Podcasts in the ESL Classroom

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I am assuming you are reading this because you have ESL students. Ever think of a way to better meet the need of a struggling ESL student? Well podcasts are an answer! “The word podcast has become popular in digital media over the last decade. Meng (2005, p. 1) described podcasting as “the process of capturing an audio event, song, speech, or mix of sounds and then posting that digital sound object to a Web site or ‘blog’ in a data structure called an RSS 2.0 envelope”  (Yugsán-Gómez et al., 2019). “In a way, the podcast is the modern version of radio programing. In essence, a podcast is an audio program produced either professionally or by an amateur about a certain topic. Some podcasts are about news and current events. Others are instructional, how to programs if you will” (Verner, 2015).



So why should you, an ESL teacher, care? Podcasts are an excellent resource for your school. Podcasts may help your students learn English in a wide range of ways. And there is a good reason why instructors enjoy podcasts... they are FREE! Did I say they are FREE?!



There are 9 ways to use podcasts in the classroom: listening comprehension, accent, as an example of something you want them to do, listen for specific words and fill in the blank, preview before reading, introduce new vocabulary, to start a discussion of opinions, write a reaction to the podcaster, and for homework. I will discuss some examples of what to do in the classroom. Students can listen to a brief podcast and then you can ask your students understanding questions after listening. It is also very helpful for ESL students to record themselves speaking. Then they can listen to that recording and evaluate their own speech.  If you are going to introduce new information to your students, a podcast can help. You can choose a podcast that is related to what you are teaching in the classroom that day to play for the students. It can switch things up. Another thing you may do is play a podcast about a subject your students might not agree on. Then use it for a class discussion on this issue as a springboard. Make sure everybody knows that it's all right to agree to disagree (Verner, 2015).



            Overall, “[p]odcasts are a great resource just waiting for you to tap in. They offer flexibility in subject matter, realism in presentation, and challenges in language for your students” (Verner, 2015). I would have never thought of these ways to use podcasts in the classroom. My favorite suggestion is playing a podcast the students may not agree on. It will spark conversation and it would be nice to hear everyone speak about something they are passionate about. I think depending on the age of your class will depend on how you implement podcasts in your instruction. Something that I would utilize in my classroom would be using podcasts for listening comprehension. 


References:

Verner, S. (2015, May 11). Top 9 Ways to Use Podcasts in the ESL Classroom. Busy Teacher. https://busyteacher.org/22450-podcasts-esl-classroom-top-9-ways.html

Yugsán-Gómez, W., Mejia-Gavilanez, P., Hidalgo-Montesinos, K., & Rosero-Morales, A. (2019). Podcasts as an educational tool for EFL educators. REIRE. Revista d'Innovaci i Recerca En Educaci, 12(12 (1)), 1. doi:10.1344/reire2019.12.121711

Comments

  1. Samantha S.October 2, 2021 at 3:57 PM

    I think podcasts are also a great resource. As a Special Edu Teacher, I often turn to listening comprehension rather than reading comprehension because my students have specific learning disabilities and reading comprehension is difficult for them. I love the fact that podcasts are a free resource and that they are easily accessible. I love your suggestion of playing a podcast that the students may not agree on to spark conversation!

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