Interaction of Verbal and Non-Verbal Elements in Educational Comics

Abstract

The article describes the mechanisms of interaction between two sign systems – the verbal and non-verbal ones, exemplified by a German-language historical comics which we regard as a type of creolized text. It is revealed that the non-verbal components of the comics that are interacting with the verbal contents are aimed at the transfer of knowledge, thus stimulating the interest of the recipient and permanently fix in his mind the visual image of the events depicted in the comics. The purpose of the research is to study the mutual influence of verbal and non-verbal components which creates the circumstances for visual quickcomprehension by the recipient of the information transmitted. The peculiarities of interconnection between verbal and non-verbal components of a creolized text are considered at semantic, semantic-and-linguistic, and semantic-and-compositional levels. Factual information is noted to be expressed by means of verbal components, while time and place reference is communicated non-verbally. It is established that paragraphemic elements of different types (syngraphemic, supragraphemic, topographemic) perform an essential role in transmitting information. The author analyzes compositional-and-spatial elements of historical comics, such as layout and number of pictures, and identifies their functions of attracting attention to significant events, retarding the tempo of depicted actions. The colour coding in comics is shown to be semantically significant, as it introduces different time periods without additional verbal comments.