Sitcoms and EFL Learners’ Foreign Language Anxiety and Motivation for Learning

Mohammadreza Valizadeh

Abstract


The use of movies in EFL classes has attracted the attention of researchers interested in this area. The use of sitcoms, as a type of audio-visual material, for language learning has been studied but not extensively. This study examined the effect of sitcoms on EFL learners’ foreign language anxiety (FLA) and motivation for learning. A pretest/posttest experimental research design was used to collect the participants’ scores on motivation and FLA scales before and after the treatment. Two intact groups, each consisting of 35 language learners, who were evaluated as pre-intermediate language learners based on the language institute’s assessment standards, were selected and assigned to different conditions. FLA instrument and Foreign Language Learning Motivation Questionnaire (FLLMQ) were used to collect the data. The learners’ scores on the two scales and their components were estimated through running independent samples t-tests and Cohen’s test. The results revealed that watching sitcoms significantly affected the EFL learners’ motivation for learning. Sitcoms also decreased learners’ FLA and test anxiety. The use of sitcoms in the classroom is also feasible and practical in multimedia settings. Language learners can laugh and have fun while watching the videos. In order to prepare language learners for listening and speaking lessons, teachers are encouraged to offer sitcoms. The findings can be theoretically and practically used by language teachers.

Keywords


EFL Learners, Sitcoms, Foreign Language Anxiety, Motivation

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References


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