Johanna Schicker’s Weblog

This week, I like to present you an excerpt from the PRAXIS Fremdsprachenunterricht magazine. It is not about a project which was already implemented but deals with the possibility of using podcasting in the EFL classroom.

General Backgroundinformation:

Nowadays, oral communication and listening comprehension has a higher importance than ten years ago and is therefore an essential part in the educational curricula. Hence, we have to find interesting and authentic possibilities to involve this skill into lessons. Peter Bühler, teacher at a secondary school in Saarlouis and author of the article, is convinced of using Podcasting as one possibility to ameliorate listening comprehension of students today.

The term Podcast is a blend, consisting of the brand name iPod (portable MP3 Player from Apple) and the verb broadcast, and is used for audio datas which are downloaded from the internet and played – back via computer or MP3 player.

Why podcasts in school?:

According to Mister Bühler, teachers have to make use of this method in order to provide authentic and modern material for their students. Radio station and TV channel, e.g., offer a wide range of Podcasts in the internet which could be downloaded and used in class. Another advantage is the simple handling and less complexity: you don’t need a complex technical knowledge in order to download and use podcast in an appropriate way.

Furthermore, Bühler sees an advantage in the authenticity of podcasts: radio stations and TV channels like bbc, e.g., mainly produce their podcasts for native speakers and are therefore useful (for an advanced course) in upper schools – if they are not overextending and too hard to understand.

Another advantage is the currency: as there is the possibility to get a free suscription, you can receive podcasts including current news and topics each week. Concering the US polls, e.g., there are many many podcast you could have used in class…. Bühler also states, that it has a motivating effect on students if we are involving a “fashionable object from their daily life”. In addition, it demonstrates that school and learning process is not old fashioned and respects the current “medial behaviour” of the youth today: As a current study shows, nearly every teenager owns and uses a MP3 player (only 1tenth of the teenagers do not own and/or use this media tool).

Ideas for school:

• Students could do an internet research and look for podcasts on a specific topic. Furthermore, the results could be collected and burned/recorded on a CD.
• Students could produce a role play or radio play which could be published as a podcast
• The school could establish a “school radio” where students produce certain articles which could be uploaded as podcasts on the school homepage
• …

“Podcasting is becoming a bit of a big deal in the internet world, doing for audio web what blogging has done for text – making the production and dissemination of audio available to all; putting the means of production in the hands of the many!”

(Leach 2006)

Finally, I really like to recommend the article to you: you can find it in the English library (WR D, 2. floor) : PRAXIS Fremdsprachenunterricht, 1-2008. It also includes an interesting article on Wiki, blog & co in the EFL classroom.