Linguistic Analysis of Selected TV Cartoons and Its Impact on Language Learning

The new generation is fascinated by the overwhelming exposition of media. Today, media is performing powerful role in the mental growth and emotional development of children. At the very first stage of cognitive development, children copy the words and expressions used in their surroundings. Cartoons and language used in them directly affect cognitive and linguistic development of children. The present study dissects the linguistic patterns and ideologies used in cartoons shown in Pakistani media. It further attempts to overlook the impact of linguistic features of cartoons on language learning propensities of children. The study adopted mixed method research design by following qual-quan approach. The linguistic analysis of the cartoons was done qualitatively whereas its impact on children’s language was measured through quantitative way. 100 students and 100 teachers were selected to determine the sample by applying random sampling technique. Self-developed questionnaire was used to collect data from the respondents. The collected data shows that cartoons are source of education, entertainment and information for children. Children can improve their language competencies by watching cartoon. However, students were found using many Hindi words in their daily conversation. Linguistic benefits of cartoon language collide with the cultural threats faced by a large number of parents. The findings of the study recommend that children should be shown level oriented and culturally specific cartoons so that students may get maximum linguistic benefits from them.


Introduction
Linguistic analysis means the description of the language with regards to its morphologic, syntactical and semantic structure.The new generation of the world is certainly fascinated by the digital media as they are born and being raised in an environment which remains overwhelmed and obviously dominated by the technological explosions from the last two decades.Smart phones, I-pads and internet are accessible 24/7 to even 3 or 4 years old children.The purpose of all these technologies is to keep children involved and provide them information and entertainment.There is no doubt that cartoons are most entertaining aspect of childhood.We have all grown up watching cartoons like pink panther, Sesame Street, woody wood pecker.All these cartoons were less violent and more entertaining and informative.On the other side, there are more educationally oriented cartoon programs like, Dora the explorer sesame street john.
On the down side it is very surprising to know that some cartoons harm students' growth process.We can see our children imitating the violent gestures and repeating vocabulary from Ben 10, the Simpson and Bheem etc.The American academy of child and adolescent psychiatry (AA Cap) says that children who show violence in their behaviour, it is because of what they see.We should encourage young students to watch cartoons that are informative and enhance their learning.Comic cartoons are integral part of children's life.We can't avoid the negative effects of digital media; however we can adopt certain measures to use it positively and to engage our students by helping them grow into moderate, intellectual and cooperative individuals rather than fall victim to catastrophes of unsurprised and unlimited cartoon language.

Statement of the Problem
To what extent cartoons are playing positive or negative role?This is the problem that this study focuses its attention.There is no doubt that cartoons are means of entertainment, education, and information from educational point of view, we should encourage children to watch cartoons and comics as educational cartoons increase children's language proficiency and linguistic abilities.English is rated as the second language for Pakistani a child that's why they feel lot of difficulties in writing and speaking this specific language.So by watching cartoons, they have the chance to improve the English language.By watching cartoon, they know the right accent of words.Cartoons can be the best resource of developing their linguistic competencies and improving their art of communication.But all these are possible when children watch cartoon which are scrutinized by parents.
Cartoons sometime misinform the children in real life as is the case of Pakistani social and cultural scenario is concerned.The language and culture shown in cartoons directly trigger the neuro-cognitive framework of students' brains.However, there lies a lot of diversity in seeking or gaining positive or negative impact of these cartoons.Some cartoons are informative and full of education like Dora the Explorer, Sesame Street, Mena Ki Kahani etc. but on the downside, there are varieties of cartoons which harm student's growth process.Cartoons like Ben 10 and Ninja Turtle create violent gestures in students.It is understood that we can't avoid digital media but it is our duty to watch out kids whether they are using this technology positively or the otherwise.

Research Objectives
1) To find out the linguistic features in the language used in cartoons.
2) To check the impact of cartoons on student's writing skills.
3) To find out how other languages are influencing the student's speaking ability.4) To identify the means in which Pakistani values are mis/represented.

Research Questions
1) What kind of linguistic features are used in the language of cartoons?
2) What are the advantages and disadvantages of language of cartoon on students' writing skills?
3) What is the impact of cartoon language on students' speaking skills?4) To what extent cartoons represent / misrepresent Pakistani culture and society?

Significance of the Study
The language plays important role in our life and in our society.Language is the way of expression.We express our ideas, feelings and emotions through language so the importance of language can't be denied.This study may prove helpful for those who want to improve the language proficiency among the children through effective exposure of cartoons.Moreover, this study is significant for the better understanding of the role of cartoon language.The language of cartoon use special kind of linguistic features, stylistic and literary device to educate, entertain and to fascinate the students.This study is helpful for the teachers and parents to keep a check on the media and cartoons being shown to children at a very tender age.

