Abstract:
This paper examines the pedagogical potential of graphic novel adaptations as visual scaffolding tools for enhancing English Language Learners’ engagement with classical literature. Canonical works by Shakespeare, Austen, and Dickens remain integral to English language curricula because they promote linguistic competence, critical interpretation, and cultural literacy. However, archaic syntax, specialized vocabulary, culturally unfamiliar contexts, and complex literary devices often impose substantial cognitive demands on second-language learners, limiting comprehension and meaningful literary engagement. Drawing on Dual Coding Theory, Cognitive Load Theory, Multimodal Semiotics, and Krashen’s Affective Filter Hypothesis, the paper explores how the integration of visual and verbal modes facilitates comprehension, reduces cognitive demands, strengthens inferential reasoning, and enhances learner confidence without compromising literary depth. It proposes a three-stage Comparative Pedagogy Model comprising Orienting, Juxtaposing, and Transferring. The model enables learners to develop narrative understanding through multimodal adaptations, critically compare graphic representations with original literary passages, and progressively transition towards independent engagement with authentic prose and verse. Addressing concerns that graphic novels may oversimplify canonical literature, the paper argues that carefully selected adaptations serve as temporary instructional scaffolds rather than replacements for original texts. Their strategic integration into literature instruction can promote inclusive participation, strengthen interpretive competence, and improve access to complex literary works among linguistically diverse learners. The proposed framework contributes to contemporary multimodal and inclusive pedagogical practices, offering implications for curriculum development, teacher education, and instructional design, while establishing a conceptual foundation for empirical investigations into scaffolded literary reading across multilingual educational contexts.
DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.57233/djfafais.2026.v22i02.024
author/Mustapha Bayaro, Amina Shehu Abdullahi, and Philip Abayomi
journal/Degel 22(2) | October 2026 |
