Digital Comic Platforms and Reading Skills

Abstract

The current study aimed to examine learners’ perspectives on the use of digital comic platforms to develop reading skills in English as a Foreign Language (EFL). This descriptive study was conducted with a population of 88 students (66 females and 22 males). Data was collected through a survey composed of 19 items related to digital comic platforms, reading skills, and reading strategies. The instrument was first validated through the judgment of five experts. Subsequently, Aiken’s V coefficient was applied, confirming the validity of the instrument in terms of relevance, pertinence, and coherence. Furthermore, the reliability of the instrument was measured through Cronbach’s Alpha using SPSS software, obtaining a coefficient of 0.929, which indicates a high level of internal consistency and reliability. The results revealed that digital comic platforms were used by EFL learners as supportive resources for reading activities, with WebComics showing a greater presence among students compared to other platforms. In terms of reading skills, it was evident that evaluating, inferencing, and integrating information were the most developed abilities, which suggests that learners were able to reflect on the meaning of texts, interpret visual and textual clues, and connect ideas throughout the reading process. Regarding reading strategies, monitoring comprehension, predicting, and using visual elements were the strategies most frequently employed by students while interacting with digital comics. Finally, it is important to mention that summarizing and word recognition represented weaker areas that could be strengthened through continuous reading practice and greater exposure to digital texts in English. In addition, the findings revealed that although students did not frequently use official digital comic platforms, they still demonstrated regular interaction with digital comics through other unofficial platforms, showing that digital comics are commonly used by learners as reading resources in general