Using Visuals in the Teaching of the Literature Component in Malaysian Secondary Schools

LEELA CHAKRABARTY *

rlbstract: This paper is an attempt to stimulate interest in using

visual enhancements in teaching the literature component to motivate
sl,rrdents to read the literary texts presented to them. Visuals promote i rr Lcrest, comprehension and positive attitude regarding literary texts.

'l'his article provides examples that make use of visuals effectively.

Iieywords: Literary, visual,

anagogic

INTRODUCTION 'l'lris paper is an attempt to stimulate interest in using visual

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r lr rr ncements in teaching the literature component that forms part of the l,)rrglish Language paper for secondary schools in Malaysia. l)art of a nation's culture is its literature. We allow learners an insight
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rnio different cultures by introducing literature into our language literature is concerned with humanity and its values, beliefs lrrrl customs, it becomes automatically an idcal subject to study in line u,rl,h the National Education Philosophy to the overall development of the

rrrrlividual. More often than not grouses are heard from tcachers about students' rrrrwillingness to cooperate during a lesson {.'ocusing on a literary text. l ll utlents simply dislike the subject'Iiterature'because they feel they have lo rcad a lot to understand a story and when a diff'erent genre is taught

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l,ccturer, English Language Department, Facultv of Languages, UPSI

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especially a poem, many students fail to understand the underlying meaning. Printed texts do pose a problem to students due to varioug reasons. Among the reasons are readability levels, interest and attitude students towards studying literature. Students must be able to comprehend the stories they have to read according to the examination requirements. Students need to answer open. ended questions alongside multiple-choice questions when they sit for their PMR (Penilaian Menengah Rendah) and SPM (Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia) English papers. These questions, especially the open-ended questions require students to think critically. Without comprehending texts, students will be unable to answer the literature section which is
compulsory section.

Attitudes can be affected by pictorial information, as students tend to r.r,rrrl a literary text when they see pictures. As studies show success in llrirrking and learning visually instead of or in addition to traditional [,rrl,ures and verbal description, a shift of technique is required in teaching lil,rrrature. Students love to learn literature visually and teachers need to llrr<rh the subject visually.

ADVANTAGES OF VISUAL FOR LEARNING

A visual is any projected or non-projected image

that can be classified into illtrstrations, visuals, pi.ctures, perceptions, mental images, figures,
irnpressions, likeness, replicas, reproductions or anything that would help lcarner see an immediate meaning. According to Corder (1966), anything that can be seen while language

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USING VISUALS TO TEACH LITERATURE

The writer attempted to use visuals in the teaching of the literature component as a desperate search for ways to motivate students to read the literary texts presented to them. During the first semester examinations, most of her students handed in their English Language paper without or with very little attempt to answer Section D, which was the Literature Component Section. Her experience in dealing with her students' difficulti in digesting the literary texts has prompted her to write this paper. There are many ways or techniques to teach literature. One of the techniques is using visuals; mainly static visuals to teach literature. Pictures and sketches are examples of static visuals. Using visuals to teach literature will not only help the students answer literature questions but arouse interest in literary text as a whole. This technique evokes mental images to help students recall their literary experiences, terms or even concepts, thus leading students to explore a literary work successfully. Benson (1993) in his investigation on the use of video claims that the visuals help activate learning. Specifically, these visual images help in the students' decoding and schematizing. Using visuals to teach literature is one technique that allows students to gain exposure to different ways of thinking. It develops their critical thinking ability. For example, when they see a picture, say, a picture of a man holding an axe, naturally they would wonder as to why the man is holding the axe. According to Connel (7992), the use of appropriate aids in assisting teaching plays an important role in ensuring efficient learning and the use of visuals creates curiosity within students thus providing opportunities for students to develop their own critical and creative thinking faculties.

is being spoken may be a visual. Visuals can be classified

into three

r:irtegories: realistic, analogic and organizational. Analogic visuals convey rr concept or topic by showing something else and implying a similarity.

