Writing Assignment

Developing Students' Speaking Skills through the Use of Podcasts

(I) Speaking is one of the most important English components that has to be mastered by the pupils. It is true because living in this globalisation, understanding spoken English and be able to converse well are extremely essential for all students as they could help them shape their future role in their chosen field. (R) Students generally believe that having high proficiency in speaking English will be very beneficial for their future studies as well as their prospective career. They also believe that speaking English fluently will take them far into the world and the future as currently, English is the most widely spoken language in the world. Therefore, mastering speaking in English is a must for them. (G) However, learning to speak English properly without reliable resources is very difficult for many students and as a result it may decrease their desire to improve themselves. (F) This essay will demonstrate a creative idea in developing students' speaking skills through the use of podcasts. A podcast is a series of regularly-updated audio or video files that can be played on a number of devices, such as mp3 players or mobile phones, computers and are distributed over the internet via a subscription service. So, I personally believe that utilizing podcasts to teach speaking are beneficial because they are authentic, easy to access, and free.

Teaching speaking in English by using podcasts is advantageous because they are authentic. Podcasts are generally produced by a reliable and legitimate sources such as Ed Ted Talk. Ed Ted Talk are great learning tools for students as they were produced professionally by educators and animators working together to make a short duration video lesson aimed especially for students and the teachers. Another examples of authentic sources are BBC podcasts, Learn English podcasts and or even the podcasts that were made by the teacher themselves. Students and teachers do not have to worry about the validity of the source as well as the content itself because they come from the professionals. They will be able to see who the writer or the speaker are as well as their education background information and their current employment status. Furthermore, those trustworthy sources are distributed freely for education purposes. So, all in all, teaching speaking in English by using podcast are very advantageous for both the students and the teachers because the sources are credible and reliable.

Teaching speaking in English by using podcasts is favorable because they are easy to access. Podcasts are portable, the audio and the video files that they produced could be played on an mp3, iPod, mobile phone and laptop. Students could get the file by subscripting to a podcasting educational site, they then will get an automatic update regularly. Alternatively, students could go to the podcasting educational site without subscription. They just had to do it manually by downloading the materials into their devices one by one. Once students downloaded their materials into their gadgets, they will be able to use it anytime and anywhere they want. Students will be able to listen to it while they are on the go; they do not have to sit in front of their desk to study or even in the classroom for all matters. It is very accessible for everyone and easy to use.

Teaching speaking in English by using podcasts is worthwhile because they are free. Many audio and video podcasts are chargeless. Podcasts are produced on the purposes of sharing the knowledge to the wider world and for the betterment of the education itself. It is mainly directed for students, teachers as well as independent learners, therefore it is in the public domain. Podcasts are uploaded on the internet for the public use and it is accessible 24/7. Students will be able to get any materials they need and they do not have to be concern about the cost anymore. So, there are no reason for many students not being able to learn because the cost is expensive as podcasts provide learning resources without charge.

In conclusion, I believe that teaching speaking in English by utilizing podcasts can help students to improve their understanding in many different kinds of English accent, increase their pronunciation level by listening to native speakers speaking on podcasts, encourage them to listen to the materials that they are interested in, give students interesting and up to date learning resources and also can help students develop their speaking skill through the use of podcasts materials. Additionally, podcasts are extremely beneficial and great for learning purposes because their materials are authentic, easy to access and free.