English Podcast as a Tool for Improving Students’ Listening Skills
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24256/ideas.v12i2.12655Keywords:
English podcast, listening comprehension, digital learning, language technologyAbstract
Listening is one of the most challenging skills for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners because spoken language must be processed in real time and may involve unfamiliar vocabulary, accents, pronunciation, and speech rates. This article examines the potential of English podcasts for improving students’ listening skills. A quantitative quasi-experimental approach with a pre-test and post-test control group design is proposed, involving an experimental group receiving podcast-based instruction and a control group receiving conventional listening instruction. Previous empirical studies indicate that podcast-based instruction can improve listening comprehension and support motivation, learner autonomy, and engagement. The discussion further indicates that podcasts are most effective when supported by structured pre-listening, while-listening, and post-listening activities, purposeful repetition, scaffolding, and feedback. English podcasts can therefore serve as a flexible digital resource for developing listening skills when content and instructional tasks are carefully selected.
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