PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Prágr, Libor
TI  - Reimagining ESL Literature Instruction: A Harry Potter Case Study in Film and Text Integration
DP  - 2025 Apr 1
TA  - e-Pedagogium
PG  - 45--54
VI  - 24
IP  - 4
AID - 10.5507/epd.2025.005
IS  - 12137758
AB  - The integration of literature into English as a Second Language (ESL) education has long been recognized for its benefits in providing authentic language exposure, fostering cultural awareness, and developing critical thinking skills. However, traditional literary instruction often struggles to maintain student engagement, particularly in multimedia-oriented learning environments. This study examines how visual storytelling, particularly film adaptations, can enhance the effectiveness of literary education in ESL by overcoming language barriers, providing contextual support, and promoting deeper narrative comprehension. As a case study, the popular Harry Potter book and film series was chosen, and the research employs a mixed-methods approach, analyzing responses from 127 high school and college students regarding their interaction with the selected books and films. The findings reveal significant differences between viewers who only watched the films and those who also read the books. Readers demonstrated a more sophisticated understanding of themes, characters, and narrative structure, whereas film viewers primarily perceived the story as action-driven and straightforward. The presented statistical analyses convincingly confirm the wellestablished fact that film can serve as an entry point into literature but does not replace the cognitive and linguistic benefits of reading. However, they also highlight the specific areas of perception, comprehension, and interpretation where the greatest differences lie between the textual and visual presentation of the story. The study advocates for a balanced pedagogical approach in which film is not a substitute for literature but a complementary tool to enhance student comprehension and motivation. Recommended strategies include guided comparative analysis, multimodal assignments, and creative student engagement with the text. The findings contribute to a broader discussion on multimodal education and provide valuable insights for optimizing ESL instruction through the integration of literary and visual storytelling.