If you missed one of the Friday classes (you probably did, as only a few of you turned up) you didn't hear about podcasts, a portmanteau -some people think- of the words Ipod (Apple's sleek mp3 player) and broadcast. Some others, however, claim that's wrong and podcast comes from the acronym p.o.d. (public on demand) + cast. A podcast is...well, you'd rather watch this video to find out.
Where can you find the podcasts? Probably the best way to download, subscribe to and manage episodes is iTunes. If you haven't got it yet and want to download it you can do it here.
If you are experiencing problems or you're not exactly what I'd call tech-freak, watch this video for troubleshooting.
If you want to browse through the wide array of podcasts available to you, you can either-
1.Once you've downloaded and installed iTunes, go to the Podcasts directory and search for the category you're after. Choose one episode of a podcast to download the programme or, if you really like it so much, subscribe. Problems? If so, watch this video. Otherwise, you might as well skip it.
2.You can also go to some websites which function as search engines for podcasts. Take, for example, Podcast Alley. You can also go to the site and listen to it online, with streamed audio and/or video if you're not interested in subscribing yet.
3.There are also some directories with podcasts specially created for teaching English as a second language. Probably the best is Englishcaster. The good thing here is that you can choose the contents and they're sorted out by levels, target audience, type of accent...
Even though your teacher's explanation has been outstanding -or... hasn't?, do not hesitate to ask him if you can't make head or tail of it and you're stuck.
What do you have to do? Homework (or rather, not more homework, this is fun) for next week is- choose only one of the podcasts you've been listening to and fill in the questions in the file I should already have given out. Do not feel disappointed if you find it difficult, think that some of the podcasts are programmes for native speakers! Choose one that you find suitable, prick up your ears and enjoy yourself.
To finish, why don't you give this one a listen (I'll be watching out for giggles, I'm warning you) then think it over and come to class with a few tips or suggestions?
If you want to check how this audio file looks on a website, you might want to check it here.
That's all, peas in the pod.
5 comments:
Hi people!!
how are things with you?,..
Today it's rainning so it's a good moment to do some homework, and why not to listen some pieces of music, see some documentals in the discovery channel or learn some English in the six minuts English,..all of these things you can obtain in the i-Tunes. In this program you have to find postcard and the option English in its configuration.
Al the moment, I only listened the radio, music, news or talking about any interesting matter, but now it'll be different.I read in 'Not more homework' that if you have i-Tunes you can download different curious, historical, interesting and why not funny documentals and listen and watch them very calm at home.
In this way, you can practice listening, vocabulary, learning new expresions and words.
Moreover, you will enjoy it, because you can choose the most interesting documentals for you, and listen the last information about them at the same time you are learning new words about this issue.
In my case, the historical documentaries about pyramids, revolution in China, the evolution of the economy in the word, climate change from thousand of years ago, etc,..are very interesting. Also, the actual reviews about plastic surgery, healthy, the war in west countries give you a good information and provide you a critical thought due to the contrast of the ideas about them.
So, I strongly recommend you try to do it, because tt's worth doing it!
Cheer up!!!
Cristina Diaz.
1st advanced. N group.
Palma Tocón, 1st. advanced. From 18:00 to 20:00, mondays and wednesdays group.
Hi everyone! I agree with you Cristina: today is a grey and nasty day, and, like you, I've decided to stay at home, doing housework and homework. I have no problems downloading podcasts, because I knew about them. Podcast is an useful tool to improve our english vocabulary, and, overall, our listening comprehension. You know, first you can hear the podcast and, next, you can read the contents while you are listening it again.
I only have now a doubt: Carlos writes this about the homework for next week "choose only one of the podcasts you've been listening to and fill in the questions in the file I should already have given out". But, did he give us out some questions or something?
Carlos if you read my comment, please clarify me last point. Thank you in advance.
By the way, Carlos, you would had been a good broadcaster because your voice through microphones sounds good and, if is the first time you have created a podcast, I think, you have done really well.
Hi, Palma and any other who has the same doubt. You're right, that comment about the handout was meant for students of Avanzado 2, as I took them to the Multimedia Room to explain about podcasting. Hopefully we will be able to do the same with students of Avanzado 1 and then I'll give out the paper for you to work with. Until then, just experiment with podcasts and enjoy it.
Hi Everybody!!
I'm Blanca Palacios (1st Advanced M)
All contents are very interesting, I have been listening several podcasts about news and learning english and I have enjoyed with them.
Carlos, Thank you for the clarification about the questions, I had the same question than Palma.
About your podcast, very clear, I can't understand all very well.
Regarding to create our own podcast, I think it's difficult, but I'm trying to thing about it, about the subject that I would like to comment.
I will continue hearing some podcasts to get some ideas.
See you next class!
Hi everybody!
This weekend I had a bit of time to surf on the Net, so I decided to visit different webs about learning English. I went to the site Englsihcaster and I decided start with Archie's comics. At first, I tried to understand a "radio program" that the characters made, but I found it too difficult, so I proved to read a comic and I found it very funny and I understood it!
I proved with some tihngs more...I really was entertaining with this homework. When I'll have more time (and my computer let me surf on the Internet) I'll prove more programms!
Bye!
Inés Iriarte. 1st Advanced group N
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