Blog Post — 10
Throughout the years, teachers have been implementing various techniques for skills development in English, and podcasting is one of them. The use of podcasts is not recent but widespread lately.
Let’s begin with the definition of the podcast. A podcast is a digital audio that is accessible whenever and wherever through digital devices with an internet connection. Podcasts have four types. Authentic podcasts are produced by natives with no aim for language development. Educator podcasts, also called webcasting, are about educational technology presented live for a large audience. Teacher podcasts are produced by the teachers for specific purposes and used in the classes. Student podcasts are produced by the students about any topics provided. As for me, the one we should emphasize is students podcasting.
Considering the characteristics of students in today’s era, it is essential to give them opportunities to adopt technology as a part of their learning. Creating a podcast on their increases their self-esteem and motivation, which affects their listening skills positively. Focusing on listening skills development, podcasting has a positive impact on students’ listening comprehension. Plus, students perceive podcasts as authentic materials and they are more motivated and interested when completing activities related to the podcasts (Abdulrahman, 2018).
Podcasts have other benefits as well. Dmytriieva (2018) says the interactive discussion under the podcasts gives students a chance to participate in real-life communication with other students around the world and discuss the information they gained from that podcast. Another benefit is they are available all the time. They have various contents, and the use of podcasts enables students to learn at their own pace.
To sum up, in terms of improving students’ listening skills, motivation and self-esteem, podcasts play a significant role in EFL classes. Hence, more emphasis should put on implementing podcasting in the EFL learning environment.
References:
Abdulrahman, T., Basalama, N., & Widodo, M. R. (2018). The Impact of Podcasts on EFL Students’ Listening Comprehension. International Journal of Language Education, 2(2), 23–33.
Dmytriieva, O. (2018). Using podcasts for teaching English (through the example of “English with Oleseya” radio English lessons and podcasts).
