Bringing fun and meaning into grammar learning: A case study of a secondary-level EFL class in Hong Kong

Congchao Hua,Bin Li,Kris Gritter

doi:10.1080/2331186x.2015.1111039

Congchao Hua, Bin Li + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186x.2015.1111039

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Abstract

AbstractPopular culture materials are generally believed to have positive effects on L2 learning. This study examined the effectiveness of popular culture materials in enhancing Hong Kong EFL students’ grammar learning. In a quasi-experimental design, 20 secondary school students were taught grammar in two ways: with the use of popular culture materials, and without using such materials. The participants were given tests prior to and after the grammar lessons to measure their gains from the two teaching methods and to compare such gains, if any. A semi-structured interview was conducted afterwards to gather EFL learners’ views on the use of the new instructional materials in grammar class. Our findings in pre/post tests showed that the adoption of popular culture materials had improved the participants’ performance on the target grammar items. Thus, our selected materials proved an effective tool to help the EFL learners with their grammar learning. Findings from the interview confirmed that the participa...

Highlights

English, as an official language in Hong Kong, is taught as a compulsory course in secondary schools (Luk, 2012)
This study investigated the use of popular culture materials in teaching English grammar in a secondary school in Hong Kong
One of the reasons for their low motivation is that textbooks serve as the major reference and resource for English learning, and their exposure to the authentic usage of the English language and to the English culture is often limited because Cantonese is “the key language for oral communication in many settings in Hong Kong” and “English remains an important language of the workplace, especially for written communication” (Bacon-Shone, Bolton, & Luke, 2015, p. 7)

Summary

Introduction

As an official language in Hong Kong, is taught as a compulsory course in secondary schools (Luk, 2012). EFL learners in Hong Kong are generally believed to lack self-motivation in learning English (Cheung, 2001). In view of this disadvantage, “Learning English through Popular Culture” was added as an elective module to the New Senior Secondary English Language Curriculum and the English Language Curriculum and Assessment Guide in 2009 by the Education Bureau, and has been promoted in secondary classrooms ever since (DeCoursey, 2012; Luk, 2012; Luk & Lin, 2015; Man & Poon, 2009). The adoption of popular culture materials in the second language (L2) classroom is generally proven to have positive impacts on L2 learning To address this research gap, our research aimed at examining the effectiveness of “learning English through popular culture” in secondary-level EFL learning (grammar learning in particular) in Hong Kong. Our findings may provide insights into the use of popular culture materials in similar L2 contexts

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