Week 5: Podcast and its authenticity

Going back to my high school year, when I was not so confident in learning English, listening and reading were 'comparatively' easier than speaking and writing. It was because I can guess what speakers try to say even though I can't fully understand what they say. Strategies to improve listening skill at that time were 'Just listen' and 'Listen as much as you can' even though you don't fully understand contents. You will someday have ears to recognize words, phrases, pronunciation, intonation and rhythm; however I never knew when that day would come.

When I was first introduced to Podcast, I subscribed some american newspaper podcasts such as new york times and some english learning materials which was far above my level at that time. I wanted to expose myself to more authentic materials (just natural conversation among people and something native speakers listen in their daily lives) and topics that I am personally interested in even though I couldn't fully understand what they are talking about. It was definitely helpful to get used to native speakers' pace of speaking, pronunciation, intonation and some frequently used expression and words.

The most beneficial aspect of Podcast would be its authenticity. Unlike traditional listening materials which were recorded by speakers who speak in moderate pace with accurate pronunciation, content that Podcast offers varies in its topic, mode and speaker's pace and accent. It is different from listening to radio since once it is downloaded into your gadgets you can listen whenever and wherever you want. What I expect from using Podcast in language learning class is definitely different from using recorded tape or mp3 files. As O’Bryan and Hegelheimer said 'podcasts serve to motivate students by given them control over the input they receive and taking advantage of a popular technology that has potential for helping students improve their listening comprehension' ( O’Bryan and Hegelheimer, 2007, p.174) Not only teachers can choose Podcast to provide students interesting and class- related listening materials, but also students can choose topics they want to listen. Podcast seems a great tool to encourage students' self- learning, connect class with authentic material and offer alternative teaching method to teachers. Teachers can utilize Podcast in more creative ways such as creating their own Podcast about contents they cover in class or allow students to make their own Podcast to share with other students.

Picture from http://;2mastery.com/podcast