The Effect of Situational Comedies on the Auditory Comprehension and Motivation of Iranian Intermediate EFL Learners

The Effect of Situational Comedies on the Auditory Comprehension and Motivation of Iranian Intermediate EFL Learners Abstract Situational comedies (sitcoms) have been used in EFL classrooms to promote authenticity and diversity for the language learners through watching movies. Several studies have been undertaken to investigate the impact of sitcoms on improving EFL learners comprehension of movies. However, the effectiveness of sitcoms in improving language learners auditory comprehension has not been studied sufficiently. In this study, the researchers used a quasi-experimental research design to examine the impact of sitcoms. 60 intermediate language learners out of a total of 120 were selected and then divided into control and experimental groups. Auditory comprehension tests and a motivation scale were used to collect the data. The Independent Samples-T-Test was used for data analysis. The results showed that the use of sitcoms had a significant impact on improving intermediate language learners’ auditory comprehension. The results also showed that the use of sitcoms positively affected the language learners’ motivation for learning English. It was concluded that EFL teachers needed to be aware of the importance of movies in general and sitcoms in particular and that sitcoms needed to be incorporated into curriculum for effective learning and for their appeal to learners. Keywords: Auditory Comprehension, Motivation, Situational Comedies, EFL Learners