When I first read the title of our e-tivity 6 I was a little worried. I started thinking: “Podcasts…what are they? Will I be supposed to use another tool for feed aggregation, posting or doing something still unknown to me?”. But soon I realized that I had already listened to that word before. But where or when? I still can’t remember. Maybe I just used podcasts without knowing what they exactly were. Anyway, the most important thing is that NOW I have a clear idea of what a podcast is: it is a media file which can be downloaded from the net to your personal computer or mp3 player. In this way you can listen to or watch it whenever you prefer or just when you need it. This kind of file is spreading a lot lately and many sites offer their own podcasts about a huge amount of topics (radio or TV shows, private messages, university lectures, amateur music groups and so on).
Apart from music, TV and radio, I think that podcasts can be really useful for us as English learners. A huge quantity of them is in English (I would say the majority of them), so you can find whatever you need to improve your listening and comprehension skills. Moreover, by doing that you can improve your pronunciation, as well. So…no excuse! This is a real revolution in learning a foreign language in my opinion. Some years ago the only way to listen to mothertongue speakers was going to their country. Now everything can be found in the net. In particular, if you go to sites dedicated to ESL learning you can even choose the topics you prefer and avoid those you find boring. Isn’t this great?
There’s only one thing I don’t fully understand about downloading these files onto my mp3 player: do people walk around the city or go jogging with English listening exercises on their mp3 player? It seems a bit unusual to me. I think I’ll prefer the streaming option.
While searching for podcasts, I found three useful sites for ESL learners. They are quite similar because they all offer material for ESL learners and teachers. I think they’re useful because they’re all good sites and provide a lot of podcasts and other activities. They are:
www.eslpod.com
Here you find more than 300 podcasts on various topics with related explanations. Actors speak quite slowly, so the audio files are not that difficult (even if sometimes it doesn’t seem a natural conversation). There are full oral explanations given by a guide who makes words and expressions clear to the listener. Listening to the guide is like being in a classroom with a mothertongue teacher.
www.listen-to-english.com
This is a blog with many podcasts about interesting and unusual topics. The texts are clearly read and there are also some vocabulary notes or quizzes related to the audio files. Moreover, you can read the transcription of the text. The site is updated every week with a new post (text + podcast).
www.podcastinenglish.com
The site offers many audio files, divided in 3 levels. You can listen or download them and you have related transcriptions, worksheets with answers and vocabulary tasks. Many audio files are interviews and everything sounds spontaneous and natural. People interact a lot and it makes the files interesting to learn communication devices.
Apart from music, TV and radio, I think that podcasts can be really useful for us as English learners. A huge quantity of them is in English (I would say the majority of them), so you can find whatever you need to improve your listening and comprehension skills. Moreover, by doing that you can improve your pronunciation, as well. So…no excuse! This is a real revolution in learning a foreign language in my opinion. Some years ago the only way to listen to mothertongue speakers was going to their country. Now everything can be found in the net. In particular, if you go to sites dedicated to ESL learning you can even choose the topics you prefer and avoid those you find boring. Isn’t this great?
There’s only one thing I don’t fully understand about downloading these files onto my mp3 player: do people walk around the city or go jogging with English listening exercises on their mp3 player? It seems a bit unusual to me. I think I’ll prefer the streaming option.
While searching for podcasts, I found three useful sites for ESL learners. They are quite similar because they all offer material for ESL learners and teachers. I think they’re useful because they’re all good sites and provide a lot of podcasts and other activities. They are:
www.eslpod.com
Here you find more than 300 podcasts on various topics with related explanations. Actors speak quite slowly, so the audio files are not that difficult (even if sometimes it doesn’t seem a natural conversation). There are full oral explanations given by a guide who makes words and expressions clear to the listener. Listening to the guide is like being in a classroom with a mothertongue teacher.
www.listen-to-english.com
This is a blog with many podcasts about interesting and unusual topics. The texts are clearly read and there are also some vocabulary notes or quizzes related to the audio files. Moreover, you can read the transcription of the text. The site is updated every week with a new post (text + podcast).
www.podcastinenglish.com
The site offers many audio files, divided in 3 levels. You can listen or download them and you have related transcriptions, worksheets with answers and vocabulary tasks. Many audio files are interviews and everything sounds spontaneous and natural. People interact a lot and it makes the files interesting to learn communication devices.
4 commenti:
Hi Federico!
You are always so original in what you write! I really agree with you:podcasts are useful for learning English and today we have not excuses...there are so many possibilities that we must learn it!I like in particulary you second site: www.listen-to-emglish.com. I think it is reaaly well done and I like the fact that thre are some vocabulary notes, quizzes and the transcription of the text...these are fundamental elemnets in my opinion.
See you soon,
Elisa
Dear Federico,
I enjoyed reading your post! It's not only interesting, but also fun, especially this sentence: ‘Will I be supposed to use another tool for feed aggregation, posting or doing something still unknown to me?’ ;-)
You gave a very clear definition of what a podcast is, and this can be useful for anyone who reads your blog and still doesn’t know how this technology works. I like that you pointed out that there’s a ‘revolution in learning a foreign language’. That’s true! Some years ago we couldn’t have this opportunity.
You wrote you don’t understand people walking around the city and listening to English lessons with their mp3 player. It’s a little bit odd…I agree with you! ;-) Anyway, when I’m taking my dog for a walk I like using my mp3 player (I’m walking in the country), and I think I can take advantage of the walk by listening to English podcasts.
I was interested in the second website you chose. When I visited it and I started listening to some podcasts, I understand that the author speaks slowly. Anyway, I think this site is useful and interesting because you can practise your listening and enrich your vocabulary too. I like there are vocabulary notes, grammar notes and the transcripts of the podcasts.
Thank you for your advice!
See you!
Giovanna
Hi Fred!
I think we are quite of the same opinion about podcasts. I find this "invention" really cool but somehow I can't imagine walking via Dante or buying food at the supermarket listening to some people who speak English. It's more natural to listen to music. For me however it's even better to listen to nothing, or better, to listen to the environment, to the things that surround you. The charm of everyday experiences is also due to typical sounds that accompany them. Don't you think so? Usually if I go for a walk it's because I want to relax, give my ears a chance to rest a bit, and not because I want to practice English. I also noticed that an awful lot of people here in Italy go around with headphones in their ears. You may call me a conservative, but I think that by doing so you build a barrier between you and the world around you; you don't notice people that passes by and you become less and less willing to interact with them. Leave alone the fact that it's dangerous as well, as you don't hear what's going on and for example and a car may knock you down.
Well, anyway, this was just to comment on your rethorical question. ("Do people walk around the city or go jogging with English listening exercises on their mp3 player?")
As far as your choices are concerned I think the best one is www.listen-to-english.com. Although it's very slow, I like it because there are transcriptions as well and what's more you can check the meaning of new words just by clicking on them - no searching for them at all!
So, thanks for your comment and see you tomorrow!
Bye!
Hei u!!
Nice post..I agree with the girls..ur post is interesting and original..and yes, u made me laugh as well!
Talking about podcasts, the one I liked most was the listen-to-english one...well,It may seem stupid but the first podcast I listened to was about a gig of a famous singer in Birmingham..mmm u know I love that town!Anyway apart from that silly reason I really found many interesting things to listen to on that website..so, well done fred..as always!!!!!
c u!
vale
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