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Using podcasts in the languages classroom
What is a podcast?
A podcast is an audio file published on the Internet for others to subscribe to, download or transfer on to mobile devices such as mp3 players or mobile phones and listen to on the move. For language learning, podcasts offer many opportunities for teachers and students alike. Teachers can create personalised audio materials for students to access outside of the classroom. Students can record their own spoken work and publish it to a real audience.
Podcasting opens up new possibilities for distance learning and enables listening and speaking skills to be practised at home, thereby allowing students to work at their own pace and level. Podcasts made by a teacher can include audio vocabulary guides, pronunciation practice, grammar explanations or revision for speaking exams. Likewise, pupil-produced podcasts can feature spoken work such as role-play practice, presentations, reports, songs and descriptions of grammar points. If accompanied by downloadable written support, students are given more choice on how they learn and their various learning styles are better catered for.
Learning how to podcast can be quite time-consuming in the first instance. However, this is time well spent as the resulting outcomes and effect on motivation should justify the initial input.
Key Features
Podcasting has great potential in the modern languages classroom for the following reasons:
- Ease of use: it is easy to make and edit digital audio recordings both in and out of the classroom
- Storage: recordings can be stored on a blog or podcasting portal for free
- Versatility: audio recordings can support a range of lesson activities such as role-plays and presentations and aid revision practice
- Diversity: podcasts made by native speakers can offer authentic listening opportunities on any number of themes, cultural as well as linguistic
- Portability: digital audio is transferable to handheld devices such as mp3 players and mobile phones
- Accessibility: podcasts can be downloaded outside of the school day and offer distance learning opportunities and revision practice
