Podcasting for ELT Submitted by TE Editor on 17 November, 2005 - 12 00 !

"at are #odcasts, $"y mig"t your students benefit from %istening to t"em, and "o$ mig"t you go about using and #roducing t"em&

!"at #odcasting is Ty#es of ELT #odcasts 'sing #odcasts in c%ass and for "ome$or( )o$ to subscribe Producing your o$n #odcast !"at you need *onc%usion !"at #odcasting is Podcasting +a #ortemanteau of t"e $ords iPod and broadcasting, is t"e name given to t"e #ub%is"ing of audio +usua%%y m#- fi%es, via t"e .nternet, designed to be do$n%oaded and %istened to on a #ortab%e m#- #%ayer of any ty#e, or on a #ersona% com#uter/ Podcasting "as no$ become #o#u%ar as an a%ternative $ay of #roviding 0radio0 ty#e content t"at can be %istened to $"enever, $"erever and as many times as t"e %istener $ants/ T"e idea t"at a #odcast can be #roduced by 1ust about anyone $it" access to t"e .nternet "as generated a %ot of interest in educationa% circ%es/ .n ELT, t"e a##ea% is not on%y in #roviding additiona% %istening in#ut for students, but t"at students t"emse%ves can become invo%ved in recording and #roducing t"e #odcast/ Ty#es of ELT #odcasts T"ere are various ty#es of #odcasts you can use $it" your students 2ut"entic #odcasts Podcasts t"at are not aimed at ELT students can often be a ric" source of %istening/ 3ost of t"ese $i%% on%y be suitab%e for use $it" "ig"er %eve% students, but ot"ers, suc" as Sus"i 4adio are made by non-native s#ea(ers of Eng%is" and t"eir %engt" +5-10 minutes, ma(e t"em idea% for use $it" c%asses/ Teac"er #odcasts Produced by teac"ers, often for t"eir o$n c%asses, t"ese #odcasts are usua%%y aimed at "e%#ing students %earn by #roducing %istening content t"at is not avai%ab%e e%se$"ere, or t"at gives a %oca% f%avour/ T"e 5ai%y .diom and 3adrid 6oung Learner #odcasts are t$o very different ty#es of teac"er-#roduced #odcast/ Student #odcasts Produced by students, but often $it" teac"er "e%#, your students can %isten to t"ese and e7#erience t"e cu%ture and "ear about t"e %ives and interests of ot"er students from around t"e $or%d/ Eng%is" *onversations, for e7am#%e is a #odcast %arge%y made by students for students/ 2not"er interesting e7am#%e is t"e #odcast created by t"e 8udan university "ig" sc"oo% students in *"ina/ .n addition to student #odcasts, t"ere are a%so ot"ers t"at can be usefu% for teac"er #rofessiona% deve%o#ment/

