The Impact of Using Short Films on Learning Idioms in EFL Classes

Abstract

Having a good command of idioms of a foreign language is regarded as an important element in mastering that language. However, due to their opaque nature, extracting idioms’ figurative meaning appears to be a challenging endeavor for most foreign language learners. Grounded in the cognitive theory of multimedia learning, this study aimed to investigate the extent to which using short films has an impact on Saudi EFL learners’ receptive knowledge of idioms. Data were collected from 84 female undergraduate students at a university in Saudi Arabia using a pre- and post-test, a questionnaire, and a semi-structured interview. The findings revealed that the participants in the short films group significantly outperformed their counterparts in the blogger group. Moreover, the findings also showed that the participants had positive attitudes toward using short films to study idioms. In attempting to tackle the issue of how English idioms can be learned and taught effectively in the language classroom, the research findings provide helpful insights for both EFL teachers, learners, and curriculum designers. It is recommended for English teachers to become more acquainted with and adopt more flexible and engaging pedagogical methods such as short films in teaching idiomatic expressions to their learners. Employing short films as a complementary teaching material can further ease the burden of idiom learning and create a more motivating and engaging learning environment for the learner.