'l'his type of visuals helps the learner interpret new information in light of prior knowledge and thereby facilitates learning. visuals serve as a catalyst and stimulus. Moreover, visuals can offer input, output or feedback on materials learned. A learner using a visual rnay be more apt to give an added response to the traditionally expected response. Visuals allow for greater cognitive mapping and navigating in irn environment. For example; a picture of a lady wearing a fur coat would indicate the setting of a colder climate as opposed to a picture of a lady wearing a pair of sunglasses. The use of visual stimuli enables a learner l,he to predict information, to infer information as well as to deduce

information from the picture or mental image. Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders and lots of other students with behavior or communication challenges tend to be visual learners. They understand what they see better than what they hear. Therefore, they benefit significantly from the use of Visual Strategies.
visualization helps make
sense of data

that may havc seemed previously

unintelligible. Leonardo da vinci, in recognizing the impossibility of recording volumes of data, translated words into drawings {rom different aspects. A great deal of information is bcttcr prcscntcd visually rather that verbally. A study performed at tho univorsity of'()alifornia in Los
Angeles found that presentations that includcd vistral aids helped to increase the audiences'attention. Stevick (in Johnson & Morrow, 1981) feels that pictures may be used to generate talks of'n diflbrent kind and often on a

much more imaginative level, for instance, story telling.

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visualizing how ideas may be related to prior knowledge, subordinate ideas and information frorn other sources. Examples of visual organizers that encourage critical thinking are as follows:

to promote thinking and learning. Frameworks assist learners in

Many forms of visuals for instruction and enhancing understanding exist. visual organizers that incorporate both illustrations and text to depict patterns ofconcepts and ideas serve as organizational frameworks

,llrrwings ilre more easily manipulated so that you can create expltldcrl rllrrwirrgs or cross cut drawings. l)it:tures or visuals take on the role as the motivator to instill interest ;rrrr I crrltivate the habit of reading literature among students. In the long lr rr r sl,udents can develop a love for reading and learning literature because

rl visrtirls.
According to the University of Minnesota/3M Study (1986);

a. story maps that can be depicted as vertical or horizontal flow maps b. venn diagrams that proves useful in analyzing similarities and c.
differences between two or more concepts

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Frameworks for webbing.

VISUALS AND LITERATURE

Literature encompasses writings that are highlyregarded as compositions of art. These writings are imaginative, thought-provoking and of high quality. A literary text lets the reader respond and interact with the text, regardless of it being a short story, poem, novel or drama. However, many students dislike reading literary texts. understanding literary texts presents challenges for both frrst and second language learners because of their high readability levels, the lack of studeni inierest and negative attitudes for some students. Many students do not understand

Visuals add another sensory channel to the oral communication process Visuals utiiize right brain visual and spatial processing to complement t,he left brain processing used in listening S.ynergism between left and right brain processes create better "whole picture" communication; we have been communicating visually since crrrly history

SOME PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS FOR SPECIFIC LITERARY TEXTS

'l'lrc poem "The Road Not Taken" (For Form Four Students)
iiirrrlrly draw a stick figure with roads branching out in front of the figure. | 'rrl. ir symbol of the question-m ark, "?" on top of the head. There, the lr,rrt:her already has something going. The teacher can already elicit the 'llrt'me'of the poem from students. llxpected response.' IIe does not /enota tu/tich road to talee. I{e has to
'l'he teacher can even show a picture or just talk about a boy or a girl r,vlro is confused about making a choice of what career to choose after ,',rrnpleting Form Five. Teacher gets responses about students'choices llrrrt, suit them best. The teacher asks students about the relation of the prcl,ure to the poem they are going to read. l,'inal expected responses at this stage.'ft is itnportant for one to mahe //rr' hest c/toice at th.e crossroads of oneb life so t/tat one tuill not regret it
rtt //rc rrttr/,'c a choice.

literary texts. A teacher should be creative enough to make teaching interesting so that effective learning can take place. The teacher ofliterature plays a very important role in supporting a student's enthusiasm in the literature classroom and one of the simplest and easiest ways to do this is by using pictures. A simple and plain picture can mean so much. pictures can help to convey the deeper message or the implicit meaning of a literary text. By observing a picture students tend to be exposed to diverse characters, cultures and they can even guess the theme of the literary work. Ifphotographs are available, teachers should use them. photographs give an exact representation. Like photographs, drawings show realistic views of an object. what they lack in perfect representation, they make up in their ability to emphasize. A drawing need not include all of the details, and so unimportant and distracting details can be left out. Furthermore,

lose interest in reading and become reluctant readers who avoid reading

what they are reading especially the implicit meaning of the text literary text, students also have to cope with the different linguistic uses, forms and conventions of the written modes with irony, exposition argument, and narration and so on. students tend to
because in reading a

