Use of picturebooks for teaching adult learners in the EFL classroom

Abstract

The present study aimed to report on the use of picturebooks in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) adult classroom. Fifteen primary studies were selected and analyzed to develop this research synthesis. The information related to picturebook-based classes that was found in the research studies was classified into three main categories, namely, “Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Picturebooks to Teach Adult EFL Students,” “Activities and Techniques used with Picturebooks in the Adult EFL Classroom,” and “Acquisition of Lexical Items and Grammatical Structures.” Later, this information was compared, contrasted, and discussed. The results showed that the most common advantages that picturebook-based classes provided were the improvement of EFL skills, the increase of vocabulary acquisition, and the positive impact on learners’ affective filter. In addition, the most frequent picturebookbased activities implemented were read-alouds and discussions. Almost half of the research studies reported that picturebooks enabled a certain degree of lexical and grammatical acquisition. To conclude, this paper includes some recommendations and limitations to be taken into consideration for future research