The Role of Educational Cartoons in Enhancing Children's English Vocabulary Acquisition in Algerian Private Schools. Case Study: Bridge Way World Elementary School of English in TiziOuzou

Abstract

The present research attempts to investigate the Algerian English language teachers’ use of educational cartoons in their English classes to enhance children’s English vocabulary learning in the Bridge Way World School in TiziOuzou town.In other words,this study aims at exploring the relation between the use of educational cartoons and vocabulary development for young learners in Algerian elementary English private schools. The investigation is based on the Mixed Methods Research.It combines qualitative and quantitative methods to collect and analyze the data.To collect the necessary information, we have used a questionnaire addressed to learners and classroom observation.The analysis of the results obtained from the two research tools are based on the Cognitive Multimedia Learning Theory (Mayer, 2001).We have used the learners’ questionnaire to explore the learners’ attitudes towards the use of educational cartoons in teaching new vocabulary items,and their perception about the usefulness of this technique to teach English vocabulary and to check its effectiveness on learners’ understanding of the new vocabulary.In addition, classroom observation sessions have been set in order to obtain more direct, real and accurate data on what is going on when explaining and practicing new words with and without educational cartoons .In general,this study describes the process of using educational cartoons and the extent to which learners may benefit from it when their teachers rely on it in their classes. The results obtained from this investigation show that the integration of educational cartoons in teaching new English vocabulary helps children to improve their lexical knowledge.