In this post I’ll speak about learning English with podcasts. Let’s start with a definition of podcast (iPOD + broadCAST) from pcmag.com encyclopedia:
An audio broadcast that has been converted to an MP3 file or other audio file format [Podcasts can be available in a number of audio formats including WMA and AAC, though MP3 tends to be the most favoured format due to wide spread acceptance by pretty much all types of portable media devices.] for playback in a digital music player or computer. The "pod" in podcast was coined from "iPod," the predominant portable, digital music player, and although podcasts are mostly verbal, they may contain music. Using the RSS 2.0 syndication format, podcasts are made available to subscribers just like news feeds. The client program that captures the audio feeds and synchronizes them with the music player is a "podcatcher," such as Curry's own iPodder.
The definition itself suggests that the greatest advantage of podcasting is portability: you can listen to whatever you want wherever and whenever you want! Podcasts can be listened to online and even offline by downloading them on your computer, mobile phone, Ipod or any other Mp3 player. It's wonderful! Podcasts enable you to listen to TV and radio programmes, videos, conversations, lectures, news bulletins, interviews, documentaries and books at home, on your way to school or work,... All you need is a PC and a tool not much bigger than, let’s say, a lighter, which is called Mp3 player! True that something very similar was possible with walk-men or CD players, but the biggest difference is the easy and quickly access to plenty of freely downloadable podcasts and the great variety of podcast genres available, which is definitely without precedent.
I remember that, when I studied English in high school, the most cutting-edge technologies my English teacher might use were audio or videocassettes and CDs! This implies that listening activities could be done only on a small amount of stuff and only in a lab or in class provided that a VCR, a DVD player or a stereo was available! How things have changed!!! Nowadays we have thousands of English podcasts belonging to a wide range of text types (dialogues, reports, bulletins, lectures,…) and dealing with plenty of topics, from a beginner to an advanced level. However, I assume this is true only with reference to English…Unfortunately, I don’t think that podcasting has developed so much in other languages too.
By the way, your criticism is essential with so many podcasts! The Web is becoming a ‘rubbish can’ full of podcasts; some of which are really of poor help with language learning… In order to find out useful podcasts to learn English, I suggest you to search del.icio.us, podcastalley, or odeo (these last two allow you to browse podcasts by topics).
Here are four websites I subscribed to in order to be always updated on the most recent podcasts:
www.eslpod.com & www.china232.com/podcasts:
On both these sites you can listen to freely downloadable podcasts concerning any possible situation in daily life and, by clicking on the podcast titles, transcripts are available too. Podcasts are very didactic: they are followed by exhaustive and friendly explanations on the vocabulary used.
ESLPod.com has a singular approach to ESL learning with podcasts, which is well explained by this quote: "We believe the fastest way to improve your English is to listen to conversations and discussions you can understand. Many people try to improve their English by listening or reading things that are too difficult. They understand only 40-50%, which means they are wasting half of their time!" It’s so frustrating not to understand the greater part of what you are listening to! On ESLPod.com it’s impossible not to understand: it’s not that the language used is too easy, but that they provide English at a slower speed; in this way you have time to reflect on pronunciation, to memorize and take notes of new vocabulary. Of course, this is only a starting point to be able then to understand audioclips characterized by more natural English.
China232.com, instead, is a really useful tool to learn how a daily English conversation works. In the first part of each episode there is a dialogue on a given topic, while in the second part explanations about the expressions used are given in a dialogic style. This kind of podcasting is, therefore, particularly useful to learn real English, right intonation, rhythm, and speed in spoken conversations.
www.englishpod.com:
EnglishPod.com includes a huge ‘Podcast Archive’ dealing with business and regular English used in very common situations: giving feedback, being diplomatic, building relationships with people, making presentations, bargaining, making contact over the telephone, etc. Podcasts are arranged from an elementary to an advanced level so you can choose which ones to listen to. Unfortunately, while podcasts are free, transcripts, sample sentences, glossaries require paid subscription, yet even advanced-level podcasts are not very difficult and things are repeated several times, so that you have time to memorize and take notes of new structures.
www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/today:
This is the web page 'Today' from BBC Radio 4. There you can listen to today’s top news; latest reports on politics, international issues, science & nature, arts & culture; interviews with important and powerful people on current affairs. It’s a very useful tool to get used to formal speeches on major issues and to the language of broadcasts.
I can't wait for reading your comments ;-)
Elena
6 commenti:
Hello sweetie! =)
How are you? I read through your post and, as usual, I found it very interesting. You clearly gave a complete overview of the podcasts’ world.
First of all, you wrote the definition of this new term. As you say, ‘the definition itself suggests that the greatest advantage of podcasting is portability: you can listen to whatever you want wherever and whenever you want!’
I saw that we both review the same podcast: ESLPod.com. Did you listen to the podcast I suggested? The title was ‘Rethinking teacher training’. It’s very useful to have a clear idea of the advantages and disadvantages in being a teacher!
I definitely agree with you when you say that at high school, ‘the most cutting-edge technologies our English teacher might use were audio or videocassettes and CDs!’
I have only a grammar point to highlight: in the previews sentence, the modal ‘could’ suits better than ‘might’ because it clearly expresses that what you state take place in the past.
See you Elena!
Catch you later
Dear Elena,
I’ll be short. I loved your post! You expressed your ideas in a clear way! You used effective expressions in order to describe the podcasts you chose, highlighting both the strong and the weak points. Your posts are always well-written; they’ re coherent and cohesive! Good job!
