Podcasts for teaching English as a Foreign Language: Analysis and digital literacy practice

Abstract

Brazilian researchers in the field of Computer Assisted Language Learning are signifi cant to establish an overview about the use of digital technologies in the classroom as well as to promote the digital literacy. In terms of production of teaching materials and teaching activities for the digital environment, it is essential that the teacher knows how to explore some of the tools available in the digital context. This paper aims to: (a) highlight the use of podcasting as a resource on the Internet that allows teachers to plan, to develop and to test activities involving oral production and comprehension of foreign languages; (b) discuss how far activities proposed by this digital resource can contribute to the digital literacy of both teachers and students; (c) report results of the experiment site analysis and production of podcasts involving multiliteracies. To do that, firstly, we mapped podcasts’ sites on the Internet, as well as we selected and analyzed this technology. Secondly, we proposed a pilot study involving the use of podcast aiming to promote students and teacher’s digital fl uency and literacy. The analysis and the experience realized indicated that the use of this resource could contribute significantly not only to language teaching, but also for digital literacy and technological fluency of both, teacher and student. Therefore, it is necessary to know the educational potentialities of podcasts to develop activities that address the interests and needs of students. Thus, we suggest analysis indicators, which may help the teacher in service both in the selection and analysis of this podcast for use in the classroom, and for the production of activities involving such technology.

Keywords: digital literacy, podcast, teaching of English language, proposal of activities.