The Novelty of Graphics: The use and future of graphic novels in the English literature curriculum in secondary schools in the Netherlands

Abstract

Graphic novels are relatively new to the world of literature and their use in literature lessons is a topic of debate and controversy. Their benefits have been discussed and researched extensively. However, in the Netherlands graphic novels are still rarely used in literature lessons of English. This thesis strived to find out whether graphic novels could be a useful addition to the English literature lessons and what drawbacks there are to using them. In this exploratory research, teachers of English on secondary schools in the Netherlands were asked about their current use of graphic novels in their lessons, their willingness to use graphic novels and the criteria they had before considering to use graphic novels. With the found benefits and drawbacks of graphic novels in mind and taking into account the criteria teachers have, a guideline for teachers was constructed that can provide a starting point for hesitant or indeed enthusiastic teachers who are willing to use graphic novels in their literature lessons.