Abstract:

We are surrounded by pictures and illustrations from the early childhood. Nowadays it is preferable when they are moving, changing and developing because a learner is then constantly exposed to new stimuli. Pictures in a book do not possess the capacity to move, however, they offer a unique opportunity for learners to think about close or distant associations among them to create more complex thought networks, while moving pictures are a ready-made product. The aim of the paper is to demonstrate that wordless picture books can develop speaking skills to learners at lower secondary school for whom English is a foreign language using a methodology stated by Burnett (2018). The methodology is practically applied to wordless picture book Sidewalk Flowers (2015) by JonArno Lawson and Sydney Smith enriched by specific recommendations for teaching practice. The first step is to ask learners to describe the cover of the book using a basic question “what do you see in the picture?” Learner’s task during the second procedure step is to reread the title of the picture book and introduce any ideas regarding the plot. Learners are now supposed to think about the general connections between the title and the cover of the book. The third step is called “picture walk.” Learners go through the pages of the picture book with the aim of taking a closer look at the pictures. In the fourth step, learners reread the story. The teacher can prepare a lively introduction and encourage learners to continue adding other ideas to the story. To make the story livelier, some drama elements may be incorporated. In the fifth step, learners create their own story using any objects if necessary. The last sixth procedure step is dedicated to picture book analysis. Teacher asks learners the questions considering their favourite illustration insisting on justification of their preferences, favourite part of the story based either on their own storytelling or the one created in a cooperation with the teacher, favourite character accompanied by a short reasoning. The last question concerns with “to be in somebody’s shoes” where learners think about the situation in which they have felt like the main character or think about a similar situation which they themselves have survived still referring to the main character or another character.

Keywords:

wordless picture books, reading, lower secondary school, speaking skills