History of Cartoons
The first motion picture was made in the late eighteenth century by using animation cartoon movies are made in starting a funny film was prepared for amusing and educating the children (Thompson, 2010).At the initial stage, cartoons were in short form.The reason is that people like these shorts in the movie theatres before they see feature film.After that the cartoons were shown on TV and it got a longer time.Today, cartoons have become integral part of children's life.They watch cartoon shows keenly.When cartoons were presented on TV, it got longer time.The simple meaning of cartoon is drawing a sketch in newspaper or in magazine.The exact meaning of "cartoon" comes from the Italian word "carton" which means "big paper" and it is used for drawing or art work which is made on paper.The real meaning of cartoon means large size sketch made on paper.During the sixteenth century, cartoons were first used for fresco painting peter Paul Rubbers is one of the renowned artist who showed a collection of cartoons for tapestries.

Types of Cartoons
There are five types of cartoons which are very famous: that what is written on school book and on advertisement.It has no double meaning and personification like political and other type of cartoons.It used for similar purpose as its function to high light the many key point in which was written on school books.

Impact of Cartoons on Children's Learning
As everybody knows that cartoon is favourite thing for children.They feel great by watching cartoons.Even children when they are infants, at the age of five or six months, they started to watch cartoons, in this way, they become a good viewer of cartoons.Because they sit in front of television, they show great happiness even they started to recognize their favourite cartoon character.This thing create problem when children watch too much cartoon.Famous proverb is that excess of everything is bad.Today, children are addicted to watch cartoons.
The cartoons marketing make use of this weakness of the children.Because children are innocent they do not know that everything must have some limits otherwise it will be dangerous to their mind and health.We should create awareness among children that balanced is the name of life.They should watch cartoon, no doubt cartoons give entertainment and opportunity to relax the mind of children.It is the responsibility of the parents to make the life routine of their children balanced.It is not a fault of children that today they are addicted to watch cartoon all the time but it is the fault of parents who make their life to do so.

Psychological and Mental Impact of Cartoons on Children
The proverb is "A man does what he sees".This formula is definitely applicable on children.What kind of cartoon content they watch, their mental and psychological condition will develop like this.Today, cartoon's content is full of violence and terrorism.When children watch the literature of violence, how can we expect from them that they become a good citizen, dislike guns and violence?When they watch their favourite character is playing with guns and booms.Definitely they think about it right because whatever the hero does is right thing.The research shows that most of the students or children feel inclination to play with guns.That's why the toy guns are favourite toy of boys.Cartoons are not only change children's behaviour but also changing their language.Children's behaviour are changed; they do not remain innocent what they were in past.
A child of today is much more intelligent, clever, and sharp than the past.It would not be wrong to say that media and cartoon has snatched his innocence.The research says that watching too much cartoons create a mental and psychological emotional problems.Unfortunately, cartoon shows glorify the use of guns and violence.When these entire element will be the content of cartoon.How can be we hopeful about the good and constructive growth of the children.Parents should ensure that the content of what their children is watching is supportive and contributing to their health state of mind or not.Today, the mental and psychological growth of children is influenced by the wrong content of cartoons.It is the duty of parents to avoid this danger and take initiative steps to stop mental and psychological disadvantages.

