Comics as a Means of Humor

and Minimizing Classroom Anxiety

Pranab Kanti Deb*
Various studies have identified anxiety as one of the negative factors
affecting the acquisition of second language, i.e., English. Anxiety is
associated with feelings of uneasiness, frustration, self-doubt,
apprehension, and worry. Classroom anxiety can be minimized if the
teachers can create a positive classroom environment, for a cheerful
and non-threatening environment encourages the learners to be
assertive and participate in the use of English without any fear of
condemnation or being ridiculed. This paper discusses how comics
can be used in English language classroom to create a more
comfortable and productive classroom environment. It shows how
using comic materials in a communicative language classroom has
many benefits such as low student anxiety, spontaneous participation
of students, better verbal and written communication skills, improved
retention, increased joy of learning, and a more congenial classroom
atmosphere.

T
he use of comics in English language classroom has been widely discussed as an
effective way to create a more comfortable and productive classroom environment.
A positive classroom environment encourages the learners to be assertive and
participate in the use of English because there is no fear of condemnation or being ridiculed
in a cheerful and non-threatening environment. Comic materials may appear to be appealing
to teachers as a way to motivate learners for a smooth acquisition of the language. The
main benefits of using comic elements for communicative language classroom students
are: ensuring low student anxiety, improvement in retention, spontaneous participation of
students, increase in enjoyment in learning for students, and a more congenial classroom
atmosphere. Moreover, they can support other educational goals such as developing verbal
and written communication skills, building persistence and creativity in problem solving,
and enhancing critical thinking.
In the language classroom, comics are used as toolbox of humor and at the same time,
considered as an invaluable teaching aid. Comics involve multiple intelligences which
could be verbal, visual, kinetic, interpersonal, naturalistic, and intrapersonal. It also engages
the students in various learning dispositions, resulting in students’ enrichment in learning.
Anxiety is a common threat to language classroom. It not only frustrates the process of
* Senior Lecturer, Department of English, Sylhet International University, Sylhet 3100, Bangladesh.
E-mail: pkdeb07@gmail.com

©662016 IUP. All Rights Reserved. The IUP Journal of English Studies • Vol. XI, No. 1, 2016