You just spent $50+ dollars on a textbook... only to open it up to photos of the main characters to writers developed. It's 2005, and every page is polluted with plaid shirts and mullets.
Apparently, your top of the line textbook is already out of date. If you took a foreign language in an American school, then you've had this experience. Luckily, the Internet has really helped solve this problem by giving students access to more contemporary material, and at the forefront is the podcast-- shows and mini-shows that can be heard live or downloaded onto a computer or iPod.There are many good and bad sides to podcasts. In Russia, more often than not the problem is going to be access. Borat and his neighbor may have iPods in the Hollywood version of Kazakhstan, but the reality is that, in general, mp3 players are just too expensive for the average Russian and the average English teacher!
Luckily, podcasts can typically be downloaded and then burned to disc, allowing teachers to play them in class or students to listen to them on their own time with a basic CD player. So long as you have Internet access and a CD burner on your computer, the timeliness of the podcasts can still be captured with just a little more effort.
A Cast for the Whole Class
The moment I found
Silver Street: Daily Urban Soap on the BBC Podcast Directory, I knew it was a winner. Soap operas or character-centered series are popular in language classes. They're a great way to learn language and culture at the same time by listening to how people interact, but they often have the same "dated" issues as textbooks.
Silver Street, on the other hand, takes place in modern England with a flavorful blend of the issues and mixed ethnicities that now characterize it.
Gritty daily radio soap set in a vibrant urban community. Want something that really gets to grips with your issues? This soap brings different cultures and generations together and isn't afraid to tackle taboo stories rocking the foundations of relationships, family and religion. The cast reflect the cultural mix of Britain today strongly representing British Asian, Irish and Black characters in a cool non-stereotypical way.
Even better, each show is labeled with a title and summary that shine a light on the context and help student gear up their schemata, such as "Vinnie gets annoyed with Jodie: Vinnie wants to get Jodie off his back, and Sean feels guilty for wanting to leave." The episodes are also only five minutes a piece, so students won't become numbed or anxiety-ridden by an enormous amount of input.
I could definitely see burning a week or a month's worth of episodes and assigning one for listening homework each night with some guidance or consideration questions: "Why is Jodie upset with Vinnie? How do you know?" A second listen at the beginning of class will help warm students up for the day and lead into a discussion of the show to date. How did they feel about Jodie? Did she have a right to be upset with Vinnie? How do students feel about issues at play, and how are they dealt with differently in Russian culture?
The Downsides?
1) It's British English, so students may have trouble if they've had instructors with different accents. In fact, as an "urban" soap, it isn't even "standard" British English. If students have trouble, though, transcripts will help with assignments and broaden their dialectic comprehension in general.
2)There are a lot of characters, though, so teachers will definitely need to familiarize themselves with the series and give students some background information on them, who's in which episode, etc. until they can pick out the voices.
3)Because the textbook didn't script them, you might be hard pressed to integrate episodes into the unit in terms of grammar or content, and it's difficult to pick and choose, just as it's difficult to figure out what's going on when you jump into The Young and the Restless. Who slept with whose husband?
Peas in a Pod: A Podcast for Every Interest
In my opinion, the key to improving L2 output is to play to the students' interests. When it comes to global politics, I always start to nod off, but when the topic shifts to science-fiction, I suddenly become pretty talkative! Well, that's what I want from my students, and the wide variety of podcasts floating around the Web provide a great way to draw in different students.
The BBC Podcasts Directory is an amazing resource for shows of every interest, from business to gardening, and mostly in "standard" British English. A great class exercise would even be to have students get on the site (if such technology is available in the class) and choose a podcast to follow. They can present from time to time and offer the class helpful vocabulary that pertains to their subject. With technological constraints, teachers can just as easily download a few episodes on topics the students have said they like. This may be more helpful for students that are less advanced and need more guidance through the episodes.
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