EXPLORING AI TOOLS FOR GENERATING COMIC STRIPS IN EFL CLASSROOMS

Dr Jakub Hriňák, PhD., University of Trnava, Slovakia

Abstract

The incorporation of comic strips in English as Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms has the potential to enhance student engagement, facilitate visual learning, and simplify complex language concepts through the use of relatable and entertaining narratives. It is very important to focus on the ability of teacher trainees to work with information technologies as information technologies can be characterised as inseparable components of the 21st-century learner’s life and education. Technological innovations in artificial intelligence (AI) have led to the emergence of generative AI, which is capable of creating a wide range of synthetic written and visual material. AI is able to produce the texts and generate pictures, as well as edit existing texts taking into consideration the linguistic level of learners. The research primarily concerns free AI-based tools, such as Perchance AI Comic Generator, OpenArt AI Comic Art Generator and AIComicGenerator.net, which have been designed to facilitate the creation of comic strips. This study examines the functionalities of these AI tools. It employs qualitative analysis methods to assess the positive and negative aspects of AI-based tools designed to create comic strips and to determine the potential for integrating these tools into EFL classrooms. The findings will provide insights into the effectiveness of these tools, offering practical recommendations for their use in EFL teaching. This will contribute to the innovation of future teacher training programmes, ensuring that teacher trainees are equipped with the most effective tools and strategies for integrating AI-generated comic strips into their teaching practices.

Keywords: English language teaching, artificial intelligence, information technologies, comic strips.