TEACHING ENGLISH TENSES THROUGH POPULAR MOVIES – A CASE STUDY

Abstract

The paper deals with teaching the Present Perfect and Present Perfect Continuous by using the scripts and clips from the blockbuster saga The Avengers. The relevance of this topic lies in the fact that grammar is traditionally considered a difficult aspect of learning a language. If we start including popular culture into the classroom and try to teach the grammar this way, we might make it easier for them to identify with the content that is traditionally considered uninteresting and difficult to master. The aim is to see whether teaching grammar through popular culture, set within a top-down approach of focusing on meaning (uses) rather than form, could prove to be effective. Another aim is to ascertain how 10 students (out of 20) from the experimental group would respond to this modern approach. A two-group experimental design was used and accompanied by a descriptive and statistical analysis. The testing technique was applied. The control group better mastered the form of the tenses, while the experimental group better mastered the meaning (uses) of the tenses. The latter group found the class more motivating. Teachers could consider teaching English grammar this way. However, to achieve better results, it would be advisable to focus on the form of the tenses as well.