Using Popular Culture to Promote Learning in EFL Classrooms: A Case Study

Popular culture is a motivational resource in EFL contexts. To date, scant efforts have been made to explore how this resource can be used through a sociocultural learning/teaching approach to facilitate learning. This study intends to investigate how a group project, which draws upon popular culture, can benefit EFL learners. The results may encourage EFL teachers to incorporate popular culture in the curriculum and inform them of how to make the best use of this motivational resource. Eighty-three freshmen whose English proficiency was diagnosed as intermediate at a private university in central Taiwan participated in this study. They were required to give Power-Point presentations on self-selected English songs in groups. Once this assignment was completed, the researcher conducted a survey to collect the participants’ gains from and feedback on this project. After the researcher gathered the survey responses, she analyzed the data quantitatively and qualitatively. The results suggest that this group project increased EFL learners’ confidence in their English skills. Besides, it seemingly developed these students’ essential skills for their current school work and future career. Finally, the findings also imply that this group project may benefit EFL learners more if the teacher extends presentation time, approves learners more flexibility and provides them more guidance.