'['he teacher explores the poem further by just asking questions such rr r l,his: "How did he make the choice?" The teacher then urges the students lo strarch fot clues from the poem. The picture may then be further exploited
lrr:rt,

future.

by adding more information. Simply, draw leaves that are more

rrlrright on one of the roads. There, the teacher has a road which "has been 1,,:rs traveled by". This visual image will be imprinted in their minds and rrl r rrlents get the chance to explore the poem meaningfully'

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The short story',Lotus Eater" - (For Form Four Students)

An idea is to show a series of pictures of rhomas wilson taken at diff.erenl periods of life. The teacher may show pictures of various scenes such as:

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with them with questions such as. "How

"Yorr know, it is actually two and half feet long-please refer to page...."

a. b. c'

"at the bank" to discuss Wilson's life as a bank manager, "at the park" to discuss wilson's life on the island of iaprr ana "an old wooden shed" to discuss wilson's life prior to hls death,

"ll, is rr black snake" "Slrlrde the snake with a black marker pen" "Artr you afraid of the snake" "What does the snake symbolize?"

theme of the story. This is done merery "Why is he in the wooden shed?,,
the-

subjects. As the teacher shows the third picture, in which Mr. wilson is in the wooden shed; the teacher may open meaningful discussions

All these pictures are mainly used as stimulus to arouse interest and thus start a discussion. students will then be asked to refer to the text in order to get them to read. By merely using these three pictures, the will induce students to explore the plot, characters, the sequence ofevents, setting and more! The sequence is, of course, already given as the three pictures are shown one by one. The main character, Mr. Wilson was a bank manager at the initial stage of the story. Then the story moves on to his life in capri where he enjoys walking in the park and finalry he spends the last part of his life in a wooden shed. The whole story will be imprinted in the students mind vividly. without pictures, the teacher may just sketch the intended
in relation to asking questions such as:

llcrc, the teacher can exploit the drawing or the visual stimulus to tlrr, lirllcst until the students are able to understand that the snake is a
.r\'ilrlx)l of danger.

'l'lrr' poem "A Dead Crow" - (For Form One Students)

'l'lrr, lrcst thing to do to when discussing the poem with Form One students iu l, slrow a picture that shows the effect of pollution or the felling of trees,
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lorrgcsted road with lots of smoke, to name a few. Students are prompted
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wrllr tluestions to elicit the implied meaning. The teacher may write all I I rr' r nswers that make explicit the implied meaning given by the students ,rr llrc board. This poem may pose a problem to such young learners. 'l'lrr,r'cfore, using visuals will make understanding the poem much easier. Ylrrng children will be attracted to the pictures rather than to the words I I rr l, l,hey cannot understand. Let the pictures do the talking - "a picture iri .r;trivalent to a thousand words!"
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The short story "The Drover's wife" - (For Form Four students) All the teacher has to do is prepare four separate pictures to help discuss the whole story. The pictures would be a picture of:

'l'lrc poem'osi tenggangts homecomingtt - (For Form Four Students)

illrrtlcnts may have heard a Malay folklore from which the name Si
'l'r,rrggang originates. In the folklore, Si Tenggang was a young man who lr,l't his village on a voyage. When he returned, his mother rushed to see lrrrrr but alas he was ashamed of her status. Feeling hurt, his mother ,'rrrscd him and he was turned into a stone junk. (Tcacher shows a picture ,,1'rrrr old junk) 'llo avoid confusion amongst the students, tpicklv sketch a ship and 'l'enggang getting off the ship carrying a htrgcr sitt:k on his back. By his iii

a. b. c. d.

a mother ayoungboy, adog a snake.

