The Study of the Effects of Project-Based Learning on Iranian EFL Learners’ Idiom Learning and Retention

The Study of the Effects of Project-Based Learning on Iranian EFL Learners’ Idiom Learning and Retention

The present study is a comparative investigation into the effect of project-based learning on Iranian EFL learners’ idiom learning. The researcher intended to find out whether retention of English idioms could be obtained through applying project-based learning. To this end, a sample of 60 EFL learners in one of language institutes in Qazvin was selected using PET. First, they were randomized into a control group and an experimental group. Then, each group was provided with 50 idioms which were not known by even one learner. These idioms were presented to the learners over 10 sessions, for each session 5 idioms. The control group received the idioms with their meanings and some examples to understand the usages of idioms, however, the learners were not supposed to do any treatments. They just learned and memorized the idioms for each session. The experimental group received the same idioms as control group did. However, they had to make some projects such as wallpapers, animations, power points, paintings, drawings, or any projects that could make the idioms in a pictorial form related to usage of the idioms in the real life. After this 10-session treatment, learners’ learning and retention of instructed idioms were tested through using an immediate post-test and a delayed one. The collected data were analyzed through SPSS software. Results of ANCOVA statistical procedure showed that applying projectbased learning has a significant effect on learners’ idiom learning and retention.

The present study is a comparative investigation into the effect of project-based learning on Iranian EFL learners’ idiom learning. The researcher intended to find out whether retention of English idioms could be obtained through applying project-based learning. To this end, a sample of 60 EFL learners in one of language institutes in Qazvin was selected using PET. First, they were randomized into a control group and an experimental group. Then, each group was provided with 50 idioms which were not known by even one learner. These idioms were presented to the learners over 10 sessions, for each session 5 idioms. The control group received the idioms with their meanings and some examples to understand the usages of idioms, however, the learners were not supposed to do any treatments. They just learned and memorized the idioms for each session. The experimental group received the same idioms as control group did. However, they had to make some projects such as wallpapers, animations, power points, paintings, drawings, or any projects that could make the idioms in a pictorial form related to usage of the idioms in the real life. After this 10-session treatment, learners’ learning and retention of instructed idioms were tested through using an immediate post-test and a delayed one. The collected data were analyzed through SPSS software. Results of ANCOVA statistical procedure showed that applying projectbased learning has a significant effect on learners’ idiom learning and retention.