Is the Amazing Spiderman an appropriate reading material for Japanese English as a Second Language Learners?

Author : Stuart McLean

Abstract : This study investigates the lexical appropriateness of 28 issues of The Amazing Spider-Man for Japanese upper-intermediate English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. Extensive Reading (ER) with lexically appropriate texts (comprehension at ≥95% of running words) is known to improve reading skills, vocabulary, and target culture knowledge. However, limited L2 reading motivation, potentially due to restricted storylines in some ER materials, is often cited as a cause of Japanese EFL learners’ motivation to read. As a result, Japanese EFL learners fail to read extensively enough to benefit from reading in English their second language. However, comic books, particularly, in the form of manga in Japan, are often read voluntarily. Thus, this study considers the appropriateness of such materials among Japanese EFL learners. Results indicate that The Amazing Spider-Man meets the lexical appropriateness threshold for upper-intermediate Japanese learners or learners who can comprehend the first 1,500 to 2,000 most difficult words of English. Furthermore, the study suggests that repetition, textual enhancement, and visuals in comics support comprehension and learning.

Keywords : Vocabulary, learning, testing, automatic marking, self-learning, diagnostic.

Conference Name : International Conference on American Literature and Comics (ICALCO-25)

Conference Place : London, UK

Conference Date : 31st Dec 2025