Well, I visited all the podcasts you suggested and I found them very interesting. We both chose BBC radio 4. I loved it because you can find everything! There’s an incredible amount of podcasts ranging from politics to gossip, from top-stories to science and nature. You can listen to the latest news and improve your English, as well! Unlike podcasts created for English learners, you can listen to real news. Sometimes the exercises created for English learners are very boring and they have little to do with real life! On the contrary, BBC podcasts are so interesting!
See you later
Silvia
Hi Elena!
I enjoyed reading your post and I found no mistakes. I agree with Silvia when she wrote that you always write in a clear, cohesive, and coherent way! I think that in all your posts you always manage to express your thoughts very well…Good job!
I appreciated the fact that you first explained what podcasts are and that you quote an encyclopedic definition. I think you wrote an exhaustive description of each podcast. Well done!
I visited the first website you suggested us and I listened to the “café 112”. I agree with you when you wrote “On ESLPod.com it’s impossible not to understand: it’s not that the language used is too easy, but that they provide English at a slower speed; in this way you have time to reflect on pronunciation, to memorize and take notes of new vocabulary.” This podcast is a useful tool in order to improve your listening and pronunciation skills, but also your English vocabulary since the podcasts of this website deal with different topics. Fantastic!
That’s all for now!
Veronica
Hello Elena!
Among the different websites you suggested, I decided to listen to one of Englishpod.com, in particular one of Presentations. I like the fact that there are tags on the right, so that you can choose which topic you'd like to learn. What a pity that one must subscribe to have transcriptions! I think this is one of the best podcasts I've listened to. At the beginning they ask you questions, so that you can focus more on certain aspects, and then there are a lot of clear explanations about register and vocabulary. It's really helpful! ;-)
I think your post is a bit long but full of information. You make the reader clearly understand the different advantages and disadvantages of the websites you chose, so that we can make a good choice among them. Well done!
I didn't find any big mistakes in your text. Just a couple I like to highlight:
1- When I studied English in high school - I think "At the high school" is better.
2- This implies that listening activities - Here it is better if you use the preposition TO after listening.
I hope my comment will be helpful to you!
See You!
Dear girls,
Here I am to briefly reply to all your comments! Just a word: THANK YOU! You’re always so kind and give me really positive and encouraging feedback! I’m very pleased that you appreciated the podcasts I suggested; I must say that it takes me (like any of you!) a lot of time to carry out my e-tivities because I always feel very responsible, first of all, to me but to all of you as well!
Martina, I listened to ‘Rethinking teacher training’ podcast. Very interesting! I didn’t know anything before about how to become a teacher in the U.S.! I'll share with you something I’ve learnt! To become a teacher in the U.S., you need a 4-year bachelor degree, then you need to take courses in education and other training. In California and other states you have to do one or two more years of schooling in order to get a teaching credential: qualifications or a certificate that says you can teach! In some states you can even get a master’s degree (one to three years). The training includes a practicum: besides taking classes about education, you need to do student teaching (3 or 4 months under the supervision of an experienced teacher). Most states require that you take an examination (which tests basic skills) to get your teaching licence. Do you know what reciprocal agreements are? These agreements allow teachers to teach in different states within the U.S.; they’re essential since each state has its own rules about education. My sister is a young teacher at the primary school and I must say that nowadays the path a person has to take to become a teacher in Italy is not very different, right?
Kisses!
Elena
P.S.: Thank you for your grammar tips ;-) I’ll check them out! Keep on peer-reviewing my work!
Hi Elena!
This week I'm a bit late with my comments, but here I am!
Even commentig is quite a time-demanding activity because we first have to read our peer's posts, then visit the websites suggested and finally read all the comments other people left!
As I am the last one commenting your post I must say that there's little left to say...however, I can tell you my own impressions!
I definitely agree with Silvia when she says that: "Your posts are always well-written; they’ re coherent and cohesive!"
As for broadband, I'm old fashioned too, but unfortunately I live in a new neighbourhood and boradband has not yet arrived!
I look forward to have it...but I don't exactly know when it will be possible...maybe it will take years...I don't know!
For this very reason I can not listen to the podcast you all suggested, it would take too much time, but I think I'm going to do it tomorrow in the lab if I have time!
Anyway I had a look at the websites you suggested and, apart from the ESLPod which I already knew, I think that the BBC podcast looks very interesting, even if I only gave a general look to the website's layout!
I also agree with you whan you say that "The definition itself suggests that the greatest advantage of podcasting is portability: you can listen to whatever you want wherever and whenever you want!". Your explanations are always so good, well-done Elena!
As for peer-reviewing, I'd like to point out some little mistakes I found in your post:
- I checked it with the fantastic "Google fight", and it is not "walk-men" but "walk-man"!
Pay attention to silly mistakes like this, they can easily be avoided!
- As Marina already pointed out "I studied English in high school" is wrong; the right preposition here is "at".
- "This implies that listening activities could be done only on a small amount of stuff and only in a lab or in class provided that a VCR, a DVD player or a stereo was available!"
I think that this sentence is not clear enough, there's something wrong, it doesn't sound properly to me!
Check it out!
That's all for the moment...I know that peer-reviews may seem unpleasant, but I think that they're the real aim of this activity of commenting each other, as we can also improve our own language skills by seeing the mistakes other people do!
See you soon Elena!
Camilla
PS: I really like the links to the songs you like...I love Robbie Williams too...and I've already heard "Angels" live twice, that's great listening to the croud singing it tigether with Rob...breathtaking!
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