Educator #odcasts S"o$s suc" as *om#re"ensib%e .n#ut and 9it by 9it are ref%ective #odcasts t"at cover met"odo%ogica% matters as $e%% as #odcasting for ELT teac"ers/ Ed Tec" Ta%( is a more genera% s"o$ about educationa% tec"no%ogy, $"ic" is recorded %ive +t"is is ca%%ed $ebcasting, using free .nternet te%e#"ony and t"en #rovided as a #odcast/ 3ore #odcasts for students can be found by %oo(ing at directories suc" as Eng%is"caster, $"ic" is directed at students and teac"ers of Eng%is", or ot"er more genera% directories suc" as Podcast 2%%ey, $"ic" "as a %arge educationa% section/ 'sing #odcasts in c%ass and for "ome$or( 3ost #odcasts use a $eb%og as t"eir "ome#age/ !"en you visit t"e b%og you s"ou%d see %in(s to audio fi%es/ Podcasts can t"en be do$n%oaded and transferred to a #ortab%e m#- #%ayer, recorded to *5-4:3 for use in c%ass, or students can be directed to t"em for se%f-study #ur#oses on t"e com#uter/ .n addition, many of t"e ELT #odcasts come $it" transcri#ts to "e%# understanding/ )o$ to subscribe 2%t"oug" you can do$n%oad a #odcast by c%ic(ing on t"e %in( to t"e audio fi%e from a $eb#age, t"e easiest $ay to become a regu%ar %istener to a #articu%ar #odcast is t"roug" 4SS subscri#tion to t"e #odcast/ 'sua%%y t"e %in( to t"is 4SS subscri#tion feed $i%% be advertised t"roug" an orange button $it" t"e $ords 04SS0 or 0feed0 on it/ 4SS stands for 04ea%%y Sim#%e Syndication0/ To do t"is, you sim#%y co#y and #aste t"e address of t"e 4SS feed into t"e your 4SS reader #rogramme/ T"e advantage $it" subscribing is t"at t"e soft$are automatica%%y do$n%oads t"e subscribed #odcasts to your m#- #%ayer or com#uter, $it"out you "aving to go searc"ing for u#dated content/ Producing your o$n #odcast Producing a radio s"o$ "as %ong been a #o#u%ar #ro1ect c"oice, es#ecia%%y $it" young %earners/ .n t"e #ast t"e audience for t"is s"o$ $ou%d "ave been t"e c%ass members and t"e teac"er/ No$ students "ave t"e o##ortunity to reac" a $ider audience by offering t"eir radio s"o$ as a #odcast on t"e !or%d !ide !eb/ :ne advantage of recording a s"o$ and u#%oading it to t"e !eb is t"at your students $i%% #robab%y ta(e more care $it" t"e #re#aration, (no$ing t"at it cou%d be #otentia%%y %istened to by #eo#%e a%% over t"e $or%d/ 2fter discussing and #%anning t"e contents, t"e %earners s"ou%d be invo%ved in $riting and re$riting scri#ts $"ic" t"ey $i%% revise $it" t"eir c%assmates +and %ater t"eir teac"er, ensuring t"at t"e content is understandab%e and t"ere are no mista(es/ T"ey $i%% t"en re"earse t"e s"o$ before fina%%y recording it/ 8ina%%y, t"e students can invite t"eir fami%y and friends to %isten to it/ T"e fact t"at t"ey "ave a rea% audience for t"eir s"o$ s"ou%d act as a great motivator/ !"at you need To be ab%e to #roduce your o$n #odcast, you re;uire

2 means of recording audio in t"e m#- fi%e format 6ou can do t"is on a P* e;ui##ed $it" s#ea(ers and a micro#"one/ )o$ever, if you $ant to record students in your c%assroom, you $i%% need a "and"e%d m#- #%ayer $it" recording faci%ities/ 2udio editing soft$are T"e #rogram 2udacity is a #o$erfu% free too% t"at is #o#u%ar $it" many #odcasters/ 2%t"oug" you can sim#%y record t"e s"o$ in order, using a too% suc" as 2udacity a%%o$s you to edit out t"e mista(es, c"ange t"e order of students and add music and sound effects, creating a more #rofessiona% s"o$/ 5on0t $orry, 2udacity is remar(ab%y easy to use/ 2 $eb%og T"is is your #odcast0s "ome on t"e !eb/ )ere you can #ub%is" s"o$ notes to accom#any t"e #odcast/ 2n 4SS feed 2 subscri#tion feed t"at su##orts 0enc%osures0 is avai%ab%e free at 8eedburner/ 8eedburner ma(es it very easy to #roduce t"e feed t"at #eo#%e use to subscribe to #odcasts/ T"e feed is created by tic(ing c"ec(bo7es in a %ist/ S#ace on%ine to store t"e audio fi%es T"ere are no$ some sites suc" as :ur 3edia t"at offer t"is for free/ *onc%usion Li(e any aut"entic materia%, #odcast audio or creating a #odcast can be rea%%y motivating/ .t $i%% ta(e u# a %ot of your time t"oug", but for your students t"e #otentia% benefits can be "uge/ T"e 99* and 9ritis" *ounci% are not res#onsib%e for t"e content of e7terna% $eb sites, neit"er do $e endorse t"em/ T"ese are t"e recommendations of t"e $riter/ 8urt"er reading 6ou can 1oin an emai% discussion %ist for ELT #odcasters/ Podcasting for ELT "tt# <<grou#s/ya"oo/com<grou#<#odcasting=e%t< T"ere is a%so an emai% discussion %ist for #odcasting in genera% education PodcastingEducation "tt# <<grou#s/ya"oo/com<grou#<Podcasting-Education< .f you "ave any suggestions or ti#s for using #odcasting in t"e c%ass you $ou%d %i(e to s"are on t"is site, contact us/ >ra"am Stan%ey, 9ritis" *ounci%, 9arce%ona