This weekend I've been exploring the podcasts which can be of great help for ESL students. I must admit that I had never heard of the podcasts before, so I found this new experience very interesting and useful. I was really surprised when I saw how many web pages are dedicated just to ESL podcasts. In fact, it seems that nowadays you can find all sorts of listening, writing and reading activities on the Internet that you almost don't need to go abroad to improve your English.
However, in my opinion one of the major benefits of using ESL podcasts, is that you can develop your English listening and reading skills using MP3 audio files and audio scripts. This means that you can practice your English anytime and anywhere you want. I think this is really awesome.
I recommend the following web sites:
http://www.eslpod.com/website/show_all.php
http://www.betteratenglish.com/
http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish-central-listening-downloads-articles.htm
I find the last web site especially good since it provides a wide range of articles, stories and poems, as well as listening comprehension activities. The second one presents lots of podcasts concerning mainly grammar practices, and the first one offers many ESL podcasts of everyday life topics.
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4 comments:
Hi Katya,
as you pointed out podcasts offer a wide range of listening actievities, but to me going abroad is still the best solution to learn a foreign language. Of course if you don't have the possibility podcasts can be next best thing. The websites you recommended are a good example of ESL podcasts. There you can listen to a lot of episodes which deal with different topics. This way you get the chance to expand your vocabulary and to improve your comprehension skills. Furthermore I saw that there are really a lot of episodes that can be downloaded-I think more than 400- so you can't get bored at all!
Thanks,
ElisaS.
Hi Katja!
How are you? I hope you are enjoying your stay here in Padova, I’m quite sure you do :) You probably read on my blog I was an Erasmus student too. I really appreciated that experience and think it will be unforgettable for you as well.
As you do I also think podcasting is really an effective way to improve our English. Nevertheless, I am, like Elisa, a firm believer that going abroad is still a must to really learn a language. For this reason I chose to have an Erasmus experience in Germany and soon I’ll leave to England to have a work experience too :)
I have a look at the websites you chose and I liked the most “ESL Pod! I posted it in del.icio.us as well. I think it is very useful for improving conversational English since it offers a lot of podcasts dealing with everyday issues. You have, in addition, the opportunity to have a learning guide. I’m particularly interested in getting information about English customs.
See you tomorrow :)
Selena
Hi Katya!
Of course I agree with Elisa and Selena when they say that going abroad is the better way to learn a language and that's why your experience here will be very important for you....
Anyway podcasting can be a good alternative for improving our listening and comprehension skills especially using mp3 for our downloaded podcats :)
As regards the podcast websites you reccomended us, I found they are very useful and as you, I liked the most the last one you listed. It's very interesting and full of good podcasts...
Thank you
Imma
Hi Katja,
how are you?
We still haven't met at lessons, but now there's your photo on blog, so we can talk to each other personally.
I've read your post and our peers' comments. In part I agree with them: I think the best way to learn a language is to live in the country where the language is spoken. On the other way I thik that nowadays we have more opportunities to learn languages in our contry: just think of the net and all tools related to it. For example Skype or messenger are two useful software to talk to or chat with people in other countries!
Better at English, on eof the site you recommended, is full of broadcast and transcripts to download. Thank you for adding it!
see you tomorrow in the lab
Lisa
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