Based on the data collected from the recall, the results of the present study revealed the positive effects of picture cues on EFL junior high school students’
reading comprehension. Picture cues in texts led to more pausal units written by the students. This finding is consistent with several previous studies which confirmed the functions of picture cues in reading (Fahnestock, 2003; Holmes, 1987; Kress, 2000;
Liu, 2004; McVicker, 2007; Royce, 2002; Schwartz & Rubinstein-Avila, 2006;
Williams, 1995). More specifically, the findings from ANOVA analysis in this study proved that one single black-and-white picture benefited the retention of the text by EFL junior high school readers (p＜.05).
The enhancement of recall with the use of picture cues can be interpreted by the Dual Coding Theory, which explains the effective complementary systems of verbal texts and nonverbal illustrations in reading (Gambrell & Jawits, 1993). When students deal with their English reading passages, it is easier for them to preserve, comprehend and recall information with dual codes (words accompanied a picture cue) rather than
one code (only written words). From the interviews, more students supported the use of picture cues in reading when they considered picture cues as prompts or clues for main ideas and details in texts. One of the interviewees pointed out that picture cues could offer another chance for readers to understand the texts. This thought can be connected to the concept of multimodality which values different modes of communication, including images like picture cues, working complementarily with written words in language learning and also facilitating comprehension (Kress, 2000).
The thought of having a second chance to comprehend certain key points in reading by using picture cues can also be interpreted by Repetition Hypothesis, which considers picture cues in reading facilitative to understanding because they offer additional clues about the texts (Liu, 2004).
Furthermore, two of the interviewees in this study perceived that picture cues could result in better understanding. This notion can be related to Visual Input Enhancement, which views picture cues as “external attention-drawing techniques”
(Izumi, 2002) achieving the integration of arousing attention, encouraging observation and enhancing comprehension.
Though the present study echoes theoretical advantages of using picture cues in reading passages, it does not support several findings from the previous research. For example, some of the researchers claimed that picture cues seemed to be distracters because they interfered with students’ reading by reducing students’ concentration, speed or accuracy for the texts (Harber, 1983; Kehoe et al.; 1992; Reid & Beveridge, 1986; Rose, 1986; Samuels, 1970; Simons & Elster, 1990; Willows, 1978a, 1978b). It is found that many of the participants in these studies towards using picture cues in reading were very beginning learners such as young children or poor readers. When the beginning learners were unable to pick up information from the print, they seemed
to spend more time on other forms of information, like picture cues, in the reading passages. Therefore, the beginning learners became less concentrated on the words, read more slowly to figure out the meanings in texts, and relied more on what they saw in the pictures than in the print. Picture cues failed to support the meaning made by the beginning learners due to the learners’ lack of language competence and inability to find links between the print and the picture cues. This is confirmed by one lower level interviewee in this study who indicated that picture cues couldn’t help her get main idea in reading because of her poor English. This case also showed that picture cues in reading may work when there was no large gap between students’
language proficiency level and the difficulty level of the passages. As the participants in this study were all eighth graders who were supposed to have at least 721 headwords to read 1000-headword short passages, their English level was not far from the difficulty level of the reading passages. For this reason, the participants in this study mostly benefited from the use of picture cues in their reading.
The findings of this study also proved that both higher and lower level students had significant improvement in their reading comprehension as indicated by recall with the use of picture cues. However, in Liu’s (2004) study, higher level students’
performances were not apparently enhanced by using comics in reading. Since the participants in Liu’s research were all adult ESL learners who had much experience in English learning, reading 250- or 300-word passages in the experiment could be an easy task for them, especially when they were regarded as higher level students.
Therefore, picture cues seem to offer redundant information. The students’ recall might not be enhanced as the students were able to comprehend well without the facilitation of picture cues or as picture cues didn’t compensate for the linguistic complexity to the students. One higher level interviewee in this study pointed out that
picture cues were not so helpful in reading because she was confident in her own English abilities and wouldn’t rely on the picture cues which couldn’t represent the details in print. Picture cues might function advantageously when the texts were challenging but not frightening to the students. As the reading passages in this study were a little more complicated than the reading in EFL junior high school students’
textbooks, the majority of the students could make use of the picture cues and then had better performances in recall.
In brief, considering the effects of picture cues, different reading abilities should be taken into account. To EFL junior high school students of this study, supplying a picture cue for reading texts made a significant difference in their comprehension and recall. Students’ comprehension presented by written recall overall increased, and this result conformed to the knowledge of relevant theories and findings (Fahnestock, 2003; Henry & Simpson; 2001; McVicker, 2007; Royce, 2002; Williams, 1995). But there was no evidence for the interaction between effects of picture cues and students’
English proficiency on recall in the present research. In other words, students at different English proficiency levels in this study can all benefit from the use of picture cues for improved recall.
Effects of Picture Cues on Text-perceptions
In addition to the enhancement in recall of English reading texts, picture cues also have different influences on EFL junior high school students’ text-perceptions when amusement, difficulty levels, clarity and memorability are taken into consideration.