Using Podcasts to Learn Languages

Podcasting offers language learners the audio input they need to acquire Spanish, French, English, Chinese and many other world languages.

I admitted an embarrassing fact to some of my high school French students today: I don't know how to text. After their initial shock, they were happy to step into the role of teacher and give me a little lesson. I am proud to report that I sent my very first message this afternoon. Now I feel inspired to figure out my iPod and enter the world of podcasting.

I am not nearly as tech-savvy as my teenage students who, I suspect, feel naked without their cell phones and iPods. Luckily, many of my fellow Suite 101 writers are well-versed in technology and offer outstanding tips for learning language with podcasts. I have been checking out their articles and I am excited by the possibilities. Podcasting offers the auditory input necessary for language learning, and it is convenient, affordable, and motivating.

Here is your Suite 101 resource for language learning with an iPod. I have included introductory articles about podcasting for a newbie such as myself, as well as informative articles specific to language learning.

What is Podcasting? by Nicole Allard

Getting Started with Podcasting by Robert Taylor

How to Create a Podcast by Alan L. Hammond

Podcasting in the Classroom by Beth Lynne

Using Podcasts to Improve Language by Sarah Dion-Marquis

Podcasting: The Modern Way to Learn a Foreign Language by Sarah Dion-Marquis

Learning a Language with the iPod by Paul Read

Learn Languages for Free by Michelle Snow