ESL Pod: Podcasts for ESL Classrooms

Tonight I browsed through a site called ESLpod to find ways to incorporate technology in my future ESL classroom lessons. This website provides over a thousand podcasts, created and shared by a team of experienced ESL professors, with years experience in the ESL field.  The podcasts are provided in English use guarded vocabulary and recorded at a slower rate of speech.  Each podcast also provides a transcript of the conversation with specific new vocabulary words bolded that relate to the theme of the dialogue  The site provides foundational information of the ESLpod site stating why their podcasts are different from most listening exercises in ESL learning. "Well, first, all of our podcasts are free to anyone who wants them. Second, ESL Podcast uses a very different approach than other courses or websites. We believe the fastest way to improve your English is to listen to conversations and discussions you can understand. Many people try to improve their English by listening or reading things that are too difficult. They understand only 40-50%, which means they are wasting half of their time!

At ESL Podcast, we provide English at a slower speed and use everyday phrases and expressions. We explain what these expressions mean and how to use them. That’s all! It’s simple, it’s obvious, and it’s very powerful. WOW! It seems as if this group of educators have really thought out each podcast, making sure that the discourse is meaningful and authentic to help students succeed in their English language learning experience! I spent some time listening to different podcasts offered on this site and came across one that sparked an interest to me titled Types of Humor. In this particular podcast, the conversation is between a man and a woman describing their thoughts about sitcoms using idioms and metaphors.  

This particular podcast could be used in an intermediate advanced ESL classroom for students. With the transcript readily available on the site, I am able to give this to the students as a hand-out to complete a pre-reading exercise before they begin listening to the mp3, the possibly making meaning of the new words using the context around them. After the students listen to the dialogue, the host of the podcasts provides a mini explanation of the conversation and the meanings of each bolded vocabulary word. Here is the transcript below to check out!

Types of Humor Transcript

Kyle: Are you watching that sitcom again? It’s so stupid. There’s nothing witty or original about the humor. 

Paulina: I don’t need highbrow jokes. I enjoy all kinds of comedy. 

Kyle: You mean you like screwball and slapstick humor. 

Paulina: Yes, so? 

Kyle: So? It’s so juvenile. 

Paulina: I know that it’s hard for people like you who like satire to appreciate the more wacky kinds of humor, but you might try getting off your high horse once in a while. 

Kyle: I’m not snooty. I’m just discriminating. I like comedians with a dry sense of humor like that self-deprecating guy on that show I watch. 

Paulina: That show is a snoozefest. That guy bores me to death. 

Kyle: And this show does it for you? 

Paulina: You bet. 

Kyle: There’s no accounting for taste! 

I hope you enjoyed reading this blog and will consider using this podcast site in the future!