The effect of graphic novel use on reading comprehension in teaching Turkish as a foreign language

In this study, the graphic novel, which is a literary text type, will be used to determine the success of Turkish language students to understand what they read in teaching as a foreign language. As an alternative to reading texts of different literary text types in Turkish teaching material, graphic novel types are not included in the books. Yet, graphic novels are very common in foreign language teaching abroad, unlike at Turkish language teaching material, it was seen that there was a deficiency in their use in the classroom. In order for the foreign language learner to learn the language functionally, it is thought that these types of texts should offer diversity in the teaching process. In this context, when the Turkish language teaching materials are examined, it is seen that some types of text are not included. However, the amount of research done about this in education and training in our country is insufficient. Thus the lack of extensive research on the impact of graphic novels on language teaching, it has been determined that there is an important that needs to be filled. Presently, the impact of visuals and visual aids on the learning-teaching process is increasing. Especially during the epidemic era, the fact that learning has become completely technology-oriented and equipped with enhanced content has increased the importance of visuals. People people tend to prefering visual elements today than to just reading plain text. For this reason, it is thought that visuals should be included in the texts used in language teaching. Especially considering C1 level, it is seen that the types in which the visuals gain weight are not included in the text types. When a graphic novel is considered as a type of text, it is evaluated in the texts created by aesthetic means. Graphic novels are thought to be a two-dimensional type of text, that is, a type of literary text in which text and images are used together. Which are thought to positively contribute to students' understanding of what they are reading. This study was carried out at Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University Language Teaching Practice and Research Center in the 2020-2021 academic year. The effects of the use of graphic novels on the learning of Turkish language by students in a Turkish as a foreign language classroom at C1 level will be examined. Mixed method was used in the study. Students' success was measured through pre-test and post-test and control groups. The results were analyzed using SPSS 26.0 and Microsoft Office XP Professional package programs. In addition, to better understand opinions and attitudes towards graphic novels, qualitative research techniques like interview and observation forms were utilized. Based on quantitative and qualitative data, it was concluded that graphic novels had a positive effect on the success of students in the teaching of Turkish as a foreign language at the C1 level. The results obtained at the end of the study were evaluated and suggestions were made to shed light on subsequent research. Keywords: Teaching Turkish as a foreign language, reading comprehension, visual reading, graphic novel, comics