Podcasts

Before podcasts

After podcasts

PODCASTS

New technologies lead us to great developments and make our academic life extend the borders of boredom and official style. If blogging has come to replace book reading and essay writing then podcasting is here to provide us with various listening materials giving a great chance to speak and share our thoughts.

I was first introduced to podcasts during our English for Language teachers course. The opportunity to listen to  podcast episodes for different purposes and of various areas seemed to me fascinating. I felt that I was gaining a lot more new information with podcasts than if I were without them. I really agree with Professor Daniel Foster “to weed out class papers in favor of podcasts” because they are more practical and closer to real-life situations.

And this year our New technologies in TEFL course offered us to become  podcast creators. I was shocked. I didn’t expect such a great shift in my life. Previously I was in the opinion that people who created podcasts were real professionals but it turned to be an easy task: I only followed some instructions, downloaded Audacity and……

Podcast creation is very useful as it develops creative skills, contributes to mastering the whole material to be able to express your thoughts. Background music creates harmony and makes you feel relaxed.

I’m impressed and as a future TEFL professional I’ll use this tool to have student-creators. I liked the suggested activities when the students create recipes in dyads, exchange their recipes, critique and put their critiques into podcasts. Here the learners are not only creators but they also review their peers’ jobs.