A comparative analysis of Iranian EFL learners’ knowledge of idioms: A case of English Podcasts

The present study is an attempt to explore the effects of using podcasts on Iranian EFL learners’ idiomatic knowledge development. To achieve the goals of the study, the researcher employed a quantitative quasi-experimental design. The participants were ۲۴ EFL students (both male and female) whose L۱ was Persian. They were studying English for the purpose of participating in the IELTS. They were chosen based on their scores on Placement Test (IELTS mock-test) to ensure that they were homogeneous in terms of their level of language proficiency and were randomly divided into two groups: a podcast group(N=۱۲) and a conventional group(N=۱۲). Then, they received a teacher-made ۲۵ multiple-choice items from the “IELTS Speaking for Success” podcast episodes. After ۳۰ sessions, a reliable post-test which was parallel in form to the pre-test was administered to investigate the learners’ idiomatic knowledge development. The statistical analysis of the collected data revealed that there was a significant difference between the podcast and conventional group scores which indicates that learners have a remarkable positive attitude toward learning via podcasts. Moreover, using podcasts have a significant effect on EFL learners’ idiomatic development whose L۱ was Persian.

کلیدواژه ها:

idiomatic expressions ، podcast ، English ، idiomatic knowledge