The Use of Comic Strips in Teaching Reading Comprehension

By : Mr Ari

English has four skills, namely listening, writing, reading, speaking (Novita & Kristiawan in 2017). Reading is one of the four essential language skills. This means that reading is one of the important skills that must be learned and continuously developed by students. It is not only about recognizing words, but also about understanding and interpreting the meaning of a text or a story. Through reading, students can gain information, expand their knowledge, and improve their spelling and vocabulary. In addition, reading helps students develop critical thinking skills, as they learn to analyze an idea, make inferences, and understand the purpose of the writer. Therefore, by practicing reading regularly, students are able to better comprehend the content of various texts and become more effective learners.

According to Anida in 2019, reading comprehension is the ability to understand, interpret, and get meaning from a text. It’s not just reading words but also understanding the message, main ideas, and details of the text. Reading comprehension is important for students. When students read, they learn how to analyze information, compare different ideas, and evaluate whether something is true or not. Students also become better at drawing conclusions, forming opinions and understanding messages that are not directly stated in the text. This ability helps them to think more logically and make better decisions in both academic and real-life situations.

In this era, students seem to be less interested in reading. One of the main reasons for this is that many books mostly contain plain written text without any visual elements, which can make reading feel monotonous and less engaging for students. It makes students feel bored and unmotivated to spend time reading. However, this issue can be addressed by introducing more creative and engaging reading materials, such as comic strips. Comic strips combine text with colorful and attractive illustrations, making the reading experience more enjoyable and easier to understand. Furthermore, comic strips often present stories that are fun, relatable, and interesting for students. 

The use of comic strips is highly suitable for application in a Language Learning Center because they combine visual and textual elements that make learning more engaging and accessible (Ali, 2023). Many students are naturally attracted to visual media such as pictures, anime, and cartoons, which help capture their attention and maintain their interest during the learning process. By presenting language in a fun, relatable, and visually appealing format, comic strips can enhance comprehension, support vocabulary development, and encourage students to participate more actively. This approach not only makes learning more enjoyable but also helps students better understand and remember the material.

By using comic strips as a learning medium, teachers can help increase students’ motivation to read, improve their reading comprehension, and create a more enjoyable learning environment. Students are able to develop their critical thinking skills in understanding the content of a text through the images that they read. The combination of visual elements and written language encourages students to analyze information more deeply, connect ideas, and interpret meaning beyond the words presented. With comic strips, students can easily make conclusions, and can better understand the context of the story, which strengthens their reading comprehension. Furthermore, through comic strips, students can enhance their motivation and imagination in the reading process. The engaging visuals and interesting storylines make learning more enjoyable, which encourages students to participate more actively. As they follow the sequence of images and dialogues, students are stimulated to imagine scenes and characters. This not only helps them in developing their reading comprehension more effectively, but also supports their creativity and interest in reading the text or story.

References:

Ali Febrina Fitrianita (2023). The use of comic strips to improve the student's reading comprehension of narrative text (An Action Research at the Students of English for Teens Program in Language Learning Center). DOI: https://doi.org/10.30574/wjarr.2023.19.2.1482 

Anida Nurul (2019). The Use Of Comic Strips To Improve The Students’ Reading Comprehension Of Narrative Text. http://repository.uinsu.ac.id/7512/1/THEUSEOFCOMICSTRIPSTOIMPROVETHESTUDENTS1.pdf 

Bugtong, et al. (2025). English Comics As Reading Materials And Intervention In Improving Students' Reading Comprehension. Problems of Education in the 21st Century. 83. 480-500. 10.33225/pec/25.83.480. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/394887975_ENGLISH_COMICS_AS_READING_MATERIALS_AND_INTERVENTION_IN_IMPROVING_STUDENTS'_READING_COMPREHENSION 

Novita & Kristiawan (2017). The Effect Of Picture Series On Students’ Reading Comprehension Of Analytical Exposition Text. 1. Vol 2. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324162221_THE_EFFECT_OF_PICTURE_SERIES_ON_STUDENTS%27_READING_COMPREHENSION_OF_ANALYTICAL_EXPOSITION_TEXT