Podcasts

Podcast makes your class more interesting!


The teacher can be the host/hostess by holding his/her own "show" with the help of podcast.  It can be a one-man show or deliberately design into an interview form.  Listening to the podcast is just like listening to the radio, it can train students' listening skill.  Moreover, it talks about one specific topic at one time, so students can catch the point easier.

Photo by abrinsky

I just found the podcast, Being Impolite in Conversation, a good material for teaching ESL students.  The host speaks slowly and clearly.  There is also a conversation demonstration between two people.  Both of they two speak in a slow and clear way as well.  Thus, the students can easily catch up what people said in the podcast.  Besides, the intonation displays obviously so that students can learn to follow it after listening to the conversation.  Moreover, the host in the podcast explains the vocabulary in the conversation.  The most common way the learners learn new words is looking up them in the dictionary, now students can change a method learning new words.  This trains their listening skill.


What if I were the teacher, I would ask my students to listen to this podcast carefully and ask them to pair work with their peers to demonstrate the conversation again.  They will be asked to pay attention to the intonation and the tone of speaking.  One thing I like this podcast is that students can learn something related to their daily life and can probably apply it in real life. 


There are a lot useful podcasts for ESL students in ESL Podcast.  Podcast is really a good tool for listening training!

Use Digital Storytelling Tool in a Language Class

Here is my self-made sample of digital storytelling book.




This is how I am going to use this in my class: First, show my students the process of planning a trip.  Second, tell them one of my experiences in planning a trip.  Third, ask them to plan a trip, and to write it down.

By showing them the words and pictures together, I believe that they will have a clearer idea about what the teacher is talking about.  Students can learn some travel-related vocabulary at this part as well.  Besides, for students, it is always good to listen to a lecture with lively material. After showing them the slides on Bookr, I will tell them one of my stories.  It could be either the problem I encountered while planing the trip, or what I have seen during the trip.  I feel that by doing this, the students can feel that they are really learning something useful and can be applied in their daily life.  Last but not least, I will ask them to write down their own trip plan.  This trains their writing skill, too.  What is more, they will be asked to do a presentation with the help of digital storytelling tool.  They can share their ideas with peers, and it makes the presentation much fun!

The objectives of this activity will primarily be improving the students' listening, writing, and speaking skill.  They will have to listen to the teacher's introduction of how to plan a trip first.  Then, to write down their own projects.  Finally, they will be asked to show their ideas with peers on the stage.