Video Podcast

Video Podcast

ESL/EFL Podcast Likes and Dislikes Series

“Sports”

Francisco Rojas Lopez

1. Description of intended students

This podcast series is for my future students from 2th grade of a public High School in Chile. There are 35 students in this class; it is like any other class in Chile. Some of them are really interested in learning English, but most of them are not. They are like any teenager; they like listening to music, watching videos and films, playing soccer and hanging around with their friends. They are between 15 and 16 years old. They are native Spanish speakers and do not speak a second language because they think that it is not necessary. They need to know that learning English can be fun; they can meet new people, and to know about different cultures and societies, but most important they need to know that they can learn English; they can use it to express themselves; to talk about their thoughts and experiences, and to talk about their country and culture.

2. Description of language objectives and content objectives

- Language objectives for series: Expressing Likes and Dislikes; the students will be able to write and talk about what they like and what they do not.

I love

I hate

I like

I don’t like

I enjoy

I can’t stand

I’m crazy about

I’m sick of

I’m tired of

- Content objectives for series: Different topics of daily activities; the students will see how people live in a culture that is different from their own, and how English is used.

Food

Lifestyles

Sports

Clothes

- Language objectives for the individual podcast

I like

I enjoy

I don’t like

- Content objective for the individual podcast

Sports; American Football. Points of view of two different

students living in the United States.

- Explanation of reasoning ; connect with students needs

I chose these objectives for this video podcast because the students need to know about language and culture at the same time; they can understand how American people have fun and the traditions they have; how people of other countries who are living in the United States see and understand these traditions;. We can relate this content with students’ experiences and make some contrasts between them; after this activity the students will be able to talk about what they like and what they do not.

3. Description of the elements that make the podcast comprehensible

First of all I have to say that this video podcast is just one part of the activity. The students will be asked to find some information about American football before watching the video in order to collect some useful insights.

I think that this podcast is comprehensible because the language objectives that I chose for this episode are clearly identifiable. They can hear and read by themselves where people used the certain structure in their speech. They can read keywords that make the content comprehensible. They can watch real images of a football game that illustrate what the people are saying. They can compare the differences between a native and a non-native English speaker. At the end of the video the students can read a summary with the structures that were presented.

After watching the video the students will receive a worksheet with questions about what they heard and with a list of examples that show how to use these structures. The script will be written in the worksheet; if they have any doubt, they can read the text and find what they need.

4. Descriptions of the strategies that we have covered that have informed the choices that you have made with the podcast and how you will use it with students.

This whole activity was created thinking in some of the strategies that we have learned here. First of all I thought in High Expectations and faith in the learner because the first interview was made with a native speaker of English; this can be a bit difficult for the students to understand. I wanted to use real English in order to expose them to a real accent and intonation. I think that if they receive the proper support, they will be able to understand the message.

I thought in Teaching Through Content because the students can relate their traditions and experiences to those of people in different countries and societies. We can go deeper in the topics and understand how people live in other parts of the world. We can discuss about specific issues that caught the attention of the students; for example, what a freshman is or what an exchange student is.

The use of Multimedia technology to teach language and culture. We can bring small pieces of the target culture into the classroom. This video podcast was created in a real context; the images and the interviews were taken from real situations and conversations; the students can see how English is used in a real context and how culture is expressed through traditions and customs.