Innovation in Language Learning

This study introduces the effective use of an online comic creator for unmotivated computer science majors in a college-level English writing course. I will show how a L2 project using the online comic creator could stimulate the intellectual curiosity of computer science majors and promoted learning. I will especially focus on how the activities using the comic creator changed students’ attitude toward collaborative activities with other students. Teaching writing skills to unmotivated learners is one of the main challenges in college-level English education in Japan. Most students consider English as a tool for college entrance examinations and do not experience English learning for real life purposes. Once the entrance examinations are over, many students no longer have reasons to study English. Under such circumstances, English instructors often find their students unmotivated. Additionally, computer science students are often found unsociable and lack communication skills. Such students tend to enjoy online activities but avoid face-to-face communication and group activities that are essential in L2 learning. In order to solve these problems, a collaborative English project focused on improving writing skills and foster positive attitudes toward group works was elaborated in a college-level English course. Forty-four Japanese computer science majors participated in the study. The pre-survey revealed that many of them had negative attitudes toward English and collaborative activities. They were asked to work on a group project through the quarter, and created English comics that introduce local restaurants and shops to foreign visitors. An online comic creator was the key tool in the project, and the students elaborated unique language of comic characters and created comics together. The students mainly worked in groups; they gathered necessary information together and created comics in English using the comic creator. The post-survey indicated various positive effects in the project using a comic creator. Most of the students mentioned that they enjoyed using the comic creator and the collaborative project with other students. It was found that the use of the online comic creator was a fascinating experience for computer science majors, and positively changed their perspective toward group work and learning English.

Keywords: Comic creator, L2 writing, unmotivated learners, collaborative learning;