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How to Use Podcasts with ESL Students

Podcasts are audio or video digital media files that are often produced as part of a series. When a podcast is created as a series, it can be easily subscribed to using an RSS aggregator. The use of an RSS aggregator allows podcast episodes to be automatically downloaded to a teacher or student device. This is advantageous, as teachers and students are not responsible for repeatedly checking for new episodes, they will download automatically when ready. Notifications can be set up as well to alert the user to the presence of a new podcast. Podcasts can be a very useful tool in the ESL classroom. Podcasts can be created by the instructor for ESL students who struggle with following the pace of in-class discussions, created by the ESL student to show understanding of key concepts and necessary skills such as reading, writing, listening, and speaking, or podcasts not created by the instructor can be listened to by ESL students to help solidify critical English language skills.
Recent posts

Giving Clearer Instructions

The article I read this week ( "Research Makes Robots Better at Following Spoken Instructions" ) does not directly reference anything that has to do with ESL students. However it made me think about the directions I give in class and how my ESL students may perceive them. One thing I find myself doing constantly (for all students not just ESL students) is repeating directions. Whether students did not understand the directions initially and need further clarification or whether the student was not paying attention and has no idea what I just said, I repeat myself constantly. I have tried to combat this by always having printed directions or directions posted on the board but still the problem persists. Enter technology. With easy recording ability, technology now allows me to create “How-To” videos before class starts and share them with my students. Instead of waiting for all students to quiet down and verbally explain the instructions in-front of the class, my stude

ELF in the World of Technology

The article I read this week ( "English for Informational Technology" ) looked at the importance for nonnative speakers of English to understand certain terms and phrases if they intend on entering the field of Information Technology. While it may not be completely necessary to speak fluent English to work in the field of IT, it may be very difficult to do so without at least a cursory understanding of the English language.   If a nonnative speaker of English wants to get into the field of writing code, it may also be necessary to understand the English language as many of the tags needed to write working HTML are written in English. I had never thought of this until looking at English as a Lingua Franca. I am sure that there are other examples out there of professions or practices where knowing a specific language is required, even if it is not the spoken language of the area. Comment below if you know any examples of professions where a specific lan

Concept Mapping for L2 Students

The article I read this week ( "Drawing on Ideas for Language Learners" ) talked about the benefits concept mapping can have for L2 students. Through the use of the concept-mapping platform Ideaphora , several distinct uses of concept mapping for L2 students were discussed. Education researchers have advocated the use of concept mapping for over 40 years as an effective way to foster higher-order thinking skills. Concept maps help to move ELL students from knowledge acquisition to knowledge utilization to creation. Utilizing concept maps, language learners can create a visible structure of their understanding in given domains that can be modified to reflect new understanding. Some of the major ways concept maps can be used are in pre-reading, pre-writing, vocabulary building, developing critical thinking skills, assessment, and reading comprehension. With the advances in technology, creating these concept maps has become easier for teachers and students to utiliz

Using Memes to Engage ESL Students

I'll admit it freely: I LOVE memes. I think they are often hilarious and I share them with my friends and family regularly. If you are not familiar with what a meme is, it is formally defined as: an element of a culture or system of behavior that may be considered to be passed from one individual to another by nongenetic means, especially imitation. AKA: funny pictures shared online that often have accompanying captions adding to their hilarity. Now what, might you ask, do memes have to do with teaching ESL students? This is a fair question indeed. The fact is, many of our students today share my enjoyment in both creating and sharing memes with their friends. Memes are incredibly engaging for students at the secondary level and the articles I read this week ( "Using Classroom Memes to Connect with Your Students"  and  "Try Not to Smile When an ESL Student Uses Memes as Writing Prompts" ) showed me that I need to start harnessing the power of memes to eng