The Role of Film Adaptations in the English Language Classroom : Teaching Print Literature with Multimodal Aids

Abstract: Literary appreciation is the ability to understand patterns of literature and literary devices, for example symbols and characterization in a text, as well as appreciate the text as a form of art. Without literary appreciation, students will most likely struggle to their reading comprehension and literary repertories, which will make it hard to become competent readers of literature. This essay argues that film adaptations can be used as a multimodal aid in the English Language Classroom in order to help students develop their literary appreciation. The essay claims that students should be able to interpret a professional evocation of the story by employing their multiliteracies. By comparing how the literary devices are used in the print literature and in a film adaptation, such as The Great Gatsby, students can transfer their multiliteracies from the film adaptation when they are reading the story in the print literature. By studying and using a professional interpretation of the print literature through a different medium that students are more proficient in deciphering, they can use it in their own personal evocation of the story when they are reading the print literature.