"Black and White" with Croatian Young Learners

master's thesis

• Author: Katarina Brbora
• Mentor: Smiljana Narančić-Kovač (mentor)
• Committee member: Ivana Milković (predsjednik povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Smiljana Narančić-Kovač (član povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Nikola Novaković (član povjerenstva)
• Granter: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Teacher Education; Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2021-07-06, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: HUMANISTIC SCIENCES; Interdisciplinary Humanistic Studies
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: HUMANISTIC SCIENCES; Philology; Comparative Literature

Abstract

Picturebooks are often viewed as easy reading material, but their word-picture relationship can prove that is not always the case. The current digital age where multitasking is considered normal has impacted the way children think, see and learn. Both Radical Change theory and considering picturebooks as postmodern developed in the 1990s (Dresang, 2008), and both approaches use similar terminology in describing common features of contemporary (postmodern) children’s literature. This thesis was focused on the use of postmodern picturebooks, with a special emphasis on David Macaulay’s Black and White, in order to examine Croatian EFL young learners’ responses to it. In preparation for the thesis, a study was conducted in two parts. The first, conducted using an online questionnaire, was aimed at identifying the attitudes of teachers and student teachers on the use of picturebooks in teaching English to young learners. The results imply that participants would use picturebooks, but not very often and mostly for the purpose of expanding lesson aims related to specific grammar or vocabulary or reading and pronunciation. Almost none of the participants show an intent to use postmodern picturebooks, as they are not familiar with them. The second step of the
investigation involved young learners: a small-group read-aloud and discussion of Macaulay’s Black and White proved both beneficial for developing children’s thinking and fun for the participants because they used language in a spontaneous and playful manner. It can be concluded that young English language learners readily engage in the reading process of postmodern picturebooks and understand them well. However, it is up to the teacher to decide how much time and effort will be assigned to such activities in class.

Abstract (croatian)

Slikovnice se često smatraju laganim materijalom za čitanje, no odnos teksta i slike u njima mogu pokazati da to nije uvijek slučaj. Digitalno doba u kojem živimo, gdje je ‘multitasking’ normalna stvar, utjecalo je na dječji način razmišljanja, gledanja i učenja. Radikalna teorija i primjena pojma postmodernizma u izučavanju slikovnice razvili su se 1990-ih (Dresang, 2008)
te oba koncepta koriste sličnu terminologiju pri opisivanju glavnih karakteristika suvremene (postmodernističke) dječje književnosti. Ovaj je rad usmjeren na uporabu postmodernističke slikovnice Black and White Davida Macaulayja kako bi se ispitala reakcija hrvatskih učenika engleskoga jezika mlađe školskedobi na takve slikovnice. U prvom se koraku provela anketa o iskustvima i stavovima učitelja i studenata učiteljskih fakulteta o poznavanju i uporabi takvih slikovnica u nastavi. Pokazalo se da su se ispitanici koristili slikovnicama, iako ne često te većinom u svrhu postizanja ishoda učenja povezanih s određenom gramatičkom strukturom ili vokabularom, vještinom čitanja i izgovorom. Gotovo nitko od ispitanika nije pokazao sklonost uporabi postmodernističke slikovnice jer nisu upoznati s njom. Kratka radionica s učenicima i čitanje slikovnice Black and White, pokazalo je njezin pozitivan učinak na dječje razmišljanje te je aktivnost bila zabavna za učenike zbog uporabe jezika kao spontane igre. Glavni je zaključak ovoga istraživanja da djeca dobro prihvaćaju i razumiju postmodernističke slikovnice. Međutim, o učitelju ovisi koliko je vremena i truda spreman posvetiti uporabi takve slikovnice u nastavi.

• Keywords: David Macaulay’s Black and White; digital age; picturebook; postmodern picturebooks; Radical Change theory; response
• Keywords (croatian): Black and White (David Macaulay); digitalno doba; postmodernistička slikovnica; postmodernizam; radikalna teorija; reakcija na književno djelo; slikovnica
• Language: english
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:147:432738
• Study programme: Title: Integrated undergraduated university study with english language and german language; specializations in: English language, Deutsche sprache; Course: English language; Study programme type: university; Study level: integrated undergraduate and graduate; Academic / professional title: magistar/magistra primarnog obrazovanja (magistar/magistra primarnog obrazovanja)
• Type of resource: Text
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Open access
• Created on: 2022-07-14 10:50:00