Podcasts and Listening skills

Abstract

The actual descriptive study developed at Universidad Técnica de Ambato with students of higher levels of the major “Pedagogía de los Idiomas Nacionales y Extranjeros” determined the impact of podcasts on the listening skills development of EFL learners, 75 students (53 female and 22 male) agreed to participate freely and voluntarily for such matter. The data collection was executed through a survey which contained 28 items on a Likert scale and four open-ended questions. The coefficient Cronbach’s Alpha validated the instrument with a value of 0,826. The survey aimed to answer three research questions: What are the formats and types of podcasts learners use to enhance listening skills? What are the different strategies students use to develop listening skills? Which are the advantages and disadvantages of podcasts for developing listening skills? The results provided meaningful insights into students’ perceptions of podcasts. For instance, they occasionally listen to audio and video podcasts, learners considered that podcasts offer several advantages to improve their listening, and just a few drawbacks. Lastly, most students agreed to use more cognitive strategies than metacognitive or socio-affective strategies. Given these points, students listen to audio or video podcasts due to provide meaningful input to improve their listening and enjoy formats which entails entertainment. In addition, learners need to complement their strategies by using metacognitive strategies and socio-affective strategies to internalize the content. The advantages they mentioned are they can improve pronunciation, extend their vocabulary, enhance their listening, among others. Regarding the disadvantages they mentioned that the professors rarely implement podcasts in class, learners encountered complex language to understand, and others.