Impact of Teaching Grammar through Humor on Iranian EFL Learners

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the impact of teaching grammar through humor on Iranian EFL learners. To this end, after the administration of a Solution Placement test, a total of 60 female pre-intermediate participants in a private institute in Isfahan, aged between 14 to 18 were selected and then randomly assigned to two groups of control and experimental (N=30). Following the pretest, the control group received instruction through the traditional way of teaching grammar and the experimental group received instruction through humor in six sessions; then the posttest, and delayed posttest were administrated. The results of t-test analysis for post and delayed posttest revealed that the participants in experimental group outperformed the control group in the short- and long-terms. The attitudes of participants were examined through interviewing 10 participants, chosen randomly from experimental group. Analysis of interviewing the participants demonstrates that they had positive attitudes towards teaching grammar through humor. Hopefully, the findings of this research study suggest the pedagogical value of humor for the teaching of grammar that can be used by EFL teachers, curriculum designers, and EFL learners.