performed better than

the one, even this group is get better. But, further and

deeper analyze found that the low level students

apparently did not need the pictures to support the

simpler text, and the higher proficiency group

likewise did not need the pictures to support either the

simpler or the more difficult text versions. However,

the lower proficiency group did significantly better

with the more difficult text when it was supported

with pictures because presenting the text with pictures

encouraged them to read the text using two source of

information instead just one. Likewise, on the

students with high level proficiency, they do not need

the pictures to support the text to give them

comprehending about high level comprehension.

It can be summaries that instruction is the most

important for the students to guide them into ESP

reading comprehension. Especially in the field of

Engineering Polytechnic. The appropriate instruction

on the class is the most main point to be concerned

when the teacher delivers the material to the students.

Using PQRST as the instruction to deliver the English

with combining material between text and comic strip

will be better to be apply.

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