Linguistic Features and Language of the Cartoons
Linguists and educationists agree on the point that students learn a lot by watching cartoons and it has deep impact on their learning.In past, students were who can speak excellent English.It was considered that he must have been to English university.According to Clark (2002) from pedagogical point of view the importance of cartoon is very valuable.Cartoons give the learner atmosphere in which he finds himself engage and create the scene to enhance his abilities and his listening and speaking abilities unconsciously increased.Doring (2002) argued that there is no doubt that there is a great effect of the language of cartoons on learning.He further said that learner create his oral capabilities so that he answer the question.This make is learner's brain productive.He can do something by himself.He knows to use his brain.This thing gives him a confidence and makes his work interesting and valuable.Another study conducted by Rule and Auge, 2005.The previous results show that for language learning student give importance to cartoons because cartoons motivate them give new ideas new way of learning they can improve their speaking and listening skills research shows all linguists are agreed on this point students who was watch cartoons, they have chance to make them confident.They can improve their language skills and gain higher goal of their future.Baharam and sin (2012) carried out a quantitative research and find out the result that the students these who are weak in their studies and they are slow learner in acquiring language proficiency.Linguists suggest for them watching cartoon would increase their language ability.Students unconsciously observe the sentence and dialogue of the cartoon and try to adopt their accent.
One of most striking quality of cartoon is repetition.In cartoons characters repeat their dialogue, though the repetition of words sentences.Students have a chance to correct and improve language proficiency.Moreover students succeeded to achieve the target language (Hague 2015) Linguists says when a student adopt new language it effect on his personality and ultimately change his cultural values.This change is called mirroring.When children see cartoon, obviously positive characters are liked by them.And they went to adopt their personality their dressing, ways of spoken language.They discuss their humour, values, adventure.For learning a language positive atmosphere is essential for a learner.Without this a learner is not to able learn anything else.(Aboudan 2013).There is a very interesting element in cartoons.Learner learns the language without knowing that he is learning the language.This positive element reduces the pressure of being aware learning something.In this way, student learns a lot without pressure of learning.For example a child revise different words which he listen from the cartoon which remain unconsciously remain in his mind.This is called "suggestopedia".
It means a process in which a learner learns the foreign language in delightful and playful manner.According to Bahrani and Sims (2012)'s suggestopedia, repetition plays important role in the process of learning.For example, one student tells his own childhood's experience when he was a child, he used to watch English cartoons when he did not understand anything he revised that segment again and again.This method of watching cartoons makes my language proficiency better.These are also many students who have good pronunciation just because of observing, listening the language of cartoons.Linguists come on this conclusion; language acquisition would possible and effective by listening and watching cartoons.

Research Methodology
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of animated cartoons on language learning of the children.The research design was exploratory in nature.The mixed method approach was applied to gather, analyze and interpret the data.The qualitative methodology was used to analyse and interpret the information gathered from cartoon programs, whereas quantitative approach was applied to analyzed data obtained from students and teachers.The population of this study comprised of the animated cartoons shown at Pakistani TV channels.However, only one cartoon program "Chhotta Bheem" was taken as accessible population of the study.Furthermore, 100 teachers and 100 students at elementary level were selected as sample of the study.The sample for this research was selected from the students and teachers of govt.Schools of Bahawalpur district.Proportionate random sampling technique was used to determine equal number of male and female participants.On the other hand, selected lines from 50 episodes of Chota Bheem cartoons were selected for content analysis by using purposive sampling technique.Data was collected by administering questionnaire among students and teachers.It consisted of 45 items in which respondents were asked about their favourite cartoon programs, frequency of watching cartoons, and the impact of cartoons on learners' academic life.The validity and reliability of questionnaires was ensured in the pilot testing phase.The cronbach alpha level of students' and teachers' questionnaires was .83 and .79respectively.After obtaining the acceptable level of reliability, questionnaires were administered among the participants of the study.Data collected from cartoon programs was analyzed through the technique of content analysis.However, data collected from questionnaires was analyzed by using descriptive statistics technique to measure the frequency, percentage and mean value of the responses.The study was delimited to the govt.and private schools of district Bahawalpur.

Findings and Discussions
This section deals with the interpretation of data collected from cartoon analysis.Students' favourite television cartoons were selected for linguistic analysis and it is observed there is great difference between the language used in them and the language spoken in Pakistani society.The table shows that there are many words being used by students in their everyday language.Many Hindi words are found in their language which is affecting badly their native language and has deep impact on them.Moreover, cartoons are consciously promoting Hindi language to new generation.Students are using many Hindi words about the universe in their everyday language.This shows that Hindi language words are being promoted          would confuse the child with which he or she experiences in real life.Negative content could lead a child to doubt his or her raising, way of thinking, life style.A character with negative qualities appears on the screen as s hero will definitely mislead to children's abilities and destroy their mental growth.Cartoons can be used as a productive tool for learning or destructive tool as well.It is recommended that material should be checked properly before presented through cartoons.So that maximum benefit can be achieved from these cartoons.

Interpretation of Data obtained Through Content Analysis
programs toons give new ideas to stude toons give new ideas to stude Ten give the students hope a Ten give the students hope a dent's violent behavior due to dent's violent behavior due to toons spoils moral, social and toons spoils moral, social and an cartoons influence your li an cartoons influence your li toons are means of education toons are means of education fer watching cartoons than ph fer watching cartoons than ph nd excessive time in watchin nd excessive time in watchin oy comic cartoons Govt.
whil ld reacts or speaks what ld reacts or speaks what

Table 1 .
The data collected from cartoons