By presenting these pictures the teacher can prompt students to find qu!.more by asking questions, such as "who is thls lady?",,what did she do?" and so on. These pictures can be prepared easilyjust by sketching them. If the teacher is unable to do it, perhaps the assisian.u of u student may be sought. Mention the student's name in crass. Another way is by asking students in the class to come up to the board and draw. For example, while a student is drawing the picture of a snake on the board, guide the

draw a lady. At this juncture, thc leachtlt't:rrllturcs the students' irll,t'ntion and prompts them with questions t,o show thc actual meaning rrr in the poem in which Si Tenggang travt:ls lo lirrcign lands and finally rr,l.trrns home with a foreign bride. Questions such as "What did he gain llrlough his travels?" "Who is the lady bcsidc hirn?" will not only help rrlrrdents remember but will also help them understand the poem as a rn, lrole. His travels have enabled him to meet dif'f'erent people and learn
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about different cultures. Although such exposure has broaden his mind and made him more discerning, thus, giving him confidence, he feels rejected by his own community. In difficurt moments, it is his wife who understands him. He tries to convince his people that he is essentiallv the same man.

rn,,rrl clf cr:l,ivc tcchniques to

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cultivate the habit of rcading lit.crrrr.y t't'xt,s )nli l,hc sludents. The writer has been successful in getting illlsw(rrs rrrrt lr rrl o['blank pages in the ]iterature section.
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HEFERENCES

CONCLUSION
A teacher should be creative enough to make teaching interesting so that effective learning can take place. Many types of visulls can be used but the teacher should be discerning enough to make the correct choice to suit the lesson objectives and teaching methods, so that students are motivated to learn more effectively.

Casell i,,r,rlwyrr,A., 1988. LiteraryandMediaTertlnSecondarySclzoolLondon: l,l lrrcation. f l,,rrrrrrr.V., lgg3.TestingMadeforELTVideos. LanguageTeac/ter. 17(9): 15 19

I ,rrrrlrlrrrlium., 1989. A Handbooh for EL? ?each,ers.Yolume l.Kuala Lumpur: lr,r,rrenterian Pendidikan Malaysia. I'r rrrrr('1. S., 1992. CambridgeF[rst Certificate. Cambridge: CambridgeUniversity
l't css.

It

in comprehending a literary text better. Again, it alr depends on how interestingly the teachers plan and carry out their literature lessons with the use of visuals. It may be an old technique in the teaching and learning environment but it is one of the most captivating teachinf and learning tool that can enhance reading literary texts among students. with pictures ample activities can be conducted by the teachers to kindle students, curiosity so that students will want to learn and read literary texts. As Goodwyn (1998) says, "young people watch too much,'. The word 'watch'refers to visuals. If the young are prone to watching visuals, then, it will be a strategic idea to connect pictures to literary textJ to inspire and motivate students to read literary texts. visuals aids communicate an instructional message with an image. The use of pictures is one of the

The teacher should facilitate the teaching and learning process and the use of visuals should be a supplement to the teaching. The extra time and effort needed to prepare lessons using visual cannot be over-emphasized. It does take much time actually. Most of the time teachers can resort to merely sketches on thc board. But the noticeable improvements in students, mritivation and more successf'ul learning are well worth the effort. A discovery or inquiry approach to learning is one that alrows students to find out information through personal experience. This differs from the conventional teacher directed approach to learning in which students are often'spoon-fed' information with minimal opportunity for a personal response to it. The use ofvisuals in the language or literature classroom can help promote a'discovery'or inquiry approach to learning. There are many ways in which visuals can be used to captivalte students, interest in learning literature. The use of visuals or piciures is not only effective in the pre-reading stage to tap into students'mood and previous knowledge but it is as effective during the'while'and'post-reading,stages

is important to remember that visuals cannot replace a teacher.

rl l.r'. S. P., 1966. T/te Wsual Eletnenl in Language Teac/ting. Harlow: Longman llr,'r,rlli. Il., 1976. In Johnson & Morrow., 798!. Memory, Meaning and Method. li,,wley: Newbury House. \',,1i,,1, t). R., Gary W. Dickson, and John A. Lehman., 1986. Persuasion and t/te
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