Literature Envisionment : How Different Modalities Impact Students' Engagement with Storyworlds

Abstract: Due to an increase in newer forms of literature’s popularity among the general consumers, research in favor of utilizing media formats such as audiobooks and graphic novels for educational purposes has grown. Literature formats other than the classic printed text have become more accessible in book stores and school libraries during the last decade, making them potentially useful tools for teaching literature in the classrooms. This essay presents several theoretical perspectives on the use of different modalities when working with literature in English teaching at intermediate level, as well as a field study researching the level of engagement between upper secondary school students and storyworlds when working with the same literary work through three different formats: the classic print, the graphic novel and the audiobook. The results, which were obtained through surveys answered by students and interviews with teachers, showed high levels of storyworld engagement from the students in regard to visual media, both when working with the print and the graphic novel, and a significantly lower interest towards the auditory media, i.e. the audiobook.