The Experiences of the Pre-Service Teachers on the Use of Cartoons as a Teaching Tool in English First Additional Language Grade Ten Classes in Eastern Cape

This study’s primary goal was to explore pre-service teachers’ perceptions of teaching cartoons as a teaching tool to improve learners’ critical thinking, engagement, and language acquisition in grade ten English First Additional Language (EFAL) classes in Eastern Cape. The pre-service teachers typically participated in the School-Based Experience (SBE) for five weeks, and upon returning, they wrote reflections on their experiences. Their reflections were part of a qualitative study with an interpretivist paradigm. Purposefully, ten pre-service teachers were chosen from a teacher education program. The data from their written reflections were interpreted using thematic analysis. The results revealed that pre-service teachers know how cartoons can enhance learning, promote visual literacy, and enhance comprehension. However, they mentioned obstacles, including scarce resources, insufficient exposure of grade ten learners to cartoons, the English language as a barrier to understanding cartoons, and their failure to follow instructions. Furthermore, the lack of digital access in rural school settings limited the complete incorporation of animated or digital cartoons. The study contributes to the knowledge of teaching EFAL by highlighting the importance of multimodal literacy and creative teaching techniques in resource-constrained settings. There is a need for access to resources. Among the recommendations are to improve resource accessibility in rural areas, offering professional development for educators on multimodal teaching techniques, and to integrate visual literacy into the EFAL curricula. The long-term effects of cartoon use on the language competency and critical thinking abilities of EFAL learners should be investigated in future studies. Keywords: Pre-service teachers, English First Additional Language, cartoons, multimodal literacy, rural education.